Defnintiion of "Strength" training

ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 48,905 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
The term "strength training" get tossed around on here and I don't think many actually know the definition. So here is the MEDICAL terminology for it:
a method of improving muscular strength by gradually increasing the ability to resist force through the use of free weights, machines, or the person's own body weight. Strength training sessions are designed to impose increasingly greater resistance, which in turn stimulates development of muscle strength to meet the added demand.
Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. © 2009, Elsevier.

Now why the correction? Because when people give advice about "strength training" and instruct people to do low weight/high repetition, or circuit training with high reps, this it NOT defined as strength training. The correct terminology is "muscular endurance" training.

Again why should it matter? Because muscular endurance training affects a different muscle fiber than strength training. In strength training, the "fast twitch" fibers are affected. They fatigue quickly and are responsible for explosive bursts of power.
"Slow twitch" fibers are muscle fibers that can contract continually for a long period of time and is more efficient using oxygen to burn fuel.

So depending on your actual goal, will depend on how you may train to lift weights. ALL lifting is RESISTANCE TRAINING, but not weight lifting is strength training.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Replies

  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Great post! :happy:
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
    The term "strength training" get tossed around on here and I don't think many actually know the definition. So here is the MEDICAL terminology for it:
    a method of improving muscular strength by gradually increasing the ability to resist force through the use of free weights, machines, or the person's own body weight. Strength training sessions are designed to impose increasingly greater resistance, which in turn stimulates development of muscle strength to meet the added demand.
    Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. © 2009, Elsevier.

    Now why the correction? Because when people give advice about "strength training" and instruct people to do low weight/high repetition, or circuit training with high reps, this it NOT defined as strength training. The correct terminology is "muscular endurance" training.

    Again why should it matter? Because muscular endurance training affects a different muscle fiber than strength training. In strength training, the "fast twitch" fibers are affected. They fatigue quickly and are responsible for explosive bursts of power.
    "Slow twitch" fibers are muscle fibers that can contract continually for a long period of time and is more efficient using oxygen to burn fuel.

    So depending on your actual goal, will depend on how you may train to lift weights. ALL lifting is RESISTANCE TRAINING, but not weight lifting is strength training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition


    Love it. You can even make 30 Day Shred into weight lifting. You're gonna have awesome results as you keep upping your weights - where if you use the same weight week after week, month after month, you're not really lifting, but working on endurance.
  • starcatcher1975
    starcatcher1975 Posts: 292 Member
    Thank you. So what if you're like me and need to lose tons of weight and want to start do strength training? I've started reading NROLFW but I admit I haven't gotten very far in it yet due to spending too much time reading the forum on MFP, school, kids, and life in general :laugh:

    And I'm supposed to meet with a personal trainer twice a week but we've had scheduling problems the last couple weeks. I told him my goals were to get fit, lose fat and inches, and get stronger. I also told him I'd like to lift "heavy" (relative term I know) and he's all on board for that. Maybe it helps that he's into body building?

    Anyhow, should I focus on low weight/higher reps or higher weight/lower reps? Right now I'm also doing the C25K 3 days a week so I am getting cardio in.

    Thanks for any help/advice
  • marnet12
    marnet12 Posts: 73 Member
    Hi, I find this information very interesting. Could you give an example of a strength training session? Which type of resistance is best for building muscle mass?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,905 Member
    Hi, I find this information very interesting. Could you give an example of a strength training session? Which type of resistance is best for building muscle mass?
    I just posted a new thread on this.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/685900--muscular-fitness-and-the-different-types-defined?page=1

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,905 Member
    Thank you. So what if you're like me and need to lose tons of weight and want to start do strength training? I've started reading NROLFW but I admit I haven't gotten very far in it yet due to spending too much time reading the forum on MFP, school, kids, and life in general :laugh:

    And I'm supposed to meet with a personal trainer twice a week but we've had scheduling problems the last couple weeks. I told him my goals were to get fit, lose fat and inches, and get stronger. I also told him I'd like to lift "heavy" (relative term I know) and he's all on board for that. Maybe it helps that he's into body building?

    Anyhow, should I focus on low weight/higher reps or higher weight/lower reps? Right now I'm also doing the C25K 3 days a week so I am getting cardio in.

    Thanks for any help/advice
    You design your weight lifting regimen toward what you believe you want your overall physique to look like.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Anyhow, should I focus on low weight/higher reps or higher weight/lower reps? Right now I'm also doing the C25K 3 days a week so I am getting cardio in.
    Thanks for any help/advice

    I'd personally focus on higher weight / lower reps, no matter what your starting weight is. It will help you get stronger faster, and you will maintain more of your muscle mass as you lose weight (which is a good thing, means a more toned look when you've lost the weight rather than "flabby")

    Also, as you mentioned that you would like to "lift heavy". Lifting heavy means lifting in the lower rep range (closer to your 1RM)
  • StevenJColquitt
    StevenJColquitt Posts: 10 Member
    Actually there is a good article on this in the August 2012 edition of "Flex" magazine. It talks about the ways different muscle fibers are recruited and that "heavy and low good, light and high bad" isn't necessarily true. The article says how high rep low weight can recruit just as many fast twitch muscle fiber as high weight low rep training and even increase strength gains over time if taken to failure. The goal should be to change weight and rep ranges consistently and/or make sure you are increasing weight appropriately with your high reps. Sorry I can't find a link to the article but feel free to pick up the magazine. Especially if you're interested in weight training.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,905 Member
    Actually there is a good article on this in the August 2012 edition of "Flex" magazine. It talks about the ways different muscle fibers are recruited and that "heavy and low good, light and high bad" isn't necessarily true. The article says how high rep low weight can recruit just as many fast twitch muscle fiber as high weight low rep training and even increase strength gains over time if taken to failure. The goal should be to change weight and rep ranges consistently and/or make sure you are increasing weight appropriately with your high reps. Sorry I can't find a link to the article but feel free to pick up the magazine. Especially if you're interested in weight training.
    I've read the article. It's based on one study. One study isn't enough to verify if the information is totally consistent. There are SEVERAL studies that back the facts on slow/fast twitch muscle training. Also, if a person took a 5lb weight and lifted say "chest press" to failure, that could be 200 or more reps. I can think of more effective ways to use that time and get more out of it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Great post Niner! Should be a sticky as there is a lot of confusion over this. I see many post where people are saying they are doing strength training but the workout they descibe is a 'mostly cardio with some muscle conditioning" workout. There are some definite benefits to strength training either by itself or combined with some cardio.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,905 Member
    Great post Niner! Should be a sticky as there is a lot of confusion over this. I see many post where people are saying they are doing strength training but the workout they descibe is a 'mostly cardio with some muscle conditioning" workout. There are some definite benefits to strength training either by itself or combined with some cardio.
    Thanks. Correct information leads to less confusion. Hopefully I can help reduce the confusion.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,905 Member
    bump
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,905 Member
    bump
  • spartacus69
    spartacus69 Posts: 235
    Because when people give advice about "strength training" and instruct people to do low weight/high repetition, or circuit training with high reps, this it NOT defined as strength training. The correct terminology is "muscular endurance" training.

    Where is the line between muscular endurance training and cardio? You know my workouts; outside the 5x5 stuff I do, I view much of my weight training as a cardio alternative. Is that more a function of limited rest breaks, and relatively high heart rate throughout the routine?
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    The term "strength training" get tossed around on here and I don't think many actually know the definition. So here is the MEDICAL terminology for it:
    a method of improving muscular strength by gradually increasing the ability to resist force through the use of free weights, machines, or the person's own body weight. Strength training sessions are designed to impose increasingly greater resistance, which in turn stimulates development of muscle strength to meet the added demand.
    Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. © 2009, Elsevier.

    Now why the correction? Because when people give advice about "strength training" and instruct people to do low weight/high repetition, or circuit training with high reps, this it NOT defined as strength training. The correct terminology is "muscular endurance" training.

    Again why should it matter? Because muscular endurance training affects a different muscle fiber than strength training. In strength training, the "fast twitch" fibers are affected. They fatigue quickly and are responsible for explosive bursts of power.
    "Slow twitch" fibers are muscle fibers that can contract continually for a long period of time and is more efficient using oxygen to burn fuel.

    So depending on your actual goal, will depend on how you may train to lift weights. ALL lifting is RESISTANCE TRAINING, but not weight lifting is strength training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition


    Love it. You can even make 30 Day Shred into weight lifting. You're gonna have awesome results as you keep upping your weights - where if you use the same weight week after week, month after month, you're not really lifting, but working on endurance.

    Honestly 30DS would take a LOT of modification to turn it into a real strength building program. You need multiple sets of the same exercise and you won't see real strength gains if you try to go for as long as she tells you to. You need to be using a weight so heavy you can only manage single digit reps before you poop out.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,905 Member
    bump to redefine

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