February 28, 2005
What true strength training is about
Contrary to the bodybuilding mythology, true strength training is not about your muscles but about your mind.
In any endeavor mental focus delivers more than any physical transformation, a concept clearly understood by martial arts masters. "Focus is the ability to control the muscles of the body in a coordinated effort and then contract them to their maximum degree…” explains Jack Hibbard, a Green Beret vet and expert in tameshiwari, the ancient art of breaking boards and bricks barehanded, “The deeper the concentration, the tenser the contraction of the muscle; and the tenser the contraction, the stronger the muscle grows."
Like I said before, it all boils down to tension. Effective ‘mind over muscle’ strength training can be summed up as honing your skill to contract your muscles harder. In Russian sports science there is even a term, skill-strength.
Some bodybuilders are quick to argue: "But it’s all technique!” So what if it is? “The most important aspect one can learn to improve strength is to learn proper technique,’ bench press champion George Halbert sets the record straight. “There is a mode of thinking out there that I describe as “He’s not strong, he’s just got good technique.” This is just confused thinking… Have you ever heard anyone say, “he is not a good shooter, he just has good technique” or “he’s not really fast, he just has good technique”?”
An important point to drive home: ‘technique’ does not refer just to the groove of a particular exercise! There are two generalized strength skills that apply to and fortify all displays of strength: staying tight and power breathing.
For more information on this topic order Pavel’s Beyond Bodybuilding today.
Posted by Pavel at 1:35 PM | Comments (0)