Module 4: Strength Training

Strength training exercises work your muscles by applying a resistance against which the

muscles need to exert a force. The aim is to use an appropriate weight or resistant force that will
work the target muscles to fatigue, over 8 to 12 repetitions of an exercise

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Discuss strength training exercise

2. Explain the factor that determine strength
3. Execute different strength training exercise

Values Integration:

“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us”

- Hebrews 12:1

Input:

Concept of Strength

Strength – it is a psycho-physical ability that defines performance and created by muscle tension
enabling to overcome relatively high resistance. The force is produced by the muscles which create
movement and win over resistance with the help of the joints and system of bones.

In the thickening of the muscles the period of tension plays a crucial role while the measure of tension
depends on the number of stimulated motor units and relates to the magnitude of force exerted.
(Harsanyi, 2001)

Strength training is the functional application of Newton’s second law of physics, which defines force as
the product of a mass and its acceleration (Force = MA)

Strength is the ability to accelerate a mass from a state of rest, which results in the production of
muscular force.

From a physiological perspective, strength is the ability to activate muscle motor neurons and their
attached muscle fibers (together called a motor unit) to generate the force necessary to achieve a
specific outcome.

To achieve a strength- based goal, it is important to first define the specific type of strength required for
success and then design an exercise program to develop that strength.

The magnitude and rate of force production are determined by the efficiency at which all of the involved
muscle motor units are recruited.
Both intramuscular coordination (the ability to recruit all of the motor units within a specific muscle) and
intermuscular coordination (the ability to have a number of different muscles working together to
generate a force) are required to achieve optimal levels of strength.

FIVE FACTORS THAT DETERMINE STRENGTH

No matter how hard you train, you may face limitations when it comes to developing muscle strength.
Two people following the same diet and training schedule may never achieve the same level of strength.
To understand why this occurs, it’s helpful to know how strength is affected by external factors, over
which you may have no control.

 Genetics
 Training
 Gender
 Age
 Adrenaline
a. Genetics – although genetics can be overcome with hard work and determination, there is no
denying that heredity plays at least some part in your athletic strength and ability.
- You may inherit your grandfather’s leaping skills on the basketball court, or your mother’s
strong athletic thighs, and this can give you a distinct advantage over someone else who has
no athletic skills in the family tree.
b. Training – is an important factor in developing strength and endurance in any sport or physical
challenge.
- If you don’t continue to work the muscles on a regular basis, you may lose the strength you
built. Returning to a sport or physical activity after an extended absence, you may notice
that you feel weak and tired much sooner. Typically, with a little perseverance, you can
regain that strength.
c. Gender - Although there are exceptions, gender also plays a factor in strength
- Certainly there are many females who are measurably stronger than some men, but
generally speaking, the male physique is genetically predisposed to having more muscle
tissue.
- A higher quantity of muscle can affect strength, and it may even supersede muscle quality,
notes Chad Tackett, president of Global Health and Fitness.
d. Age – also has some influence over your level of strength. As your body ages, muscle mass
begins to decrease.
- Leading as active lifestyle can preserve your muscle tissue and physical strength well into
your golden years, but it cannot cure the natural muscle deterioration that comes with
aging. Even with regular training, you may lose muscle strength as you get older.
e. Adrenaline – as part of the body’s innate fight or flight response, adrenaline is a hormone
secreted by the adrenaline glands during high- stress situations. Adrenaline jump-starts the
heart rate and contracts blood vessels throughout the body to increase blood flow to the
muscles. Although the effects may be temporary, adrenaline can give your body a boost to
 power through a workout. In rare cases, it has been known to give an individual incredible
strength and stamina.

Why Strength?

a. Strength training: get stronger , leaner, healthier

b. Strength training is an important part of an overall fitness program
c. With a regular strength training [program, you can reduce your body fat, increase your lean
muscle mass and burn calories more efficiently.

Use it or Lose it

 Muscle mass naturally diminishes with age. “if you don’t do anything to replace the lean
muscle you lose, you’ll increase the percentage of fat in your body,”
 But Strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass –at any age.’’

BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING

 Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and
reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
 Control your weight. As you gain muscle, your body gains a bigger “engine” to burn calories
more efficiently – which can result in weight loss. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is
control your weight.
 Reduce your risk of injury. Building muscle helps protect your joints from injury. It also
contributes to better balance, which can help you maintain independence as you age.
 Boost your stamina. As you get stronger, you won’t fatigue as easily.
 Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many
chronic conditions, including arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
 Sharpen your focus. Some research suggests that regular strength training helps improve
attention for older adults.

TYPES OF STRENGTHS

a. Agile Strength
b. Strength Endurance
c. Explosive Strength
d. Maximum Strength
e. Relative Strength
f. Speed Strength
g. Starting Strength
h. Functional Strength

A. Agile Strength
 The ability to decelerate, control and generate muscle force in a multiplanar environment.
  Traditional strength training focuses on producing a shortening muscle action to move a load
through a single plane of motion; however, many tasks require the ability to move a mass
through gravity in multiple planes of motion.
 Examples: Picking up and carrying a young child, laundry basket or duffle bag.

AGILE STRENGTH BENEFITS:

a. Generate the force required to move objects from one location to the next.
b. Improve resiliency of muscle and connective tissue to reduce the risk of injuries such as sprains
or muscle pulls.
c. Enhance performance of specific sports or activities of daily living (ADLs)

TRAINING STRATEGY

 Exercise selection: Multiplanar movements using a variety of free weights (dumbbells, medicine
balls, sandbags, etc.) or cable machines
 Intensity: Low-to-moderate, approximately 50-75% of the estimate 1 repetition maximum (1RM)
for a particular exercise
 Reps: 12-15+
 Tempo: Variable speeds: slow to fast
 Rest interval: 30-90 seconds

B. Strength Endurance
 Ability to maintain muscular contractions or a consistent level of muscle force for extended
periods of time.
 Relies upon aerobic efficiency to supply oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles while
removing metabolic waste.
 Examples: An endurance event like a 10K, marathon or triathlon; doing yard work or other
vigorous household chores; high volume bodybuilding-type training

STRENGTH ENDURANCE BENEFITS

a. Maintain good postural stabilization for an extended period of time

b. Improve the aerobic capacity of working muscles
c. Enhance ability to perform many functional tasks and ADLs

TRAINING STRATEGY

 Exercise selection: Compound and single- joint movements using a variety of equipment; body-
weight exercises
 Intensity: low-to-moderate, approximately 40-80% of 1RM
 Reps: 10+
 Tempo: Consistent: slow to moderate
 Sets: 2-5+
  Rest interval: 30-60 seconds

C. Explosive Strength
 Produce a maximal amount of force in a minimal amount of time; muscle lengthening
followed by rapid acceleration through the shortening phase. Focus is on the speed of
movement through a range of motion (ROM).
 Explosive strength is based on the ability of the contractile element to rapidly generate
tension, while power enhances the ability of elastic tissue to minimize the transition time
from lengthening to shortening during the stretch-shorten cycle.
 Examples: Throwing a shot put, Olympic lifts such as snatch and clean-and-jerk; quickly
moving out of the way of danger.

BENEFITS OF EXPOSIVE TRAINING

a. Improve the speed of motor unit recruitment and enhance intramuscular coordination
b. Reduce reaction time
c. Improve the resiliency of muscle and connective tissue
d. Activate type II muscle fibers

TRAINING STRATEGY

 Exercise selection: Compound and single-joint movements using a variety of free weights
 Intensity: 40-75%
 Reps: 1-6
 Tempo: Fast as possible
 Sets: 2-5+
 Rest interval: 30-90 seconds
 D. MAXIMUM STRENGTH
 The highest level of muscle force that can be produced, maximum strength is the ability of a
muscle or specific group of muscle to recruit and engage all motor units to generate maximal
tension against an external resistance.
 Requires high levels of neuromuscular efficiency to enhance both intra- and intermuscular
coordination.
 Examples: powerlifting, squat, deadlift and bench press and strongman competitions

BENEFITS OF MAXIMUM STRENGTH

a. Activate type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers capable of generating high level of force
b. Increase levels of muscle-building hormones
c. Increase bone density and strength
d. Improve performance in many sports and ADLs

TRAINING STRATEGY

 Exercise Selection: Compound and single-joint movement using free weights or selectorized
machines
 Intensity: 90-100% 1RM
 Reps: 1-4
 Tempo: Slow-to-fast (even though the lifter is attempting to use maximum speed the weight is
moving slowly)
 Sets: 3-4+
 Rest interval: 2-4 minutes

E. RELATIVE STRENGTH
 Amount of force generated per unit of bodyweight. Can be increased by using all of the various
types of strength training to improve the magnitude of force production while maintaining or
reducing total body mass.
 If neuromuscular efficiency and muscle force production increase while maintaining a consistent
body mass, relative strength will increase.
 Example: Two women each weigh 154 pounds. The first can do 4 pull-ups and deadlight 220
pounds. Therefore, the second woman is capable of producing more force per pound of body
weight.
BENEFITS OF STRENGTH

 Improve performance in many sports or ADLs.

 Maximize motor unit recruitment
  Improve neuromuscular efficiency

TRAINING STRATEGY

a. Relative strength results from using all different types of strength training methods to be
capable of generating greater levels of force t a consistent body weight.

ABSOLUTE MUSCULAR STRENGTH

 The maximum force you are able to develop regardless of size, age, or weight.
 Absolute muscular strength is the first type of muscular strength.
 A person able to lift 100 pounds is stronger in absolute muscular strength than a person able to
lift 80 pounds.
F. SPEED STRENGHT
 The maximal force capable of being produced during a high-speed movement; trained
with either bodyweight or a minimal amount of resistance, allowing the movement to
be executed as fast as possible.
 Example: Throwing a baseball, swinging a golf club, running a sprint.
 BENEFITS
 Minimize reaction times.
 Enhance athletics performance.
 Reduce time of the stretch-shorten cycle.
 TRAINING STRATEGY
 Exercise selection: Compound movements using a variety of free weight; unloaded
body-weight movements
 Intensity: 30-50% 1RM
 Reps:1-6
 Tempo: Fast, explosive
 Sets: 2-6+
 rest interval: 30 seconds-2 minutes
G. STARTING STRENGTH
 Produced force at the beginning of a movement without momentum or a pre-stretch to
load mechanical energy; start moving from a stationary position
 An isometric contraction creates tension, which allows the surrounding elastic fascia and
connective tissue to lengthen and store mechanical energy for a rapid rate of force
production.
 Example: A track start, a football linemen in his stance before the ball is snapped,
getting up from a seated position
 BENEFITS
 Improve the ability of muscle and connective tissue to increase the rate of force
production.
  Reduce starting time for sport that require an athlete to move from a stationary
position.
 Enhance the ability to transition from seated to standing.

TRAINING STRATEGY

 Exercise selection: Compound and single-joint movements using a variety of types of resistance
to focus on force production in the initial ROM from a stationary position.
 Intensity; 50-90% 1 RM
 Reps: 1-6
 Tempo: Fast, explosive
 Sets:2-6+
 Rest interval: 45 second – 3 minutes

FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH

 Functional strength has a use or purpose beyond the training itself, whether for sport,
fighting or life in general. It is characterized by all-round strength, not just one type, and
generally goes hand-in-hand with good fitness and conditioning.
 Functional strength training therefore includes all the types of strength training
identified above; maximal, explosive and endurance.
 Functional training is defined as movements or exercises that improve a person’s ability
to
 Complete their daily activities or to achieve a specific goal.
 A quality program focuses on weak areas and sets specific goals for the client. It is
important to understand
 How to progress someone from simple smaller targeted movements to more complex
multi joint
 Movements. Training someone functionally can range from having a tennis player lunge
to a chop
 Or a body builder do a slow curl for bigger biceps; it’s all about the goal. Keep in mind
performing
 Complex movements before the client is ready will do more harm than good.
 Proponents of functional strength often incorporate objects from life, such as types,
sledgehammers and sandbags, to highlight the functionality of the training.
 Trainees are encouraged to use whatever is around them of build up their own gym at
home. Using one’s own bodyweight as resistance is a key part of functional strength
training- what could be more convenient of useful?
 Functional strength training is often used to train fighters, soldiers and law enforcement
officers.
Method of Strength Training

 Simple Methods or System

 Combination Methods or System
 Super set system
 Pyramid Method
 Plyometrics
 Circuit Training

APPLICATION TASK

Individual Activity

Direction: You will perform different strength activity without using any equipment. Wear you PE
Uniform/ PE Attire while performing the activity. Take photo in each activity. Send the picture through
messenger or gmail after completing the activity.

STRENGTH TRAINING EXERCISE WITOUT EQUIPMENT

Day 1: Upper body

Day 2: Lower Body

Day 3: Core

Day 4: Cardio

Day 5: Upper Body & Lower Body

Day 6: Cardio & Core

Day 7: Rest

Day 8: Cardio & Core

Day 9: Lower Body

Day 10: Upper Body

Day 11: Rest

Day 12: Cardio & Core

Day 13: Upper Body & Lower Body

Day 14: Rest

Day 15: Core

Day 16: Rest

Day 17: Upper Body, Lower Body, Core

Day 18: Cardio

Day 19: Core & Upper Body

Day 20: Lower Body-try an advanced move!

Day 21: Rest

Day 22: Upper Body- try an advanced move!

Day 23: Core & Lower Body

Day 24: Cardio

Day 25: Rest

Day 26: Upper Body & Lower Body

Day 27: Core & Cardio

Day 28: Rest

Day 29: Upper Body

Day 30: Lower Body

Upper Body Exercise

1. Triceps Dips
To work the backs of your arms, tricep dips are an excellent option. Starts seated on the floor,
and place your hands down so that your fingers are facing towards your body. Press down
through the palms of your hands and come up onto your feet so that your knees are in the air
directly over your ankles. Bend the elbows and lower your butt down to tap the ground, and
then straighten the arms to come up. Repeat this 10 times.

Advanced modification:  Instead of having the legs bent for tricep dips, straighten the legs out in
front of you to perform this exercise.

2. Push Ups
Starting in a plank position with your abs pulled in and your shoulders over your wrists, bend the
elbows out to the sides, lowering your chest to the ground, and then press back up to a plank
position. Repeat 10 times.

Beginner modification:  Perform this exercise on your knees.

Advanced modification:  Perform this exercise with one leg in the air (be sure to alternate
between both legs).
 3. Side Plank
From a plank position, turn your body to the left, reaching your left arm up into the air towards
the ceiling. Stack your left foot on top of the right, and pull your right waistline up away from
the ground to work the entire right side of your body. Come back to plank, and repeat 10 times.
Perform the same exercise to the right.

Beginner modification: Perform side plank with the bottom knee propped up on the ground.

Advanced modification:  Perform side plank and lift the top leg up off of the bottom leg.

4. Plank Ups
Starting in a plank position on your knees, lower down onto your right forearm and then your
left forearm. Now you’re in a forearm plank. Then, press your right palm down and then your
left palm down to press you back up into a plank. Repeat this 5 times with your right hand
leading, and then 5 times with your left hand leading.

Advanced modification:  Perform this exercise on your toes (full plank position).

Lower Body Exercise

1. Squat
Start standing with your feet open shoulder-width. Pull your naval in towards your spine, and
bend your knees reaching your butt back as if you're sitting in a chair. (Look down to make sure
your knees are not reaching past your ankles). Press down through your heels, and then stand
back up to the starting position, squeezing the glutes at the top. Repeat this 10 times.

Beginner modification:  Only squat halfway down before returning to the top.
 Advanced modification: Squat and then jump to come up, landing softly with bent knees.
Straighten the knees returning to the top position, lower down into the squat again, and jump
back up. Repeat this 10 times.

2. Side Lunge
Standing with legs hip-width apart, step your right foot a few feet to the right and bend the right
knee, sitting the right glute back as if you’re trying to sit it down into a chair. Keep the left leg
straight. Press down through the right heel to return back to the starting position. Repeat 10
times to the right, and then switch to the left for 10 repetitions.

Beginner modification:  Only bend the knee halfway.

Advanced modification:  When you come back to center, lift the lunging leg up and out to the
side to work the outer hip before moving on to the next rep.

3. Back Lunge and Lift

Start standing with your feet as wide as your hips. Then, step your left foot back and lower down
into a lunge. Press down through the right heel as you lift the left leg straight up behind you to
work the hamstring and glute. Then lower back down into the lunge. Repeat this 10 times and
then switch sides.

Beginner modification:  Take out the leg lift and perform a standard backwards lunge. If you
need extra support, hold on to a railing or a table to help with balance.
4. Crusty Lunge
Standing up, step your left foot backwards and to the right and bend both knees into a curtsy
position as if you’re taking a bow. Then come back to center and repeat on the other side.
Complete 10 reps on each side.

Beginner modification:  Only curtsy halfway down, then come back to the starting position.

5. Calf Raises
Standing upright, come up onto your tip toes and then lower back down. Repeat 10 times.

6. Wide Leg Open- Toe Squat

Start with your feet open wider than your hips, and turn your toes out to the sides. Pull your abs
in, and then bend your knees. Track your knees over your second toes as you lower down into
the wide leg open toe squat. Stand back up by pressing down through your heels to come up.
While lowering down into the squat, hold the dumbbells by your sides and then raise them up
out to the sides just as high as your shoulders. As you stand up from the squat, lower the
weights back down to your sides. Repeat 10 times, for 3 sets total.
Core Exercise

1. Superman
Lying on your stomach, pull your naval in towards your spine. Reach your arms in front of
you, relax the shoulders, and squeeze the glutes. Then, lift your legs, arms, chest and head
off the ground, and slowly lower back down. Repeat 10 times.

Beginner modification: Break the Superman up into two separate movements by first lifting
the legs and then lowering them down. Next, lift the arms and chest and then lower them
down.

2. Cobra
Lying on your stomach, place your hands on the floor next to your chest. Pull the abs in, and
then press down through your hands to lift yourself up into a cobra position. Make sure to
keep the shoulders down and not tilt the head up too far. Repeat this 10 times.

Advanced modification:  From the Cobra position, lift the hands up off of the ground so that
you’re only using your upper back to keep you lifted as opposed to using your hands, too.

3. Ab Curl Hollow Hold

Lying on your back, bend the knees in towards your chest. Then press the legs out reaching
through the toes, and bring them back in to center. Repeat this 10 times.

Beginner modification:  If you have neck issues or a weaker core, try keeping your head on
the mat and press the legs higher up as you extend them out.

Advanced modification (demonstrated in video):  Do the same exercise except extend the
arms behind you as you extend the legs in front of you.
 4. Side Lying Inner Thigh
Lying on your right side, bend the left knee and place the foot in front of your right leg. Lift
the right leg up and pulse it up as high as you can for 10 repetitions. Repeat on the other
side.

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