Strength Training

Strength training
Strength training is a form of anaerobe exercise that has the goal of increasing strength of skeletal muscles. It can be utilized for both rehabilitation and fitness purposes as well as in sports specific training.In this section follows a basic description of some of the main principles of strength training.

Strength Training Principles:
There are three fundamental elements to a successful strength training program

• Overload: To experience gains in strength the muscle must be loaded more than it is accustomed to.
• Progression: The active muscle must work against a gradually increasing resistance in order to meet the overload.
• Specificity: Gains in strength are dependent on the muscle group used, and movement pattern performed

Gains in strength are not necessarily due to increased muscle size or cross sectional area. This is particularly true in the very first phase of starting a new strength training program.

The changes that takes place in this very first phase is mainly due to the nervous system adapting to new stimuli. The centers of the brain controlling movement learns to recruit the neural pathways of the specific movement more efficiently. As a results increased strength and load-bearing capacity is achieved . The principle of specificity particularly applies in this respect.

There are many theories as to why strength training results in muscle growth. Actual Muscle growth is not observed until at least six weeks into a training program. This is true for beginners muscle growth may happen faster in people who has taken a pause from a previous long term exercise program