Contraction and Training Styles

In resistance training, few concepts are more important than variation. While novice trainers can make decent gains using the same routine day in and day out, eventually everyone hits a plateau. Changing various factors in a workout can mean the difference between big, consistent gains and a long-lasting plateau. You can continue following the same workout you always have, limiting your potential gains, or you can inform yourself about the many ways to add variation discussed within this brief article. In this article I will discuss various types of contractions and training styles so that you can create a plethora of unique workouts and bust through any plateau.

Types of Contraction

• Concentric (type of isotonic): Contractions that permit the muscle to shorten are referred to as concentric contractions. This is the most frequently used form of contraction used in the gym. An example would be that curling a dumbbell requires the bicep to contract concentrically.
• Eccentric (type of isotonic): When the muscle lengthens during contraction it is known as eccentric contraction. More simply, this is often used during the lowering portion of a movement. Therefore, both concentric and eccentric contractions are used during most resistance exercise. Muscles are significantly stronger eccentrically, however, so eccentric contraction can be used with weights heavier than one could normally lift.
• Isokinetic: this involves constant-speed muscular contraction against accommodating resistance. More simply, this is high-speed lifting using a relatively light weight. Research has shown that strength gains achieved during high-speed training appear to carry over to slower speeds.
• Isometric: if a muscle contracts at a constant length while resistance is applied, it is said to be isometrically contracted. This would be used in an exercise like a wall-sit where the muscle contracts but there is no movement at any joint. This type of contraction has been shown to produce significant improvements in muscular strength but only at the specific joint-angle trained.

Styles of Training

• Volume/Pump Training

-Popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1970′s, volume training involves the use of high numbers of sets per body part (5-20 or more), high repetitions (15-20), and short rest periods (30-60 seconds). While this type of training works well for bodybuilders using absurd amounts of anabolic steroids, lifting with such volume tends to “burn out” natural lifters, leading to overtraining. This type of training is most useful for its glycogen-depleting properties.

• Tension/Intensity Training

-Used by most modern bodybuilders, tension training aims to stress the muscle with tension (using heavier weights and longer rest periods than pump training) rather than with fatigue. Usually the repetitions would stay in the 6-12 range with rest periods of about 1.5-2 minutes and 6-8 sets per body part. Generally, the weights are lifting to concentric failure (or very close to it). This style of training works very well for muscular hypertrophy (muscle growth) as well as for gaining strength.

• Power/Max Effort Training

-My personal favorite style of training, max effort training, involes the use of low repetitions (3-5),  multiple sets (3-10), and long rest periods (3-5 minutes). Generally, this type of training is used for complex, multi-joint exercises such as squats and deadlifts. While this style of training emphasizes strength over muscle hypertrophy, natural trainees tend to make good gains with such a program.

• Dynamic Effort Training

-This style of training uses isokinetic principles to lift a non-maximal load with the greatest speed possible. You would use a weight 50%-70% of your 1 rep-max and then lift it for 3-6 repititions/set, 5-8 sets per body part, and with 1-2 minute rests. Lifting with be done with the intent to perform the exercise as fast as possible (explosively). This style of training is most often used by powerlifters to help increase their explosiveness and therefore their total strength.

Concluding Statement

Well there you have it, a concise guide to the various different types of contractions and styles of training. Now how do you put all of this information together into an effective training program? Stay tuned for my follow-up article sometime this week!