Strength and Conditioning Knowledge Center

Full Body Dumbbell Workout: No Gym Machine Required Centuries ago, the current gym machines we see today did not exist. Nevertheless, you’ve probably walked through a museum showcasing sculptures of muscular Greek athletes. Recently, a group of researchers delved into the traditional myth suggesting that machines are better for gaining muscle mass. Their conclusions were …

We all are aware of wearable sensors and how they help with athlete tracking. With a lot of companies and systems jumping into this bandwagon, the system involved in tracking and managing the external training load is only going to get better. That also means more business for brands producing equipment and software to help …

A multitude of sports disciplines, whether individual or team, although they have different qualities, the vast majority from the point of view of strength, have the same objective: to be able to move the load at a higher speed, and therefore, less time. In the case of sprint, we will be talking about the mobility …

The Importance of Executing the Correct Bar Path in Bench Press When it comes to improving in technical exercises like bench press, we must look beyond the classic training variables such as intensity or volume. The bar path in bench press is one of the technical elements that will help us progress much faster in …

Why Perform Bodyweight Leg Training? Bodyweight training is a global fitness trend that continues to rise in the rankings of the American College of Sports Medicine (Thompson, 2023). Disciplines like calisthenics have exponentially gained followers in recent years, but bodyweight leg training is the most complex part of calisthenics. Athletes don’t always have access to …

What’s the SAID Principle? The SAID principle owes its name to the acronym from the English phrase “Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands” (Fisher & Csapo, 2021). The SAID principle establishes that the human body will adapt specifically in response to the demands and stresses imposed upon it (Pearson et al., 2000). In simple terms, the …

What is Explosive Strength? Strength can manifest itself in static/isometric, dynamic/active, and reactive forms, although it does not occur purely as one of these, but rather simultaneously to generate movement, transmit it from one part of the body to another, and absorb impacts (Tous Fajardo, 1999). In the following figure created by Joaquín Vico and …

What’s a Training Plateau And Why Does it Occur? A training plateau is a hurdle commonly encountered by both professional athletes and amateur sports enthusiasts throughout their athletic journey. It refers to a stagnation in physical and performance adaptations that halts the progress observed until that point, despite continued training at the same or even …

The Eternal Dilemma: How Fast Should You Move During Power Training? Hypertrophy, strength, and power are common goals of resistance training, mediated by manipulating numerous variables including load, volume, exercise order, exercise selection, and rest intervals between sets, among others (Bernárdez-Vázquez et al., 2022). However, one often overlooked training variable that is essential to consider …

History of the Split in Powerlifting: Raw vs. Equipped In powerlifting, competitors engage in three classic movements: squat with a barbell, bench press, and deadlift, each designed to measure different aspects of maximum strength. With the foundation of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) in November 1972, the first official IPF World Championship took place in …

Soccer Tests Are Diverse And Complex Soccer is a highly complex sport influenced by many factors beyond the physical, such as the psychological, tactical, and technical aspects (Stølen et al., 2005). There are tests for soccer and other disciplines to measure each of these factors. In this article, we will focus on physical tests. Soccer …

Volume & Intensity – Definitions Training Volume The training volume for strength is described as the amount of work done in a given time, measured in repetitions and sets (McBride et al., 2009). It is crucial to consider that when counting sets for muscle hypertrophy, science defines a set as one that is completed with …