Developmental Essentials by IYCA, (05) Strength Development, Notes

Post date: Apr 24, 2016 4:00:27 PM

Developmental Essentials by IYCA

(5) Strength Development

• 1. Study Questions

     1. What mistakes have you made and how will you change your approach in the future based on the guidelines?

     2. How does strength development relate to the other information presented in this book?

     3. Discuss neural adaptation to strength training.

     4. Discuss critical periods and how they relate to strength in prepubescents? Adolescents?

     5. How should body type effect or not affect training?

  2. Introduction - Proper strength training is safe, effective and beneficial for health, performance and general development. Consider the appropriateness of training based on body type, age, stage of physical development, sensitive developmental periods as well as the level of prior performance or current training status measured against desired adaptation in physiology and performance

  3. Types of Strength and Power: powerlifting, weightlifting, bodybuilding, strength training, plyometrics, weight training.

  4. Physiological Concepts and Strength Training

• • 1. Sensitive periods - periods during development when physiology is more adaptive to a specific form of training stimulus. Target should be on an area that is developing or not yet mature. Not developing qualities during sensitive period may affect ability to develop those qualities at all

    2. Muscular Hypertrophy Adaptations to Training - Muscle mass is augmented with training from the ages of 12-16. 10 years and younger - there is little hypertrophy with strength training. Prepubescents unable to activate the nervous system the levels of adolescents and adults leading to lower contractile speeds. For children under 10 years old, focus on learning the pattern and building work capacity slowly. Strength training can improve: motor unit activation, higher recruitment of muscle during contraction, higher motor skill and coordination, higher force production in explosive activities. Seek to balance desire for improvements with natural course of development.

    3. Energy System Development and Recovery - Prepubescents require less rest periods. Children rely less on glycolytic energy production. They experience less production and accumulation of lactic acid. They rely on oxidative capacity, use 10% more oxygen (phosphocreatine resynthesis) and recover two times faster.

    4. Strength Development, Gender and Age Considerations - At 8yrs old, males have 17% greater hand strength. Trunk stability varies with prior experience

• 5. General Guidelines for Strength Training

• • 1. Focus on total volume. Variety is important when accumulating volume.

    2. Everybody should undergo a functional and orthopedic assessment.

    3. Training should be designed with long term athletic development as the intention. Employ a wide variety of strategies. In general, trainees need three years of general physical preparation prior to using barbell.

    4. General physical preparation exercises should be employed regardless of training age.

    5. Use bodyweight for resistance prior to adding external load -- external load may be necessary to modify the exercise if gravity and body weight are the limiting factors.

    6. Prioritize the strength development of larger trunk muscles required for postural maintenance: hips, back, thighs and abdominals.

    7. Emphasize the use of repetitive methods to develop dynamic strength -- as many as 30 reps to learn the pattern, then groove it.

    8. Emphasize dynamic concentric control over eccentrics after the skill has been grooved

    9. Alternate movements to increase density and avoid excessive fatigue

    10. In young athletes emphasize technique and increase load in small increments

    11. Provide sufficient rest and recovery between bouts of effort and between workouts to allow for sufficient recovery and growth.

• 6. Strength Qualities Defined

• • 1. Strength - the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to generate force under specific conditions

    2. Muscle action - actions that result in movement and those that result in no movement (static)

    3. Isometric/Static contraction - force produced but no external movement. Maximal - maximal isometric force. Submaximal - maximal force is not required for position to be held. The effect of external resistance on strength determines whether a muscular effort is maximal or submaximal. Supramaximal - unable to perform with proper form (should be avoided).

    4. Dynamic Movements have two phases, eccentric and concentric. Eccentric is the lengthening of the muscle being contracted. Concentric is the shortening of the muscle being contracted.

    5. Absolute strength - greatest amount of force one can produce at any given moment

    6. Relative strength - maximal strength relative to bodyweight

    7. Effects of speed of movement on strength:

       1. power - rate at which strength is demonstrated

          1. power = (Force X Distance)/Time

          2. power = force X velocity

          3. power = speed X strength

       2. strength speed - moving a heavier load quickly

       3. speed strength - moving a light load quickly

       4. explosive strength - ability to produce maximum force in a minimum time (measured by rate of force development

    8. Effect of duration on strength: strength endurance - the ability to effectively maintain muscular function under working conditions of long duration.

• 7. Factors of influence in power and speed strength expression:

• • 1. Adjust the plan according to how the session is going. Think long term athletic development when slowing or increasing rate of progressions. This may require changes in grouping of athletes based on level of skill development

    2. Spontaneous progression of developmental level - full development of speed should be achieved by 16-17 years old. Between the ages of 11-14 speed strength naturally increases. By age 14 speed strength stabilizes for females. Explosive strength reaches maximum rate of development between 15 - 17 years old (14 in females) and increases until age 25. Early developers experience greater success earlier.

    3. Concentric strength correlates to muscle cross sectional area.

    4. Force production declines with fatigue.

    5. Potential depends on strength, speed, technique, flexibility, coordination and skill to relax muscles and produce volitional effort (prior to age 14).

    6. Rapid growth may influence coordination and power - height increases faster than muscle mass

    7. Speed strength qualities are most important for young athletes

    8. Level of interest and motivation.

    9. Coaching influences

    10. Current level of skills

    11. Quality and quantity of prior experience

• 8. Body Type (somatotype) - Body type can be a factor in sport success (25% to 60%) based on the skills needed for the sport

• • 1. Somatotypes - endomorphic, mesomorphic, ectomorphic. Characteristics:

       1. Endomorphic - large body size, soft or rounded appearance, higher percentage of body fat, large pelvic breadth. Favor muscle mass in lower half. Make sure child fits the profile and that body type is simply not just poor nutrition.

       2. Mesomorphic - rectangular body shape, muscle bone and body fat in balance to height ratio, upright posture, medium height, larger shoulder to height ratio, larger shoulder breadth to pelvic breadth

       3. Ectomorphic - thin and tall, lightly muscled, fragility of build, young appearance, slouched, smaller pelvic breadth to height ratio, smaller breadth to height ratio

• • 1. In youth, body type may be a psychological influence . Many athletes present with a mix of somatotypes.

    2. Somatotype and Developmental Changes - somatotype can affect rate of development. Children tend to be more ectomorphic as they grow towards adolescence. Mesomorphy tends to be predominant in males. Females are more ectomorphic in adolescence, males endo- and mesomorphic. All move towards endomorphy with age. Mesomorphs and ectomorphs tend to be late to mature.

    3. Somatotype and Training Related Changes - sport training during puberty or the adolescent growth spurt does not influence body size or height attained, rate of timing of somatotype, sexual or skeletal maturity. Somatotype may be influenced by sport training. There is a correlation between metabolic fitness and body fat ~less endomorphy and higher weights in weightlifters

    4. Somatotype and Strength and Power Training - limb length and body type influence ability to perform training movements

       1. Endomorphy, strength and power - this body type has higher levels of relative strength - horizontal and vertical jumping, speed agility and reaction time.

    5. Somatotype and Injury Potential - related to the sport in question. There are high rates of injury for ectomorphs in soccer. Most injuries are caused by overuse (throwing, weight lifting, sprinting)

• 1. Strength and Power Testing - sets the baseline. Modalities include bodyweight, external resistance, running, jumping, agility and throwing. It’s important to include a variety. No one test can predict levels of potential performance or tolerance to injury

     1. jump tests - preparedness for explosive activity - reach peak development by 14 in females, 18 in males without training

     2. Sprint tests - 30 to 60 meters tests linear speed

     3. Agility tests - tests change of direction

     4. Strength and strength endurance tests - use push ups static holds

     5. Upper body power - med ball throws for distance

     6. Abdominal strength and strength endurance

     7. Grip tests - good measure of static strength

     8. Max strength - no max lifts. Find 2-3 rep max. The focus should be on proficiency and confidence.

  2. Organization of training - successful development of a young athlete must include a broad range of general activities

• • 1. Prepubescent - increase in strength will improve all other abilities. Motor skill, flexibility and other neuromuscular qualities determine an athlete’s ability to train at higher intensities. Children as young as 6 can benefit from an appropriate program.

       1. Program design considerations - priority should be focused on sensitive periods, motor qualities and static and dynamic movements that involve force production (bear crawls, soccer throws, high step ups)

          1. Training intensity volume and frequency - seek movement mastery (higher rep loads)

          2. Take the minimum effective dose - the minimum amount of load to affect change (12-15 reps)

          3. Remove load or stop the set when unable to maintain speed on technique

          4. Two to three training sessions per week

          5. 1-3 sets of 6-10 exercises

          6. Increase load when able to perform 2-3 sets of 15 repetitions

          7. Bodyweight variations provide sufficient resistance for most exercises

       2. Suggested activities -

• • • • 1. Sprinting, jumping, crawling, climbing, pushup variations, hanging and pull ups. Complexes and obstacle courses keep it interesting.

        2. Squat variations and presses, deadlift

        3. Medicine balls, barbells and dumbbells when appropriate. Observe the rules of age development and technical proficiency.

• • 2. Adolescent strength development - the ideal time for strength training due to increase in sex hormones. Strength training will improve the ability of the body to self repair, increase strength and muscle mass, increase density in bone, muscle tissue and ligaments. At this age the focus is on increasing relative strength, relative eccentrics, and torque.

• • • 1. Program design considerations:

         1. Give priority to sensitive periods of development

         2. Adolescents are more tolerant to higher training volumes

         3. Continue to focus on general physical preparation. Spend 80% of the time on general physical preparation and 20% on special techniques.

         4. Choose one exercise per body part.

         5. Intensity, volume, frequency:

            1. Take 60% of 1 Rep Max and do 3 sets of 10-12, 2 to 3 times per week with a minimum of one day of recovery.

            2. Perform 70% of one repetition maximum as progress is made for 7-11 reps.

            3. Perform 80% of one RM in later stages.

            4. 16-18 year olds can perform 90% of one rep max for 1 to 2 reps X 4 sets (8 total) one day a week.

      2. Suggested activities:

• • • • 1. 1st stage is continue general development from prepubescent stage

        2. Perform exercises in a slower more controlled manner

        3. Progress to explosive lifts and squats, throws and jumps

        4. Introduce more sport specific movements

        5. Technique is most important - bad technique means it's time to rest or reduce the load

• 3. Benefits of strength and power training:

• • 1. Strength is the cup, all other qualities fill the cup. The bigger the cup the more it can be filled.

    2. Maximizes development of movement traits during critical periods.

    3. Increases the chances of success later on.

    4. It’s a protective mechanism - a muscle more resistant to fatigue is more resistant to injury.

    5. Improved body composition - the body experiences beneficial tissue adaptations to strength and power training. Physical activity strengthens tendons, ligaments, cartilage and other connective tissues/ Increased impact activities increase bone mass. 15-16 year old period is the peak for bone mass development and lays the foundation for preventing injury as we age

• 4. Injury risks - Injury can be acute or the result of overuse. Injury risk goes up with improper technique, maximum lifts and no supervision.

• • 1. Risk of back injury increases with inappropriate exercise selection, especially in populations with muscle imbalances (stronger flexors than extensors)

    2. Cardiac injury - there is no evidence that strength training negatively impacts cardiovascular health.

    3. Growth plate injury - no injury has been reported in a quality program

• 5. Guidelines for Injury prevention

• • 1. Account for level of physical maturation

    2. Emphasize proper technique

    3. Avoid maximum loading

    4. No horseplay in the weightroom

    5. Supervise at all times

• 6. Controversies

• • 1. Strength training causes a loss of flexibility. There is no evidence in programs that use full range of motion

    2. Strength training stunts growth. This has been observed in athletes training 22+ hours/week. Nutrition and hormone release are also factors. No stunted growth has been seen in well designed programs.

    3. Machines are safer. Machines offer little if any correlation to sports. Machines are impractical and expensive.

    4. Explosive lifts are too dangerous. The athlete must demonstrate ownership of proper technique first. If an athlete learns and consistently practices technique for two months, risk of injury is reduced. As the athlete progresses, add load but only take the minimum effective dose.