This posting is going to take a look at what part strength plays in your Speed and Agility Training program. Let’s look into a couple of words.
Absolute strength – the maximum total power that you’re able to produce, your single rep ceiling is your absolute strength
Starting Strength – a function of what number of muscle fibers you’re in a position to instantly contract
Think of it this way, if you snatch a heavy set of weights off the floor you will strain your back. But if you were to lift slowly this would not take place. Starting strength (in the example just discussed), just measures the greatest load you are capable of grabbing off the floor without injuries.
Relative strength – your strength for every pound of body weight
Reactive Strength or Plyometric Strength – measures your ability to soak up and utilize power when switching from an eccentric contraction to a concentric contraction.
What exactly is the application of these definitions to your exercise curriculum?
The higher your absolute strength, the more your starting strength. The more your starting strength, the faster your increase of velocity, the quicker your increase in speed, the greater your explosiveness or your capacity to reach your upper speed faster. Ask yourself this, “Is my speed and agility training helping my absolute strength for those muscles that are significant in the sport I play?”
Relative strength is important since the higher your relative strength, the more force you are able to produce. This benefits you in a couple of ways; your nervous system is better conditioned and will even cross over into your quickness, and you have less stuff to drag around. This also crosses over into speed.
A reasonable question to ask about is whether or not your Speed and Agility Training improves your relative strength. Remember when training for speed and agility your relative strength is more influential than your absolute strength. Note: you should not worry too much concerning bulking up since a 10% growth in LEAN body mass will equal a 30% escalation in power.
Finally, we look at reactive strength. This kind of strength plays a crucial part in agility, it makes it possible for you to suddenly alter course and overwhelm your opponent with unexpected moves. It also helps you to jump higher while running (but not a great deal from a standstill stance). It also has a function in running speed however you’ll find better ways to exercise for that if running speed is what you are after.
What’s the take away home from this post? So as to properly train for speed and agility you should incorporate strength training exercises in your schedule. You must also adapt it for the activity you’re involved with. There can be no shortcuts however there are effective ways of reaching your objectives (whatever they may be).
If this has baffled you a bit you should….
Here’s a food for thought question for you. Why do sprinters (50, 100 meter dash, basketball players, quarterbacks etc) get ripped abs without specifically training for them? Needless to say you must understand that starting strength is different for different muscles groups and can be trained individually. Knowing what muscles have a part in the movements most essential in your athletic endeavour helps you to focus on them and create rapid and efficient results
If you liked this article, you can find more information, tips, and videos by going to: more Speed and Agility Training.
Tags: speed agility, speed and agility training, speed exercises, srtength training workouts