Pray for Snow and Come in for the Best Group Strength Training
How Strong is Strong Enough?
Have you been consistent in the gym for a chunk of time? Recovering well with eating and sleeping enough? If so, you are likely enroute to answering this question for yourself but I'll guide the way.
Some new lifters are in need of constant variation and tend to simply look for the exit ramp as training becomes more challenging. Whether that’s maintaining the weight and increasing reps, new movements, new devices, or any other fitness approach that avoids heavier loads. This is not strength training as the load needs to progressively increase to drive an adaptation in force production. The definition of strength being: force production against an external resistance (ie. pounds on the bar moved over a range of motion against gravity). This incremental load increase is the principle of progressive overload.
Strength training itself doesn’t need to be all trainees' primary sport but should support your personal sports performance and a healthy life through resiliency and longevity. Another health perspective is to be strong enough to survive sports or life injuries and illnesses with minimal damage. And luckily strength adaptations are largely structural rather than primarily metabolic which occurs with conditioning/cardio. This is the other reason why strength is much more persistent than conditioning gains, ie. once you achieve those milestones like finishing a novice linear progression or your first year of intermediate training your body holds onto those adaptations with vigor. This occurs even under complete detraining or illness periods. Another way to put this is strength takes longer to build, but you hold onto it well. This is opposed to how conditioning is quick to gain (weeks) but also quick to lose (also weeks).
I’d argue that strong enough is to prepare for peak not for average. This is individual and progressive over time. This is a much better approach for the novice and intermediate lifter as they should shoot for their genetic potential over the long haul rather than an arbitrary strength standard. Examples of these helpful but still arbitrary standards include:
Bodyweight-Based
1. Squat: 2x BW
2. Power Clean: 1.5x BW
3. Bench Press: 1.5x BW
4. Overhead Press: 1x BW
5. Deadlift: 2.5x BW
SS Sticker Club (Men's and Women's, Press-Bench-Squat-Deadlift)
Lon Kilgore Strength Standards (Age, Sex, Bodyweight, and Training Level specific)
Starting Strength Sticker Club Standards
Sport-Specific Strength
How to understand the "Two-Factor Model"
In terms of conditioning, this should first and foremost be gained from your sport as this is as specific as it gets. Otherwise programmed conditioning has got to be as specific to the metabolic demands of the sport as possible.
In terms of strength, general strength should be prioritized over specific strength (sports-specific, occupational-specifc, tactical-specifc, or otherwise). This is for most athletes and non-athletes alike as the time spent in the gym will be most effectively utilized. As a trainee moves into the advanced phase of training more specific, individual, and complex the movements and programming becomes. Novice and intermediate phases of strength training in the gym must focus on the time-tested primary lifts for baseline strength and all the associated physical attributes to progress.
General strength is non-specific because it applies to human physical existence, ie. functional fitness. A baseline of this is required before focussing on any particular plane of movement, pull over push, or particular specific and individualized movement need be applied. Even when programming unique sport-specific exercises they should generally parallel the primary lifts so they are functional and incrementally loadable (ie. using a barbell generally). The mental component of enjoyment is a part of any sport and training in the gym as well, but variety for the sake of variety should be avoided. That’s unless we are a professional athlete where we have as long as we’d like in the gym and are paid to do that.
Periodization should be noted here as this is the principle where blocks of training are organized into micro, meso, and macrocycles. Developed in the 20th century by Russian sport scientist and olympic weightlifting coach Leonid Matveyev, East German sport scientist Dietrich Harre, and Romanian sport scientist Tudor Bompa. Most commonly, in an athlete's off-season general strength programming is the focus and closer to in-season one gets the more sports-specific strength programming occurs. But again, these are a different subset of athletes and even then sports-specific can find its way into very silly ineffective exercises and undertraining in fact. So an athlete and coach must remember to keep the primary movements as the chief guiding light rather than entertaining each other with things that look like the sport rather than simply playing the sport or getting stronger head to toe.
Starting Strength has a foundational article on this topic called the "Two-Factor Model."
Archery and hunting performance require general strength as well as sport-specific strength
Strength-Mobility
Dedicated mobility tends to have a much higher priority than it deserves in the gym. Taking the time to perform mobility training separate from strength training is not generally necessary if that individual can practice their sport effectively and perform the primary compound lifts in the gym. This is much more time efficient, effective for long term range of motion improvement, and actually injury preventing. Given the plethora of data surrounding strength training and injury prevention, gyms in Hood River need to be on top of this.
The science behind stretching and stand alone mobility (someone's ROM upon assessment) has failed to show a reduction in injury rates from many cohorts. Per a Starting Strength article by Robert Novitsky, “In a 2004 systematic review of 361 studies published in the American College of Sports Medicine Journal,, it was found that those who stretched were no more or less likely to sustain an injury than those who did not stretch. In a more recent 2008 randomized controlled trial published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1,020 army recruits were studied to see if a program of stretching would make a difference for injury prevention. The researchers found "no significant differences in incidence of injury between the prevention group and the placebo group." Beyond not reducing injury rates stretching and hypermobility has also shown to reduce physical performance and even INCREASE injury rates in many sports and occupations studied. The seminary text “Exercise Physiology" by Brooks and Fahey states that, ”Overstretching at extreme ranges of motion, may actually decrease the stability of the joint.” Any coach or trainer in Oregon must know this to be considered functional at all in fitness.
Some lifters and athletes need more mobility than others to be able to move in normal ranges of motion and hence perform well in barbell training, sport, and life. But even those hypomobile (less than normal mobility) folks will tend to benefit best from training in an integrated fashion, ie. working on simple compound strength training or slightly modified mobility-focussed strength training. This is because when strength training is performed with a barbell in a compound fashion we are correcting motor imbalances, reinforcing proper biomechanics by moving efficiently, and ultimately causing structural changes (actual muscle and connective tissue growth). We could call this strength-mobility. Progressive overload (the increasing weight on the bar) done with proper weekly programming design is what drives long term ROM improvements. Again, even for those who need more mobility focussed attention the loaded barbell is more effective than short duration ROM improvements with bodyweight-only static stretching or self-myofacial release (SMR) with LAX balls and foam rollers. What occurs in these more classical stretching and mobility routines are temporary tolerance to the tissue extensibility, largely controlled by the nervous system. We must also remember that pain management is another viable reason to do mobility, but even in this case consider adding some level of load so it becomes more productive.
How to effectively increase mobility:
Warm up specific to your sport and the individual lifts being performed. Strength train the loaded compound lifts over the longest effective range of motion possible for you. Work at your end ranges and push through discomfort, not pain. The rule of thumb is always, STOP what you're doing if you have an spike in pain while training a particular movement.
Modify the big 4 primary meat and potato lifts of the squat, bench, overhead press, and deadlift as needed to improve ROM but keep the movement as close to the parent movement as possible so that loading and systemic stress can continue. Utilize eccentric loaded lifts in a tempo fashion and start at extremely light loading. Two examples are the Deficit RDL (pictured above) for lower erector, glute, and hamstring strength-mobility, and dead hanging from a chin up bar with bands or weight for shoulder and thoracic strength-mobility.
The barbell as a mobility tool
Is Deadlifting Bad for your Back?
Strength, Physical Attributes, and Compound Training
Is Deadlifting Bad for your Back?
"Shear force risk, lift with your legs not your back, you have to stop lifting, etc etc." These are the common pieces of "expert advice" given to us by healthcare providers, occupational wellness consultants, many personal trainers, managers, attorneys, store clerks, and anybody who thinks they understand common sense health and fitness. This is unfortunately poor advice in an attempt to mitigate risk of injury or re-injury. Not only deadlifting but all the main barbell lifts have extremely low incidence of injury even for those is preexisting spine injuries. Across the board all weight room training and exercise has an injury rate that is miniscule in comparison to most sports. See comparison chart below.
Progressively loading the trunk with proper form protects the spine for the rest of daily living in fact. Training with poor form and overtraining is a possibility, especially when uncoached and approaching intermediate status. Back pain and dysfunction is a terribly interesting topic (see Biopsychosocial Model of Pain)
What is Functional Training?
Strength, Physical Attributes, and Compound Training
Is Deadlifting Bad for your Back?
The most abused subjective term is "functional" in the fitness world. Don't fall prey to this ever changing term outside of the simplest definition of everyday practical movements that are loadable. These are the compound (multi-joint) movements of the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, power clean, and chin up/pull up.
Strength, Physical Attributes, and Compound Training
Strength, Physical Attributes, and Compound Training
Strength, Physical Attributes, and Compound Training
Everyone who is a gym member at Mammoth is interested in strength, but how valuable is strength? Especially when compared to other physical attributes like coordination, balance, flexibility/mobility, muscular endurance, agility, etc? Strength is in fact at the top of the heap for physical attributes to foster as someone who is invested in health and performance. Practically speaking, this is because having strength allows for us to interact with our world to pick up the injured dog and carry him, move an appliance, and survive a car wreck or cancer more readily. We lose muscle mass at a rate of about 5-8% per year after about age 25 and bone and connective tissue loss follows a similar pattern for men and women. Performance in your sport also improves because every pedal stroke is more sub-maximal (a smaller percentage of your total strength) and therefore more efficient. Strength becomes less important as you progress toward extreme endurance sports but even then strength plays an important role outside of sport for the health reasons mentioned. Ultimately the athlete must practice their sport as well as strength train in the gym to remain resilient and capable for as long as possible. This is the principle we call the Two Factor Model.
The second reason strength is the number one physical attribute to develop is because strength training also improves all of the other attributes in a compound manner. Even cardiovascular conditioning for those that are sedentary. When performing a primary barbell lift like a squat you are practicing balance, precision/accuracy, mobility, and the remaining attributes to a degree that makes you effective and functional at moving through the world. Now the power clean better develops certain attributes like power (strength done quickly), agility, and coordination. That being said, as you progressively get stronger in the gym you need more complex and specialized training to bolster your weak points. But general strength is the meat and potatoes that produces capable humans in life and in sport.
“I gotta work on my mobility” is a common response you hear. This is largely untrue and is commonly an inefficient use of time (see the article below). This comes from an isolation, siloed, or ultra-compartmentalized view on health and performance. And the fitness industry will always sell you a secret sauce of silliness. Mobility, dynamic/static stretching, and flexibility all fall in the vein of joint range-of-motion. These are as important as is the need to function in your daily life or have identified them in the gym or on the field as major deficiencies. But just like chronic pain generally improves in the gym with intelligent coaching, so does mobility. You get the best bang for your buck when you focus on strength training the barbell movements because you are be default working in a compound manner.
Degeneration, Disabled, Fragile
Strength, Physical Attributes, and Compound Training
Back pain is the number one reason for missed work most years and in the top 5 reasons for primary care visits. Whole industries are designed to treat chronic back pain. Non-specific/idiopathic back pain is 90% of the diagnoses given which means we don’t exactly know the cause. Back pain tends to be the human condition as we age but not everyone with back pain shows direct MRI evidence and many people with degenerative disc disease will report a LACK of back pain. In other words, pain is complicated and back pain is even more complicated. So how do we simplify this?
Remember that many people’s back pain is reduced with strength training and we know the rest of the body is getting stronger and more resilient with consistent planned training. The mental side of pain is huge and the biopsychosocial model of pain is the most up to date model to understand this.
Compound strength training can be highly beneficial for people suffering from back pain for several reasons. Here’s seven.
- Improved Posture and Alignment: Strengthening the muscles of the core (abdomen, back, and pelvic region) and the surrounding stabilizing muscles can help improve posture. Proper posture reduces strain on the spine and helps to maintain a neutral alignment, which can alleviate pressure on the back.
- Enhanced Muscle Support: The muscles in the back and core play a crucial role in supporting the spine. Strength training helps these muscles become stronger, providing better support for the vertebrae and discs. This can reduce the risk of injury and minimize discomfort from activities that would normally strain a weak or unsupported back.
- Increased Flexibility and Mobility: Strengthening muscles also involves stretching and lengthening them, which can improve overall flexibility and mobility. This allows for better movement patterns and reduces stiffness, which is common in individuals with back pain.
- Improved Blood Circulation: Regular strength training enhances blood flow, which promotes healing and recovery in damaged tissues. For individuals with chronic back pain, this can accelerate the healing of muscles and ligaments that may have been weakened or overworked.
- Pain Reduction and Endorphin Release: Exercise, including strength training, stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. This can provide immediate relief from pain and also help with long-term pain management.
- Prevention of Further Injury: A well-designed strength training program helps to balance muscle imbalances that may contribute to back pain. Weak muscles or tight muscles can create compensation patterns, leading to overuse or injury. By strengthening all the muscle groups around the spine, the risk of injury is reduced.
- Psychological Benefits: Chronic pain can be mentally and emotionally draining. Strength training can help boost self-esteem and confidence, as individuals gain strength and control over their bodies. This can have a positive effect on their overall well-being and help them cope better with pain.
It's important for back pain patients to start strength training with progressive overload, with proper technique, and proper programming in particular to avoid exacerbating their condition.
Here's a couple articles to of support including Andrea Signor’s experience as a scoliotic patient who got strong and world class scoliosis “patient” and powerlifter Lamar Gant
From Prison to Princeton
The Wildland Firefighting physical preparation along with the majority of public service and military units is lacking in strength standards. Bodyweight calisthenics like timed pull ups, push ups, and sit ups may demonstrate some level of athleticism, muscular endurance, and mental resilience but it fails to measure real world capability. Timed 1.5mile runs and 3mile rucks may be appropriate conditioning standards but again fail to ensure a suitable trainee. This is because strength (defined as the ability to produce force against an external resistance) is an essential pillar of capability, as well as longevity and physical resilience. A man or woman who can run that 1.5miles fast and squat 405lb properly has the metabolic and structural capability to perform their jobs with ease and ward off injury. The US Army is starting to value this higher quality trainee as they have implemented the ACFT (PT requirements at the basic training level) which has a trap-bar deadlift for 3x Max Effort. This is a step in the right direction for strength and power.
Strength Training Aids vs Au Naturel
Barefoot vs lifting shoes, weightlifting belt vs no belt, wrist straps vs man hands, these are questions that arise in the journey of strength training. The short answer is intermediate to advanced lifters will be able to mitigate injury risk and continue getting stronger with all aids except lifting shoes. The shoes are the exception in that all lifters are recommended a pair of these.
Proper shoes stabilize and protect your feet and ankles under load, allow for better force production through the ground, and recruit more muscle mass. Minimizing power leaks is the nature of force transfer and lifting barefoot is a prime example of a power leak with the bones of the foot moving in and out. Squishy running shoes also don't have the stability we need when under load and the sole is like lifting on a mattress (ie. form goes out the window and injury risk goes up).
Barbell lifting in a gym isn't natural and yet it's the best way to get strong so you can better perform in the wilderness of life. Viewing the gym as the lab (a controlled environment) so we can most effectively improve our whole body makes the rest of daily living and performance events that much easier.
Fitness Industry Credentialing, The Starting Strength Coach (SSC), and the Highest Standard
Whether in person or online no state in the US (along with most of the world) requires personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, or fitness programs to be regulated against a legal standard. Of course there are academy and association standards, academic accreditations, and certifications available but they vary widely. Clients beware!
As of 2024, for-profit private and non-profit academic and certification organizations decide on their own credentialing standards in our industry. If any client dares to ask, the common names discovered in your average globo-gym is the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), ACE, ISSA, and CSCS (requires a BS degree) via the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). As well as their parent company’s or authoritative “bodies” such as Ascend Learning and the National Commision for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). What field does the NCCA cover, the client might ask. It is an accrediting body that accredits programs and individuals in a wide range of professions and occupations including nurses, automotive professionals, respiratory therapists, and many others. That being said, it is hard for your average gym-goer and health conscious American to simply suss out the great from the good or outright ineffective and outdated. This is similar to most Americans trying to read an Exercise Science journal-level study or abstract and to determine whether it’s of high quality or low quality evidence.
Average Cost &
Time to completion
ISSA
$828.00
2 to 4 months at 5 hr/week
ACE
$1,115.67
3 to 4 months at 10 to 12 hr/week
NASM
$1,523.75
3 months at 5 hr/week
Starting Strength Education
$5,843.85
2 years
B.S. in exercise science at an in-state university
$41,612.00
4 to 5 years
Table 6. Average certification cost and recommended time required to achieve credential or degree.[3-6]
The Starting Strength Coach (SSC) credential not only supersedes the standard in academic time when compared to most qualifications but also requires actual experience. The Starting Strength academic rigor contends with a masters level education but also requires you experience the linear progression of being a client yourself as well as next to 2 years on average of direct coaching experience via an internship or running your own gym coaching thousands of reps. Once an SSC candidate arrives at the SS Seminar at our headquarters in Wichita Falls, TX they still fail the platform evaluation 85% of the time and need to repeat. The oral board follows the platform evaluation once passed and an audit/continuing education every 2 years follows indefinitely. The SSC must be able to progress clients on the platform when lifting rep to rep in an effective timely manner and explain the why. Referencing texts and quality studies, simplifying biomechanics, addressing orthopedic concerns, educating on nutrition basics, knowing and applying sports psychology, and humbly acknowledging when to refer to a healthcare colleague or another coach.
The highest standards exist inside Starting Strength: Injury rate reduction, performance increases, and general health accelerates primarily via gaining usable strength and size. When the weight on the bar goes up via the basic human movement patterns of the squat, bench, deadlift, press, and power clean, the client progresses through these standards. These are verifiable standards for all to see.
The NASM certifying academy states continuously that all is relative with statements like, “So many options for fitness improvement exist depending on each individual’s fitness goals and health needs.” This is an unacceptable answer to simple questions that have strong evidence or lack of evidence for X, Y, or Z. Not all is relative in biological systems and adaptations. Our clients' questions need an educated and experienced S&C professional to provide the best answer to date for achieving goals via an easily verified objective set of the highest standards.
References:
- The Costs and Outcomes of Coaching Education, by Andrew Lewis, SSC | June 09, 2021
- https://blog.nasm.org/certified-personal-trainer/why-personal-trainer-certification-is-important
- “Digest of Education Statistics, 2012.” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d12/tables/dt12_376.asp.
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