Redefining Strength

When people think of strength training, two things often come to mind: powerlifting and strongman. Though these are great bases for strength development, they can be expanded. A heavy squat is great, but I believe a broad jump is equally important to develop, as are isometric squats. So what exactly is strength? Is it simply the number of plates on your squat bar, or is it the rate of acceleration from an Asian Squat to a jump? Is it the height of that jump? How about time spent in a horse stance? Defining strength is a complicated task, but the short answer, I believe, is “all of the above.”

The Hulk is a great example of this diversity of strength. We see him leaping large distances and holding up buildings as well as his max feats of strength. Why then do we limit ourselves to largely focusing on max strength? If the hulk is able to perform a wide variety of physical feats, why shouldn’t we?

The body does not know the difference between a heavy load and acceleration. This means that, in theory, a goblet jump squat and a back squat should offer the same effect. However, this concept best describes hypertrophy, not functionality. A heavy back squat is going to allow the user strength through all phases of the movement while a jump squat has room for error due to momentum build up. Likewise, the jump squat allows for greater awareness of force absorption and requires a larger degree of calf involvement than the back squat. An isometric variation of an exercise forces the user to endure max strength at specific angles, forcing any weakness in the chain to be observed and corrected. An example of this may be the quasi-isometric squat where the practitioner must perform a squat as slowly as possible (shooting for upwards of one minute per repetition) or a yielding isometric such as a horse stance. These types of exercises grease the groove in athletic performance.

How does one program these routines? I would suggest an explosive exercise as a warm up to the max strength and ending the sets with isometric renditions. This ensures that all types of strength are met and the body is adapting in as many ways as possible to the new muscle growth. Having muscle and knowing how to use it are two very different things after all.

Finally, remember to integrate any new methods of exercise slowly and consult your coach or doctor before adding any extreme movements into your routine. Some of these methods may not work for every person and it is important to keep yourself safe while building strength.