There are an overwhelming amount of strength training programs to choose from. Look at the variables that go into strength training programs. What’s your current level of strength? How much strength training experience do you have? Are you training for a sport? If so, what sport? Is your sport in season or is it the off season? Do you have any injuries or muscle imbalances? What are your goals?
Mixed Resistance Training
The National Academy of Sports Medicine suggests resistance training, along with core, reactive and balance training as a program for maximum strength. Do resistance training two to four times a week. Use an explosive tempo. Do one to five repetitions per exercise and four to six sets. Use an intensity of 85 to 100 percent of your one repetition maximum. Take three to five minutes of rest between sets. For reactive exercises, do two to three sets and eight to 10 repetitions. Take up to one minute of rest between sets. For balance and core exercises, do eight to 12 repetitions and two to three sets. Take up to one minute of rest between sets.
Exercises
Reactive exercises are fast movements, characterized by an eccentric contraction, then a concentric contraction. The National Academy of Sports Medicine suggests squat jumps and tuck jumps as reactive exercises, back extensions and bridge as core exercises, and one-legged Romanian dead lifts as a balance exercise.
Powerlifting
Larry Sheppard and Bill Jamison in “A Practical Approach to Powerlifting” suggest an eight-week program to build strength, with one week of rest and recovery at the end of the eighth week. During this week you stop all resistance training. After that week, start the eight-week cycle again. Use the bench press, dead lift and squat as your main resistance exercises. Include other resistance training as assistance exercises. Week one: Do 12 repetitions; week two: 10 repetitions, week three: 8 repetitions; week four: six repetitions; week five: five repetitions; week six: four repetitions; week seven: three repetitions; and week eight: two repetitions. Every week, do three sets of each exercise. Week one: Use light weights and then increase your intensity each week by adding more weight. Recommended assistance exercises are Olympic style back squats, machine hack squats, front squats, dips, dumbbell bench press, close grip bench press, seated barbell presses, back raises, reverse hyperextensions and glute hamstring raises.
References
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training"; Michael A. Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney J. Corn; 2008
- "A Practical Approach to Powerlifting"; Larry Sheppard, Bill Jamison; 2007
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