Fundamental

Principles of
Strength Training
 Philosophy
In the Vicksburg Strength & Conditioning program we strive to develop and enhance sports
movements, with our main objective being to improve overall athletic performance and decrease
the athletes risk for injury. It is our desire to create an environment that enables each athlete to
perform to the best of their ability, to challenge their minds and bodies.
We believe that athletes and parents are trusting us to provide proper guidance, effective
coaching and safe practices throughout their high school career.
We believe we are developing athletes - not weightlifters - and we define athleticism in terms
of strength, power, speed, quickness, and flexibility.
We believe that athletic development is a long term process and we attempt to get our athletes
to learn to invest in and enjoy the process.
We strive to accomplish this development with a consistent, productive way of training through
an organized, disciplined, and comprehensive strength, power, speed, and agility program based
on scientific principles. We utilize tried, true, and tested training principles in a fundamentally basic
program which addresses the need of the high school athlete.
We place an emphasis on building a solid base of training, creating both a volume of training
and increasing level of intensity. We want to enhance the athlete's ability to produce the greatest
amount of force possible in the shortest amount of time.
We also focus on the athlete's development through multi-joint, ground based, three
dimensional, weight-resisted movements. In addition to Olympic lifts like the clean, we stress the
squatting movements, pressing and pulling movements that incorporate multiple muscle groups,
and coordinated actions within multiple planes.
We also address single limb training, emphasize posterior chain work, and place a high value
on core, upper back, and neck strength training.
Finally, we believe that with high school athletes, less can be more. We are always mindful that
stress is cumulative and take into account all the stressors that high school athletes endure to
ensure maximum recovery and proper adaptation.
Our Philosophy then Defines
our Purpose and How We Go
About Achieving It
Our Purpose is Simple:
To help our student-athletes
become more athletic.
 What does mean to Athletic?
• How do we define athleticism?
– Physically active and strong.
– Involving the use of physical skills or capabilities
such as strength, agility, or stamina.
– Having a sturdy build or well proportioned body
structure.
– A person trained to compete in sports or
exercises involving physical strength, speed, or
endurance.
 Athleticism
• Strength
• Speed/Agility
• Power (Strength + Speed = Power)
• Athletic Build/Muscular Balance
• Stamina/Endurance (Conditioning
Level)
The Questions We Have to Answer Then Are:

1) How do we get stronger?

2) How do we get faster?
3) How do we get more powerful?
4) How do we create a body that has
muscular balance?
5) How do we improve our conditioning
levels?
STRENGTH - The Foundation, The Most Basic
Fundamental
• What is Strength?
– The ability to generate force.
– Strength is the foundation for Speed & Power.
• Power = Force X Speed
STRENGTH - The Foundation, The Most Basic
Fundamental

·If you’re not strong, it’s very

difficult to be athletic.
·No amount of skill can
make up for a lack of
strength.
Before we start, you must know this:

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

-You can’t train yourself out of your genetics, everybody has

a genetic potential, a genetic ceiling; and no amount of
training will take you beyond it, no amount of training can
you give you skills you don’t have.

-What you are predestined to become when you come out of

the womb is what your training will allow you to become.
7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training

#1 - Time Under Tension

-A relaxed muscle does not get stronger.
-Muscles that are stressed adapt to the stress
and the two main stresses that muscles
adapt to are Time and Tension.
-Muscles that have to exert tension for a
period of time get stronger.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
-When a muscle is stressed (asked to exert tension
or work for a period of time beyond its normal
limits), it is literally broken (much like a bone
would be if too much stress is placed on it.)
-But just like a bone that heals after being broken,
a muscle will come back stronger after it has
been broken.
-However, a muscle only takes about 48 hours to
heal, not 6-8 weeks like a bone.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
• There is an inverse relationship between Time
and Tension.
– The longer the period of time you ask the muscle
to exert tension, the less tension it can exert.
• Working a muscle for a longer period of time with less
tension will work primarily Slow Twitch muscle fibers.
• Working a muscle for shorter periods of time with
greater tensions will work primarily Fast Twitch
muscle fibers.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
• There are 4 muscular properties
(adaptations) that you can train for and have
to consider when you design your workout:
1) Muscular Endurance
2) Muscle Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth)
3) Muscle Strength
4) Muscle Power
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
• The volume (# of sets/reps) determines what
the muscular adaptation will be:
1) Sets of 12/15-20: Muscular Endurance,
minimal gains in strength.
-Works primarily Slow Twitch Fibers
2) Sets of 8-12: Muscle Growth/Muscle
Strength.
3) Sets of 6 or less: Muscle Power
-Works primarily Fast Twitch Fibers.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
Muscle activation is key. The more muscles you
can activate, the stronger you become.
7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
Know what type of athlete you are – an
anaerobic/power athlete or an
aerobic/endurance athlete?
-What’s the difference?
-A power athlete plays sports that require
speed/explosiveness and have a higher proportion of
fast twitch muscle fibers.
-An endurance athlete plays sports that require
endurance and have a higher proportion of slow twitch
muscle fibers.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
• Power (fast twitch) athletes have a greater
propensity for muscle mass – which is to
say they are going to be bigger and
stronger than endurance (slow twitch)
athletes.
• Endurance (slow twitch) athletes are
generally leaner and do not gain large
amounts of muscle mass with training.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#1 – Time Under Tension
• Fast twitch fibers will always be fast twitch
muscle fibers and slow twitch fibers will
always be slow twitch fibers – you can’t “train”
yourself into a power athlete or endurance
athlete.
• Research shows that training an endurance
athlete to be strong/powerful is beneficial,
but training a power athlete for endurance is
detrimental.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training

#2 - Use the Whole Muscle (Full Range of

Motion ) and Minimize Momentum
**Constant Tension**
1) Raise and Lower the weight so that Tension
is on the muscle throughout the entire
range of motion.
-Tension on the muscle means a better
supported joint. (Decreased risk for injury).
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#2 – Constant Tension
• Minimize Momentum: Keep tension on the
muscle by making the muscles raise and
lower the weight – DON’T CHEAT by over
arching, bouncing the weight, throwing or
jerking it. Don’t use your legs to help your
upper body move weight.
– Don’t rest with no tension on the muscle.
7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training Six
Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#3 - Contract Fast, Relax Slow
**Speed (how fast the weight moves) IS NOT
an important factor in increasing muscle STRENGTH.**
(If you can move the weight fast, there is less tension on the
muscle.)
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#3 – Contract Fast, Relax Slow
• "The larger the muscle fibers, the larger the
motor neuron attached. Large, fast-twitch
muscle fibers are designed to produce a high
level of force, and in doing so also require a
large electrical signal from your nervous
system.”
• In other words, the stronger the signal your
brain can send to your muscles, the more
muscle fibers you’ll recruit.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#3 – Contract Fast, Relax Slow
-”Contract Fast” (Concentric Action): It is not how fast the
weight moves that improves strength, but the “intent” to
move weight fast.
-Attempting to move the weight fast will increase tension
and recruit more muscle fibers.
-“Relax Slow” (Eccentric Action): Lower the weight slowly, this
will increase tension on the muscle and recruit more
muscle fibers.
– You can lower approximately 40% more weight than you can lift.
– By lowering the weight in a slow and controlled manner and not
dropping it or letting it move fast, you keep tension on the muscle
during an action where it can exert the most force.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training

#4 – Win the Hormone Battle

• Hormones levels are correlated with workout
time and rest intervals.
• When you workout, your body produces not
only anabolic hormones (hormones that build
muscle - Testosterone, Growth Hormone) but
also catabolic hormones (hormones that
break down muscle – Cortisol).
7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#4 – Win the Hormone Battle
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#4 – Win the Hormone Battle
• In other words, the good hormones (Testosterone,
Growth Hormone) that are responsible for building
muscle and burning fat continue to rise during the
first 30-45 minutes of your workout, but then drop
off rather quickly.
• Cortisol, on the other hand, begins to rise after
about 30 minutes.
• The point is simple: The longer your workout goes,
the greater the increase in negative side effects.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#4 – Win the Hormone Battle
• Furthermore, studies have also shown that
resistance training coupled with short rest
intervals boost Testosterone and Growth
Hormone production.
• Shoot for rest periods around 60 seconds
between sets.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training

#5 – DON’T MISS REPS!

• You should always be able to
complete all your assigned reps.
• You should always have a rep or two
left in the tank when you finish a set.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#5 – DON’T MISS REPS!

WHY?
• An all-out failure set will deplete all the
energy stores in not only the muscle, but also
the nervous system.
• Your muscles recover in about 3-5 minutes,
but the nervous system can up to 8-10 minutes
to recover.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#5 – DON’T MISS REPS!
• If you perform another set before your muscle
are recovered, you will not create the
maximum amount of force your muscles can
generate – reducing tension on the muscle.
• If you perform another set before your
nervous system is recovered, you will not be
able to recruit all the muscles/muscle fibers
you need/want – also reducing tension.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#5 – DON’T MISS REPS!
• In other words, sets/reps performed while
over fatigued or exhausted are wasted. You’re
not getting the most out of it.
• We want our last rep to be as good as our first,
we always want the weight to stay moving.
• “IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE HARD, BUT NOT
IMPOSSIBLE!”
• “PRACTICE SUCCEEDING, NOT FAILING!”
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training

#6 – You Get Stronger When You

Recover – Not When You Workout.
-Don’t underestimate the importance of recovery.
-Most of your athletes are WAY overworked and WAY
under-recovered.
-They don’t sleep enough (at least 8 hours is the
minimum) or eat well enough to do all the activities
they’re doing.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#6 – The Importance of Recovery
• In order to be successful, you need to place
equal importance on your diet and recovery
as you do your workouts.
• Research shows that circulating testosterone
levels can drop by more than 40% as a result
of under-recovering.
• Soreness is usually a good sign that you need
more rest.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#6 – The Importance of Recovery
• Stress is cumulative, and mental and
emotional stress can have as much negative
impact on your body as physical stress.
• Every 8-12 weeks you should take some time
off from intense physical activity to allow
accumulated fatigue to dissipate.
• It is not possible to go at 100% intensity for
365 days a year.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training

#7 – QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

-Learn to value Quality over Quantity. Spend
more time focusing on how well you move
weight and less time focusing on how much
weight you move.
-”DON’T JUST MOVE WEIGHT, MOVE WEIGHT WELL!”
-If you do the movements right, the weights will
come.
 7 Fundamental Points of Strength Training
#7 – Quality Over Quantity

• “Don’t spend time on getting good at

being bad.”
• It doesn’t take a lot of intelligence to tell
somebody what to do, but it does take
intelligence to tell somebody how to do it.