Current Training Phase

Max Strength 

Our next training phase will focus on building up to max strength. This is the perfect time for cyclists, hikers, and runners to develop their highest level of strength, post season. Alternatively, this is also a great time to build max strength for winter athletes.  

Strength is the primary component to force output, speed, and acceleration which then leads to better sports performance (2,3,4,5,7). Stronger muscles and a stronger body also create resilience against injury. Remember weak things break. Additionally, from a general health perspective, recent research has found that muscle strength aids in venous return for blood circulation (1). Why is this important? The veins of the body do not have a mechanism to pump blood like our arteries, so they rely on skeletal muscle and our heart rate to pump blood back to the heart. Simply put, stronger muscles mean stronger circulation which aids in replenishing nutrients and oxygen. Research has also found links to individuals with stronger muscles being less likely to experience cardiovascular events or stroke (8,9).  

Ultimately, increasing strength and circulation allows individuals to perform sports or activities with more power output, consistently, for extended periods of time without getting as tired (2,3,4,5,6,7). Your body is also getting more nutrients to aid a quicker recovery (4,7).  

Keys point from the last block of training 

• Max strength 
• Unilateral power output (single leg jumps) 
• Joint stability and stiffness 
• Increase in range of motion throughout the body (helping with mobility and flexibility)
• Working through different planes of motion (sagittal plane, frontal plane, transverse plane) 

Periodization progression principal 

• Basic linear block 
• Tier system 
• Contrast or French contrast (use of post activation potentiation) 

References 

1-Oue, A., Saito, M., & Iimura, Y. (2019). Effect of short‐term endurance training on venous compliance in the calf and forearm differs between continuous and interval exercise in humans. Physiological reports, 7(17), e14211. 

2-Losnegard, T., Mikkelsen, K., Rønnestad, B. R., Hallén, J., Rud, B., & Raastad, T. (2011). The effect of heavy strength training on muscle mass and physical performance in elite cross country skiers. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 21(3), 389-401. 

3-Hoff, J., Helgerud, J., & Wisloeff, U. L. R. I. K. (1999). Maximal strength training improves work economy in trained female cross-country skiers. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 31, 870-877. 

4-Stöggl, T., & Holmberg, H. C. (2022). A systematic review of the effects of strength and power training on performance in cross-country skiers. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 21(4), 555. 

5-Beattie, K., Kenny, I. C., Lyons, M., & Carson, B. P. (2014). The effect of strength training on performance in endurance athletes. Sports Medicine, 44, 845-865. 

6-Hughes, D. C., Ellefsen, S., & Baar, K. (2018). Adaptations to endurance and strength training. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, 8(6), a029769. 

7- McGuigan, M. R., Wright, G. A., & Fleck, S. J. (2012). Strength training for athletes: does it really help sports performance?. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 7(1), 2-5. 

8- Yang, J., Christophi, C. A., Farioli, A., Baur, D. M., Moffatt, S., Zollinger, T. W., & Kales, S. N. (2019). Association between push-up exercise capacity and future cardiovascular events among active adult men. JAMA network open, 2(2), e188341-e188341. 

9- Carbone, S., Kirkman, D. L., Garten, R. S., Rodriguez-Miguelez, P., Artero, E. G., Lee, D. C., & Lavie, C. J. (2020). Muscular strength and cardiovascular disease: an updated state-of-the-art narrative review. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention, 40(5), 302-309.