Chapter 6: Training for Strength 125 A repetition, also referred to as a rep, refers to the complete motion of a particular exercise or movement pattern. For example, one rep of the bench press occurs when you lower the bar until it contacts the chest and then press the bar back up until the arms are fully extended. A set is the specific number of reps performed sequentially prior to resting. For example, two sets of 10 on the bench press means you completed 10 reps on the bench press, two separate times. Load, also referred to as intensity, refers to the amount of weight being lifted. For example, say you used a standard Olympic bar, which weighs 45 lbs., and had a 25 lb. plate on each side for your two sets of 10 reps on the bench press; your load would be 95 lbs. (45 lb. bar + 25 lb. plate + 25 lb. plate). Volume refers to the total number of exercises, sets, and reps you complete in a particular workout. Generally speaking, volume and intensity are inversely related. In other words, as intensity (e.g., load) increases, volume should decrease and vice versa. Concentric contraction is a type of muscle contraction in which the force generated by the muscle is greater than the force of the resistance thereby resulting in the muscle shortening. Eccentric contraction is a type of muscle contraction in which the force of the resistance is greater than the force generated by the muscle thereby resulting in the muscle elongating (lengthening). Isometric contraction is a type of muscle contraction in which the force generated by the muscle equals the force of the resistance thereby resulting in no change in the length of the muscle. Compound exercise, also referred to as a core exercise, is a movement that recruits one or more major muscle groups (e.g., pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, quadriceps) and involves two or more joints. Examples of compound exercise include the bench, row, press, squat and deadlift. Due to their direct application to sport, compound exercises should receive training priority. Assistance exercise is a movement that recruits smaller muscle groups (e.g., biceps, triceps), involves only one joint, and is considered less important in terms of improving sport performance. Examples of assistance exercises include biceps curls, triceps extensions, leg curls and leg extensions. Power exercise is a movement that is performed very quickly or explosively. Examples of a power exercise include the power clean, snatch, and clean and jerk. When all three exercises are performed in one training session, the recommended order for execution is power exercises → compound exercises → assistance exercises. Although the sport of powerlifting (which includes the bench press, squat, and deadlift) includes the word “power” in its name, a more fitting name would be strength-lifting since success in the sport is based on the amount of weight lifted rather than the speed in which the weight is lifted.
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