The common definition is "the ability to exert a force against a resistance". The strength needed for a sprinter to explode from the blocks is different from the strength required by a weightlifter to lift a 200kg barbell. This implies that there are different types of strength.
What are the classifications of strength?
The classifications of strength are:
Absolute and Relative strength
How do we get strong?
A muscle will only strengthen when it is worked beyond its normal operation - it is overloaded. Overload can be progressed by increasing the:
How do we develop strength?
The effects of strength training
Strength training programs cause biomechanical changes that occur within the muscle and increase the muscle's oxidative capacity. The effects of strength training are:
These changes vary slightly according to the training intensity.
Changes that occur within the muscle because of strength training are classified as:
Strength training results in muscle hypertrophy, an increase in the cross-sectional size of existing fibres. This is achieved by increasing:
Strength training programs increase intramuscular stores such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), creatine phosphate (CP) and glycogen.
In women, hypertrophy's potential is not as great as men due mainly to the lower levels of testosterone.
By repeatedly stimulating the muscle, you increase the central nervous system rate of response. The recruitment patterns become more refined and as a result and gross movement patterns become more efficient and effective.
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