4 Proven Ways to Build Strength & Power

Developing maximal strength adaptations is beneficial for everyone from elite athletes to the elderly and everyone in between.

Because strength is key for most of the population, human performance researchers and sports scientists have teamed up over the past few decades in order to determine how to maximize progress with the latest scientific training protocols.

Essentially these researchers have been looking for the safest and most effective way to manipulate certain variables of training such as load, intensity, volume frequency and exercise selection.

Within this article I will provide you with four of the most recent breakthroughs in human performance research to help YOU build maximal strength in the shortest possible time!

From increasing your squat to help your legs and glutes grow, to improving sports performance, the methods in this article will give you the background and knowledge you need to maximize your current workouts.

Here are 4 scientifically backed tips to help you build strength.

Background: Principles of Strength Training

Before we dive in, it’s important for me to give you a quick review of the basic principles of strength training.

While the latest training technique with bands or chains may seem sexy, like everything, the main principles of strength training that were discovered years ago that are still key today.

For example, here are some of the key and fundamental principles of strength training you must master and focus on:

• Load/weight on the bar,
• Number of sets,
• Repetitions,
• Changes in exercise selection,
• Rest period length,
• Careful manipulation of volume (sets x reps),
• Intensity … these must all be accounted for (1).

Essentially, in order to continually force your body to adapt to strength training, you have to train with sufficient loads that are going to challenge your musculoskeletal system.

Recent research suggests that for untrained individuals to maximize strength training adaptations they need to train with at least 60% 1RM, 3 days per week, 4 sets per muscle group.

However, for trained athletes, a mean training intensity of 85% 1RM, 2 days per week, 8 sets per muscle group has been shown to enhance muscular strength (2).

In short, you need to lift heavy, several times per week, progress the weights, stay consistent and eat well

Now we’ve covered the basics, you’re ready to take your strength training to the next level with these four tips!

1. Linear Periodization To Maximize Strength Gains

Periodization refers to the systematic (orderly) variation of key training variables.

There have been several different periodization models that have been shown to provide favorable strength adaptations (3).

The first model of periodization to gain traction was Linear or Traditional periodization. This consists of several training blocks starting at high volumes with low intensities and gradually progressing to periods of high intensity and low training volumes (4).

In less technical terms, you would start with lots of sets but less weight then switch to higher weight with less sets.

While this has been effective for many, linear periodization can be slightly boring within a training regimen due to infrequent variations or changes in exercises etc. Also, linear periodization may increase the athlete’s risk of overreaching as they repeat the same exercises etc. (5).

2. Non-linear or Daily Undulating Periodization To Maximize Strength Gains

Recent research has brought to light a new model of periodization referred to as nonlinear or daily undulating, in which volume and intensity are varied on a daily basis (rather than every 1-2 months like above).

For example, in a linear approach you may do 6 weeks of hypertrophy training, 4 weeks of strength training, followed by 3 weeks of power training. However, in a NON-linear or Daily Undulating Periodization approach you may perform a hypertrophy, power and strength workout all in one week!

This model of periodization seems to provide athletes with more frequent variations in volume and intensity and may reduce boredom, injury risk and actually result in improved maximal strength training adaptations as the body is provided with new and unique stimuli multiple times in one week.

In fact, one group of researchers directly compared traditional periodization to non-linear on maximal strength training adaptations.

27 strength trained men were split into three groups non-periodized, linear-periodized, and non-linear and each followed their respective training regimen for 12 weeks.

At the conclusion of training effect sizes revealed that non-linear periodization resulted in improved maximal strength training adaptations on the leg press and bench press

(4.6KG & 2.9KG VS 1.1KG & 0.6KG) respectively (6).

These results have been replicated on various occasions; another group of researchers ran a similar investigation and demonstrated average strength gains on the bench press and leg press to be 14.4% and 30.1% greater following a non-linear model (7)!

How to Apply Non-Linear Periodization to Maximize Strength

The benefits of a non-linear approach are that it provides the athlete or lifter more flexibility in organizing their workouts. If your goal is maximal strength on the “big three lifts”, an example routine following a non-linear approach is listed below.

Monday: Squat, Bench Press, Dead Lift –  Hypertrophy

Wednesday: Squat, Bench Press, Dead Lift –  Power

Friday: Squat, Bench Press, Dead Lift –  Strength

3. Applying Resistance Bands to Maximize Strength Gains 

Once you have your weekly routine planned out, another way you can maximize strength gains is by adding variable resistance training techniques such as elastic bands.

Elastic resistance bands have previously been shown to improve both strength and power adaptations in highly trained athletes.

In theory, overloading the eccentric portion (lowering) of a lift with added resistance from the bands may force the neuromuscular system to recruit more type two fibers, increasing maximal strength gains (8).

One study particularly applied resistance bands to a non-linear strength training plan. These researchers took 14 college athletes and split them into two conditions.

The control group followed the same workouts without resistance bands. However, the banded group added 30% of their 1RM in band tension on the back squat and bench press exercises on their power days.

After 5 weeks of training the resistance bands group demonstrated greater improvements in rate of power development, back squat 1RM and bench press 1RM (9)!

You can order these bands from stores such as EliteFTS or MyProtein.

4.  Creatine Monohydrate to Maximize Strength Gains

Once you’ve effectively applied the basics including overload, progression, non-linear periodization and variable resistance training you’re ready for the final piece of the puzzle, creatine monohydrate!

Creatine is arguably the most effective and widely used sports supplement and rightly so.

Creatine works by increasing the amount of readily available ATP energy in the muscle. ATP is the energy system that fuels high power/strength activities, helping our muscles contract and produce force. It’s basically like the gasoline to your car, it provides all our cells with energy to function.

One group of researchers examined the effects of creatine supplementation on strength and strength endurance in highly trained power lifters.

At the conclusion of training, strength gains on the bench press increased by 20lbs in the creatine group compared to only 5.6 in placebo. That’s a 400% greater increase!

In regards to strength endurance, the creatine group demonstrated average increases of 39.7% compared to only 7.1% in the placebo, over 500% greater gains! (10)

But before you ask, this wasn’t just a one-off or poorly designed study. These results have been replicated time and time again and researchers conclude that creatine just may be the most effective supplement for strength and power gains as well as muscular growth (11).

In fact, research has demonstrated an average increase of 4.4lbs of muscle mass when taking creatine paired with resistance training compared to no creatine (12). It’s also extremely safe, cheap to buy (a bottle is $10) and healthy!

Time To Maximize Your Strength Gains!

There you have 4 effective and research-proven techniques to boost your strength. For most, working on the basics first will provide the biggest reward. If you are highly advanced, using techniques such as resistant bands, forced reps, cluster sets etc. can also help bust plateaus and provide quick improvements. Learn more about Advanced Training Technique tips in this article: https://www.rudymawer.com/blog/5-advanced-workout-methods-for-rapid-muscle/

• Before adding any special tips into your strength training regimen make sure you have your basic principles in check. These include the chronic alteration of load, number of sets, repetitions, exercise selection, order, rest period length and the careful manipulation of volume and intensity.

• Next, non-linear periodization or DUP provides you with more frequent variation of volume and intensity which has been shown to lead to improved strength adaptations (you may also enjoy it more as your routine changes within a week).

• Adding resistance bands to your big three lifts (squat, bench, deadlift) may help optimize strength and power development by providing added resistance throughout the entire strength curve.

• Lastly, supplementing with creatine will help you train harder and quickly improve your strength gains. It’s also extremely effective for adding muscle mass, safe, low in cost and provides health benefits.

1.) Kraemer, W. J., Adams, K., Cafarelli, E., Dudley, G. A., Dooly, C., Feigenbaum, M. S., … & Newton, R. U. (2002). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 34(2), 364-380.

2.) Peterson, M. D., Rhea, M. R., & Alvar, B. A. (2004). Maximizing strength development in athletes: a meta-analysis to determine the dose-response relationship. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 18(2), 377-382.

3.)  Stone, M. H., O’bryant, H. S., Schilling, B. K., Johnson, R. L., Pierce, K. C., Haff, G. G., & Koch, A. J. (1999). Periodization: Effects of Manipulating Volume and Intensity. Part 2. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 21(3), 54.

4.) Willoughby, D. S. (1993). The Effects of Mesocycle-Length Weight Training Programs Involving Periodization and Partially Equated Volumes on Upper and Lower Body Strength. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 7(1), 2-8.

5.) Zourdos, M. C. (2017). Physiological responses to two different models of daily undulating periodization in trained powerlifters.

6.) Monteiro, A. G., Aoki, M. S., Evangelista, A. L., Alveno, D. A., Monteiro, G. A., da Cruz Piçarro, I., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2009). Nonlinear periodization maximizes strength gains in split resistance training routines. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(4), 1321-1326.

7.) Rhea, M. R., Ball, S. D., Phillips, W. T., & Burkett, L. N. (2002). A comparison of linear and daily undulating periodized programs with equated volume and intensity for strength. The Journal of strength & conditioning research, 16(2), 250-255.

8.) Anderson, C. E., Sforzo, G. A., & Sigg, J. A. (2008). The effects of combining elastic and free weight resistance on strength and power in athletes. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 22(2), 567-574.

9.) Joy, J. M., Lowery, R. P., de Souza, E. O., & Wilson, J. M. (2016). Elastic bands as a component of periodized resistance training. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 30(8), 2100-2106.

10.) Kelly, V. G., & Jenkins, D. G. (1998). Effect of oral creatine supplementation on near-maximal strength and repeated sets of high-intensity bench press exercise. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 12(2), 109-115.

11.) Buford, T. W., Kreider, R. B., Stout, J. R., Greenwood, M., Campbell, B., Spano, M., … & Antonio, J. (2007). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 4(1), 6.

12.) Kreider, R. B. (2003). Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations. Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 244(1-2), 89-94.

https://www.rudymawer.com/blog/4-tips-build-strength/

The Scientific Reason Women Need to Go Heavy

Tip: The Scientific Reason Women Need to Go Heavy

How heavy? Here's the science.

Luckily, most women aren't afraid to lift weights these days, but many still avoid going too heavy. We're talking about sets of around 3 maximal reps here. Too bad for them, because females may benefit from heavy training even more than men.

Growth Hormone and Female Lifters

It all comes down to growth hormone. Where the male body relies more on testosterone to reap the benefits from weight training, the female body relies a bit more on growth hormone. Natural growth hormone plays a big part in both muscle and bone development. It also improves metabolic function and staves off tissue breakdown.

So, GH is good. And heavy lifting stimulates more growth hormone release in women.

The Study

One study on women looked at the effects that different kinds of weight training had on growth hormone. Researchers found that growth hormone was responsive to moderate (around 12 reps) and heavy (around 3 reps) lifting regimens.

"Since women rely on growth hormone to increase muscle and bone strength, the more growth hormone stimulated by a type of exercise, the better its outcome," researchers said.

The study had women weight training with different rep ranges for 24 weeks, complete with lots of blood tests. The heavier weight training protocols produced more biologically active growth hormone. Lead researcher William J. Kraemer noted: "Women need to have a heavy loading cycle in their resistance training routines."

Now, there's muscle-building value in lifting lighter weights too, like increased time under tension. But this study tells us that women shouldn't get stuck in the pattern of using only higher rep schemes and "going for the burn." Those heavy sets, as heavy as 3 grunting reps, may be where a lot of the magic happens.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-the-scientific-reason-women-need-to-go-heavy

STOP CALLING YOURSELF GROSS

You know what’s gross? Racism is gross. Homophobia, xenophobia, sexism—gross. Oppression and discrimination are gross. Telling people what they should and shouldn’t do with their bodies? Gross. Convincing people there is something inherently wrong with them in order to turn a profit? Gross.

Ketchup is gross. (Don’t argue.)

But you? Your body? Your body fat, cellulite, and wrinkles? NOT GROSS.

I got into this conversation with my dear friend recently, because she was trying on clothes in front of me and kept calling her body gross. It pained me to hear this coming from someone I love so dearly, someone whom I think is a both a goddess and a queen.

Now, I get it. I get that she’s not thrilled about her body fat or cellulite situations. I get that she’s frustrated and wants to change her body—and all of that is okay.

It’s okay to be displeased with aspects of yourself and want to change them in some way; what’s not okay is the belief that we are obligated to in order to fit into boxes that were created by societal constructs—boxes that very few of us fit into comfortably.

As a body image consultant and fitness coach, I think we do the term “body positivity” a grave disservice when we assume it means that loving ourselves precludes us from ever wanting to change.

We, as leaders, can often do harm by insinuating that self-love means you’re completely in love with the appearance of cellulite or stretch marks.

The truth is, you can love yourself as a whole person without necessarily loving every part of your body.

In fact, during the beginning stages of learning to step into a space of self-love, the idea that you have to love everything can feel really intimidating. It feels too big, too impossible—especially if you’ve spent years hating yourself and feeling never good enough.

But if you can learn to meet your perceived “flaws” without judgment and attached meaning, this will go a long way towards standing in your power.

As we embark on a journey to feel powerful and at home in our bodies, it’s important that we learn to reframe this language and see our features for what they are—without a negative connotation.

The leap from body hatred to body love is pretty far for many of us, especially when those body image issues run deep. Therefore the intention isn’t necessarily to love at first—rather to not hate.

We must affirm that the idea that our body fat, cellulite, wrinkles, and stretch marks are “bad” or “gross” isn’t part of our inherent nature. We didn’t decide that, nor did we create the unattainable standards of perfect with which we’re constantly inundated.

It isn’t our birthright to demean and disrespect ourselves with hurtful language, to strive forever on end to meet an arbitrary standard of beauty that constantly changes and varies.

You weren’t born to regard yourself as gross, to look in the mirror and hate what you see—you were born with radiance and magic.

But the first step towards manifesting that magic and stepping into a space of self-love and worthiness might not actually be love itself; for many of us, the first step is truth—a recognition of reality without added bias and learned labels.

Can we look in the mirror and learn to see ourselves with presence and truth, rather than disgust? I’ll tell you honestly that I don’t love my cellulite. It doesn’t define me or keep me from living in my fulness; I’m not obsessed with getting rid of it and I don’t think that doing so would make me more lovable or desirable.

I don’t look at my cellulite and think, “Gross,” but I also don’t look at it and think, “You are so beautiful, Cellulite; I love you so dearly.”

I accept that it’s a part of my body, and I love myself as a whole person. I love my body as a whole unit—but I don’t gaze upon the dimples in my but with fondness and reverence.

I’m just not there. And that has to be okay.

Rather than beating myself up for not loving my cellulite (hello—another way we make ourselves feel inadequate!), I understand that sometimes love isn’t the goal. Sometimes simply detaching from a narrative that steals from us is all we need to do in order to take back our power and feel alive in our bodies.

So instead of pinching your belly fat and saying “gross,” or looking at your cellulite in the mirror and thinking “gross,” try just calling it what it is. Touch those stretch marks and just say “stretch marks.”

Pinch that fat and literally just say, “fat.” Do this with as much openness, awareness, and curiosity that you can muster.

It doesn’t have to be good or bad—it can just be what it is. If we can do this, we can start to tap into the vibrant aliveness of our bodies; we can begin to see how miraculously interwoven our physical and emotional bodies are, and we can step onto the path of awakening that teaches us to love ourselves as whole, multidimensional beings.

And none of that is gross.

http://www.negharfonooni.com/cellulite-is-not-gross/

Are You Strong Enough to Run? Part 2

As a runner you may think that strength training doesn’t necessarily apply to you as running is all you need to either stay or get in shape.  I had that thought once, and it didn’t work out too well for me.  Achy knees and a lot of hip pain from poor mechanics.  Don’t let my mistake be your downfall.  Let’s learn from it.

Mechanics or Phases of Running

Breaking down the mechanics of a stride, it’s a series of single leg exercises, with 2 different phases:

Stance- This is where the all your bodyweight is on a single leg and typically where breakdowns occur.  This phase can also be broken down into smaller phases:

Initial Contact- Your foot first hits the ground, and as you touch down, the knee and ankle flex a little to absorb the force of the ground, and the foot pronates or turns in slightly.  This can create the first break down if we don’t have a requisite amount of strength or motor control.

Midstance-  Once the foot and leg are underneath the hip, you enter what is the midstance phase.  This is where all your weight is on the one leg.  Again, there is potential for injury here.  An over pronation at the foot can cause a chain reaction up the leg into the knee and hip.  Hip stability is also vital here as you need to be able to load the base leg in order to set yourself up for the propulsion phase.  It’s a basic load and explode situation.  Your muscles, tendons, and fascia are all storing up elastic energy from the previous phase, waiting to use it.  Lacking necessary joint stability and strength will hinder your stride, and really, your ability to run efficiently.

Propulsion- The final stage where the foot starts to come off the ground, starting with the heel.  This is where you will use all that stored/absorbed energy and push off to get into the next phase.  The ankle, knee, and hip all go through extension in order to achieve this.  Additionally, your foot/ankle should supinate, however this doesn’t always occur due to poor mechanics or poor shoes.  Either way, this is another instance in which we need to corrections during running.

Swing- From the moment your foot loses contact with the ground, till the moment it touches down again is the swing.  In this phase, your body needs to prep the leg and foot for that initial contact phase again.

There is a third phase where both feet are simultaneously off the ground, and if you freeze frame a runner, they appear to be floating or hovering off the ground.

So as you can note above, each phase of running comes with the potential for injury if the right mechanics aren’t in place.  This means a combination of strength, stability and mobility.  Thankfully we can incorporate strength training that focuses on those three aspects, and we can likely avoid injury or any aches and pains.  Then we can get back to doing what we love, which is running.

The Training

Putting together a strength program for a runner is a little tricky as you want to build as much strength as you need to avoid injury and resist the forces of running, but without putting on weight that may potentially slow you down.

Single Leg Exercises–  Being that running is largely a single leg exercise repeated over and over again, it’s important to include these into your program.  That doesn’t mean eliminating bilateral exercises like squats and deadlifts, as those will set a large strength base.  It just means adding in more single leg variations to maintain or improve hip stability.

Examples:

Lunges

Single Leg Deadlift

Step-up

Split Squats

Core Strength & Stability– Everyone uses these terms, but no one really knows what they mean.  In terms of running, the core needs to be strong and stable in order for the body to transfer forces from the lower body to the upper body, otherwise we just look like one of those wacky inflatable tube guys outside car dealerships.  And no one wants to look like that when they run.  Nor do we want to have any injuries or pain when we’re running.  If we lack the necessary core stability, meaning the control of the movement of the hips, it could result in hanging out on passive structures instead.  Have you ever gone for a run and your back was killing you halfway in or when you finished?  Yea that’s one, poor mechanics, but also lack of muscular strength and the ability to stabilize the hips.

Examples:

Anti-Extension – Plank

Anti Lateral Flexion – Side Plank

Bird/Dog

Anti Rotation – Pallof Press

Chops

Hip Extension Activation & Strength– The main mover for hip extension should be the glutes, however many end up predominantly using their hamstrings.  Hamstring injuries occur in part because they aren’t strong enough to control the eccentric contraction of the muscle, meaning a contraction as the muscle lengthens.  But also because the hamstrings compensate for a lack of glute strength.  It’s vital to the health of your hamstrings to get your glutes strong.  Then you can focus on strengthening the hamstrings via eccentric exercises.

Glute Bridge

Hip Thrust

Lateral Band Walks

Clamshells

Supine Hip Extension

Nordic Curls

Hamstring Curls via TRX, Glide Discs, Stability Ball

Running is a simple way to exercise and probably one of the most accessible to those of all levels, from beginner to advanced.  Now that the weather is getting nice, more and more people will be out there running.  Just because you can run, doesn’t mean you have to run or should.  Take account of your strength and stability, but also look at your own mechanics to see if running is for you.  Then you can move on to what could be the most important, whether or not you actually enjoy running.

http://amp-training.com/are-you-strong-enough-run/

Are You Strong Enough to Run? Part 1

What does strong enough mean?  Or in the case of this title, strong enough to run?  Would deadlifting 200lbs make you strong enough to run?  Maybe, maybe not. When it comes to running and being strong, expressing strength is more a matter of resisting forces put on it, than creating them. although you will create force into the ground to push you forward.

Everybody runs or can run, but not everyone that runs does so efficiently with good form.  Sometimes it looks a little wonky, like Elaine Benes trying to dance or like a calf trying to walk for the first time.  While running is a natural movement (for some), it does require a number of things to work synergistically so as not to get injured.  How often are you thinking of stride length, frequency, how your foot is landing, hip shifts, arm movement, etc when you go for a simple run or jog.  Or maybe its yogging, it might be a soft ‘J.”  Probably never.

Strength has more to do with running than you think, and it doesn’t just stop at the legs.  Think of running as a full body exercise, where all your muscles are coordinated to fire to ensure you absorb the forces appropriately.  And if there is a weak link in the chain, you can bet that your body will find it, and expose it.

Everyone can run, but not everyone SHOULD…..right away.

How Can Massage Help My Health and Wellbeing?

Generally, people use massage for either general relaxation and wellbeing, or to address a specific complaint, such as pain or limited range of motion. Research suggests massage therapy may contribute to both goals. 

Some of the general benefits of massage therapy may include:

• Physical relaxation
• Improved circulation, which nourishes cells and improves waste elimination
• Relief for tight muscles (knots) and other aches and pains
• Release of nerve compression (carpel tunnel, sciatica)
• Greater flexibility and range of motion
• Enhanced energy and vitality
• Some clinical styles may help heal scar tissue as well as tendon, ligament, and muscle tears

What specific conditions can massage therapy help?

Massage therapy may help the body in many ways.  Massage can relax muscle tissue, which may lead to decreased nerve compression, increased joint space, and range of motion. This may lead to reduced pain and improved function. 

Massage therapy may also improve circulation, which enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells and helps remove waste products. These circulatory effects of massage may have value in the treatment of some inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis or edema (an excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues, which may be reduced using manual lymph drainage). 

Massage therapy is also thought to induce a relaxation response, which lowers the heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure; boosts the immune system; and generally decreases the physical effects of stress.

These effects suggest that massage may be helpful for a wide range of conditions.  Some of these are listed below.

• Carpal tunnel
• Sciatica
• Tension headaches
• Whiplash
• Scoliosis
• Torticollis
• Tendon and muscle tears
• Thoracic outlet syndrome
• Varicose veins
• Pregnancy-related back pain and other discomfort 
• Myofascial pain
• Sore or overused muscles (prevents and treats) 
• Muscle injury (offers rehabilitation)
• Gout
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Muscular dystrophies
• Raynaud's Disease
• Diabetes
• Hypertension and congestive heart failure
• Reduces risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases
• Improved mood
• Reduced anxiety
• Lower stress levels
• Lessening of depression
• Reduced anger and aggression
• Improved sleep patterns and decreased sleep disturbance 
• Reduced fatigue
• Enhances immune system
• Improves athletic performance and enhances recovery

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/massage-therapy/how-can-massage-help-my-health-and-wellbeing

Perfect Posture

Forget Perfect Posture: It Doesn’t Exist

In this five minute video, Dr. Greg Lehman challenge common beliefs and correct myths about biomechanics and posture using current research.

Most of us know what the ideal posture looks like: a nice, neutral spine and neck and no tilt in either direction in the pelvis.

But the real question is: Does this posture really exist in the real world?

Is it possible that we focus too much on its role in healthy movement and pain? Check out this video and find out.

https://www.theptdc.com/2017/04/no-perfect-posture/