Chapter 5 - Improving Muscular Strength and Muscular Endurance

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Strength Training

There are a number of different methods for developing strength, but they are all based on the
same principle, namely, heavy loads with few repetitions. In 1962, Berger designed the most commonly
used strength method. In this method, you first find your 1-RM for the exercise you want to strengthen.
Next, take 80% of your 1-RM. Using this resistance as your workload, perform three to five repetitions for
five sets. When we say three to five repetitions, we‟re talking maximum repetitions. That last repetition in
the set should be living hell. If you are white, you should turn bright red and if you are an African-
American, you should turn...white? Well, maybe not, but you get the idea. You have to be really pushing.
If the repetitions are too easy, you don‟t have enough weight on the bar…add some. Remember, in order to
get strong you have to overload your muscles. Note also, that you should rest approximately five minutes
between each set. We will talk more about this later on.

Light and Heavy System

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Another good strength training

program is the Light and Heavy System.
This system is a weightlifting program that
was devised by the early Egyptians. Over
the years, the method has been modified
considerably. However, it is still one of the
most widely used methods for strength
training.
In this system, the lifter‟s first set
consists of doing a considerable number of
repetitions with a light resistance. Then on
each successive set, the lifter systematically
increases the resistance and decreases the
number of repetitions until reaching a
weight close to maximum. For example,
on the first set, the lifter might perform ten repetitions with a resistance of 50% of his 1-RM. On the second
set, eight repetitions with 60% of his 1-RM; on the third set, six repetitions with 70% of his 1-RM; on the
fourth set, four repetitions with 80% of his 1-RM; on his fifth set, two repetitions with 90% of his 1-RM; and
then on the last set, one repetition with 95% to 100% of his 1-RM. Again, the repetitions should be maximum
and the sets should be interpolated by 5 minutes of rest.
In case you are interested, most competitive weightlifters use a
much more demanding training routine than either Berger‟s or the Light
and Heavy Method. Generally speaking, weightlifters do fewer
repetitions with heavier resistance and perform more sets. However, it
should be noted that the principle for strength development is still the
same…few repetitions with heavy resistance.

Anabolic Training
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The anabolic training method is actually a reverse pyramid

method. This method is used extensively throughout Europe. As you
are aware from our previous discussion, most Americans use a
pyramid system and/or light-heavy system. As mentioned, in this
system the lifter systematically increases the resistance and decreases
the number of repetitions of each set until he reaches a weight close to
 Chapter 5 - Improving Muscular Strength and Muscular Endurance
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his maximum. In the reverse pyramid system, you do the exact opposite. After you warm-up, your first
training set will be your heaviest training set…near maximum weight with few repetitions. On the next
sets, you reduce your training weight and increase the number of repetitions. By doing this, you train with
your heavy set first while you are still fresh and full of energy. For example, on the first set, the lifter
performs his maximum for one repetition. On the second set, two repetitions with 90% of his 1-RM; on the
third set, four repetitions with 85% of his 1-RM; and then on the last set, six repetitions with 80% of his 1-
RM. Again, the repetitions should be maximum and the sets should be interpolated by 5 minutes of rest. Of
course, your muscles will be stressed optimally by using the heaviest weight first because you‟re not
fatigued yet. This is not the case with the light-heavy method, where fatigue becomes a factor before you
reach your maximum set. Also, with the reverse
pyramid method, the heavy first set serves as a
pre-fatiguing set so that the two sets that follow
∞ WELLNESS FOR LIFE ∞
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turn into an intense experience.
Partial Exercises.

Another exercise that you might want to consider

Cheating Method incorporating into your strength training routine is partials. Partials
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are exercises in which the lifter uses above maximum resistance,
but performs only one-half or one-fourth of the range of the
The cheating method has nothing to exercise. For example, if a lifter was going to do a partial squat,
do with your girlfriend. It‟s a little more then instead of squatting down until his thighs were below
stressful than that. After all, you can always get parallel… as in a full squat… he would only squat until his thighs
a new girlfriend, but you can‟t get a new back. were at an approximate forty-five degree angle with the floor.
So pay close attention here, because this is a Partials are mainly supplemental exercises and are usually
very demanding and somewhat dangerous performed only once a week. Many lifters use a resistance of
program. 125% of their 1-RM and do three to five repetitions.
Cheating is a strength and mass training It is believed that partial exercises not only develop
method that was first introduced by the German muscular strength, but also ligament and tendon strength as well.
Unfortunately, at this time there is no research to substantiate or
Olympic Weightlifting Team in 1932. In this refute the aforementioned contention. From a strictly empirical
method, the lifter uses a resistance that is greater standpoint, partials seem to be extremely beneficial. In fact, most
than he can handle with strict form. He then lifters who use partials swear by them. Many times, what a person
breaks form by recruiting muscle groups that are believes has nothing to do with what is true. Still, when there‟s no
not normally used in the exercise in order to get research to guide you, sometimes you have to take the bull by its
the resistance past his sticking point (the angle horns and see where it takes you.
at which point the lift is most difficult). Once the
resistance passes the sticking point, the lifter
performs the remaining segment of the lift with proper form. For instance, if you were performing a “cheat
curl,” instead of keeping the back straight and pulling with the forearms and biceps, you would bend
forward at the waist and initiate the lift by throwing the
hips forward and swinging the upper body backwards.
Once the resistance passes the sticking point, the biceps
and deltoids are used to complete the lift. Note that the
lift is performed properly after the weight passes the
sticking point.
The major advantage of the cheating method
of training is that it enables the lifter to tax muscles that
would otherwise receive relatively little stimulation.
For example, if cheating is not used, the resistance in
any given exercise can be no greater than the maximum
strength of the weakest muscle (or weakest angle for
the muscle) being used in the exercise. In contrast,
when cheating is used, increased resistance can be
applied to the portion of the muscle that is strongest in
that particular range of motion. Furthermore, it has
been suggested that cheating allows the lifter to
develop synergistic muscles that would not be involved
if the proper form were used.
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On the other hand, there are a number of disadvantages to the cheating method. Aren‟t there
always? First of all, performing a cheating exercise requires proper technique. If the exercise is performed
so that momentum is used to swing the resistance through the entire range of motion, little strength
development will occur. In addition, it should be understood that by using the cheating method of training
you are practicing improper form that may affect your lifting when you try to revert back to the correct
form. For this reason, many competitive lifters will not use the cheating method of training. It might be
noted that many novice lifters overestimate their strength by using this method. A 1-RM cheat bench press,
for instance, is not a valid indicator of how much weight a lifter can lift when using the correct form of
bench pressing. Many times, lifters are capable of lifting extremely heavy poundage in a heat exercise but
are unable to lift such weights when the exercise is performed properly.
The cheating method of training can also be especially dangerous when performing lifts over the
body. Remember, this method requires that you use above maximum poundage…usually 110% of your 1-
RM (with strict form). When extremely heavy resistance is used, it is much more difficult to keep good
form, especially when good form consists of “swinging” or “throwing” the weight through a particular
segment of the lift. If a lifter breaks form when using such heavy resistance, the chance of injury is very
high. Be careful!

Negatives
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Another exercise that you might want to incorporate into your strength training is negatives. When
negatives are used properly, they
can really have a positive effect on
your training. In case you‟re not
familiar with negatives, it‟s an
exercise that is performed in
reverse to stimulate deep muscle
contraction. For example, if you
were performing a negative
deadlift, spotters would help you
lift the weight from the floor to a
finished or locked-out position.
Then, without any assistance, you
would lower the weight as slowly
as possible to its original position.
The purpose of negative
resistance exercises is to enable the
lifter to overload his muscles
through the full range of motion,
thereby developing strength through that range of motion. Research indicates that a muscle can be loaded
negatively (eccentric contraction) up to 120% of what it can lift in a positive (concentric contraction)
movement. Because a muscle can handle more resistance in a negative movement, some exercise
physiologists believe that negative exercises are more effective in developing strength than positive exercises.
Although there are few studies to support this contention, more research is necessary before it can be
determined if negatives are more effective in developing strength. One point on which research is fairly
consistent is that negative exercises will produce more muscle soreness than positive exercises. Trust the
research on this one, those “bad boys” can really put a hurting on you. For this reason, we suggest you don‟t
use negatives exclusively and when you do, use them sparingly.
Another word of warning, laboratory experiments indicate that most lifters cannot control above
maximum weight at their sticking point. Consequently, strength may not be developed through the full range
of motion, but rather only at the portion of the exercise where resistance is controlled. This may cause a
decrement in performance when positive movements are evaluated. Moreover, since above maximum
resistance cannot be controlled throughout the full range of motion, negative exercises can be extremely
dangerous. Without question, make sure you have a skilled spotter when using this type of exercise.
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Remember, negatives can be positive, but they can kill you…dead even. And that‟s one injury you can‟t talk
about in the gym…unless of course your training partner is Shirley McLain.

Resting Between Sets

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Although many lifters pay little attention to their rest

periods between sets, they are of paramount importance.
When a muscle is stressed to near maximum exertion and not
given an opportunity to recover, it will fatigue. In turn,
fatigue will reduce strength by decreasing the force and extent
of muscle contraction. This decrease in the contractile power
of the muscle is brought about in two ways. First, fatigue
restricts the muscle from bringing into play all of its
contractible fibers. Second, it decreases the contractibility or
force of contraction of the muscle fibers that are involved.
For the above reasons, it is important that you
determine how much rest your muscles need between sets.
Once again, this is an individual matter. Actually, there are a
number of important factors to consider before reaching a decision as to how long you should rest between
sets. One factor is the restoration of energy to the muscle. Now, this is going to be a little technical, but
nothing you can‟t handle. No!..No!...don‟t turn the page…it‟s not that bad. We promise. Besides, it‟s
important information. So, take your time and pay attention.
The immediate source of energy for every movement an athlete performs comes from the breakdown
of the chemical compound adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP). This substance is stored within the cells of the
muscles. As it is broken down energy is released, but only to a certain extent. This is because there is only so
much ATP to be broken down. The only way the muscles can continue to perform their work is through
resynthesis of ATP and the restoration of it to the depleted areas. This also requires energy.
Our bodies have three ways of resynthesizing ATP and making it available to the muscles. In
weightlifting and other short term, high-intensity bouts of exercise, the body utilizes the phosphagen (ATP-
PC) system. In this system, the energy needed comes from the breakdown of phosphocreatine (PC), hence, the
name ATP-PC system.
Studies have shown that most of the ATP and PC stores depleted in the muscles during exercise are
restored in what we could consider to be a relatively short period of time. For example, many studies show
that after two minutes, 70% to 80% of the ATP has been resynthesized and that figure rises to 90% to 95%
after four minutes. This would indicate that the rest taken prior to a top set, or a very important set, should be
approximately four to five minutes in duration. Interestingly, rest periods longer than 5 minutes do not
significantly enhance strength scores and in fact rest periods of 8 to 10 minutes may even bring about
decrements in skill. Now, was that so bad? Don‟t answer that.

Muscle to Fat?
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Can muscle turn to fat? We love this question. It‟s like asking if liver will turn into broccoli if you
let it stand long enough. Well it‟s kind of like that. In all seriousness, the belief that your muscles will turn
to fat when you stop working out is a widespread misconception.
It is true that after periods of inactivity, an individual‟s muscle tissue will atrophy to some extent
but muscle tissue will definitely not turn to fat. Muscle tissue and adipose tissue (fat) are distinctly different
types of tissue. Physiologically, it is impossible for either of these types of tissue to be converted into the
other.
The reason that some athletes gain weight after they stop training is that they do not change their
diets. When an athlete is training, the energy or caloric requirements (metabolic rate) is much greater than
when not training. If the athlete does not take this fact into account and continues to eat the same amount of
food as during training, the calories not being used will be converted to glycogen and stored as fat.