Concept of "Strength"

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: Strength may be a quality to produce force, and power the ability to produce a given force with greater speed (lift the same weight faster). Endurance may be the ability to sustain any given level of contractile force. Endurance is typically measured in a bias way, and not a scientific way. Endurance is measured typically only in endurance events. If a person lifts a given weight even 3 more times, they are able to endure that specific force production 3 more times, they have more endurance. Because endurance athletes deal with hours and not seconds when measuring an increase in endurance, the 3 repetition increase in the weight room seems “a joke”, and therefore from a bias perspective of the endurance athlete, is discriminated against as not being “true endurance”. Of course there is no contest between athlete type here, just a measurement of a variable, which goes terribly wrong with bias. : If a person can ride at 30 klm/ hr then after training are able to ride at 35 klm/ hr for the same lactate and heart rate, they are producing more contractile force with their muscles. It is certain that are not producing less force, or the same force. So, they are stronger. : If a person can lift 20lb 10 times then after training they are able to lift 30lb 10 times, they are stronger. : Any training that results in an increase in strength, must be strength training. : There is a traditional view of strength training from the gym where, compared to contractile force production during aerobic exercise, mean and peak contractile force is substantially higher. : In the weight room heavy weight is lifted and strength is measured in 10's and 100's of pounds and expressed as a percentage of the 1 repetition maximum, the supposed ultimate measure of strength. : I consider this bias towards one application of strength, lifting a mass one time, and to be non scientific, since any increase is an increase, and not just large increases. In this case the bias is from the strength athlete where strength is measured in 100’s of pounds. A one to two pound increase is laughed at from this bias perspective. However, a pound is pound and a gram is a gram, if you lift more, you are stronger. : If one can lift 10 pounds 10 times then after training are able to lift 10 pounds 20 times, this is a measurement of strength endurance, the ability to continually repeat contracting muscles at a given force. : If we measure the change of lifting 10 pounds to lifting 20 pounds, we are measuring an increase of strength. : If we measure the change of riding at 35k for 1 hour to riding at 35k for 2 hours, we are measuring an increase in endurance. : If we measure the change of riding at 35k for one hour to riding at 40k for one hour, we are measuring and increase in the power output, therefore contractile force, and therefore strength of the muscles. A .5kml/ hr increase is an increase in strength. : Energy supply is critical for any contractile challenge of muscles. For endurance sports it is critical that the strength (contractile force) of muscles is supplied aerobically. For this reason we call endurance training "aerobic" training. : However, regardless of energy pathways be used, if a muscle through training can produce more force whether for 1 rep (weight room) or for 50, 000 reps (marathon), an increase in strength has occurred. In aerobic training, structural changes have occurred to enable adequate fuel per unit of time to facilitate the specific contractile force (strength) for the required duration. : No matter how much weight you lift in the gym (no matter how strong you become) it wont be worth a dime if you can't supply the muscles with fuel for the duration of the event you require the strength for. : For sure strength increases in the gym will show up in starting power and sprint power on the bike. But to have strength increases in the gym decrease you're 40k time trial time, requires a very specific mix of strength training and aerobic training. : More strength provides a buffer between your sustainable force production and your peak force production. If weight training allows you to turn the pedals over at lower percentage of your peak force production, theoretically you have more in reserve. This strength reserve will not provide more endurance over long periods if you are not aerobically well trained. That’s why pure sprinters with all that power can't beat the comparatively weaker and more slender endurance riders over the longer haul; the sprinter does not have the aerobic development to sustain lower levels of contractile force. The force production is not the limiting factor in this case, it is fuel supply. Of course you can also have someone who has terrific aerobic development, but is not particularly strong. It isn’t one or the other, a person requires both strength and aerobic development. : I will leave you with this thought: : What if a person were both very strong, and very well conditioned aerobically? Double threat I say.

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