In my previous blog post Different Training for Different Results, I mentioned that altering training variables can alter the results that you will achieve. In this post, I will go into further depth about how to properly alter certain training variables to help increase your muscular strength.

First off, what exactly is muscular strength? Muscular strength is the force that a muscle can produce in a single maximal effort. Both the size of your muscle, and the ability to activate the muscle via your nervous system, play a role in muscular strength. You must train your CNS (central nervous system) to be able to create an action potential that will activate all the muscle fibers in a specific muscle to be able to move a large load. If you have massive muscles but don’t have the muscle innervation to properly use them, then those giant muscles are basically useless.

 

Enough science, let’s get to the good stuff! I keep mentioning that specific training variables need to be altered, but which training variables are these? The specific training variables that we will be talking about are sets, reps, load/ weight, and rest. These 4 components are like the recipe for training. Different quantities of each of these give different results when used in conjunction with one another.

 

For strength training, it’s all about moving a heavy load. Your muscles need to be trained to move as much weight as possible by incorporating all muscle fibers. So for strength training, you want to make sure you’re lifting close to your 1RM (one rep maximum). If you aren’t aware of what your 1RM is, there’s a simple little formula that you can use to get a rough estimate. For every rep you are away from 1, add 2.5% to the load you are using. Say you’re doing bench press and you are pushing 135 lbs for 6 reps. 6 x 2.5 = 15%. If you add 15% to 135, you get 155 lbs. So your estimated 1RM would be ~155 lbs.

 

Since you’re moving such a heavy weight for your strength training, you aren’t going to be able to do that many times in a row. Rep counts for each set are going to be quite low, like in the 1-4 rep count range. However, you want to get your body used to pushing this load regularly, so you will want to be doing a lot of sets. Aim for anywehere from 4-8 sets.

 

Moving such a heavy load is extremely tiring; it literally uses all your muscle fibers to do it. So you will need ample rest to recover after each set so that you can perform to your best ability each and every time. When you see guys at the gym sitting around on a bench with a finger up their nose, they may not just be wasting time. They may be performing a strength training workout and taking long rests between sets. Aim for anywhere from 2-5 min rest between sets.

 

So a typical strength exercise will look like this:
6 x 4 reps @ 90% 1RM weight, rest: 3 min.

 

These principles are the same for whatever muscle you’re training, whether it be big muscles like your pecs, lats, and quads, or smaller muscles like your biceps or calves.

 

As mentioned above, strength training is quite exhausting on your body, from your muscle fibers to your CNS. It’s always good to start your workout with some good strength exercises, but finish your training day with some lighter loads and higher reps to give your CNS a break.