STRENGTH CURVE

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The strength curve is a visual aid that gives us an opportunity to see what needs improvement in order to fulfill our strength goals. The shape of the curve will differ depending on the skill level of an individual. A beginner performing a squat would have a strength curve with a rounded bottom at the transition phase, because they do not have adequate starting strength to explode through the sticking phase of the lift. The curve will also have a gradual slope in the concentric phase of the lift when the person extends his knees, because his acceleration is not great. Simply put, a beginner usually has to improve his limit strength before working on acceleration and starting strength. An intermediate lifter’s strength curve will likely have a sharper rounded bottom when compared to that of a beginner’s curve. The ascent through the sticking point portion of the graph will contain a steeper slope to compensate for the improved starting strength and acceleration. An advanced trainee will have a strength curve resembling a check mark. It will consist of a sharp curve representing the transition phase. The concentric phase of the graph will have a steep slope to it. This will be the case because an advanced trainee’s acceleration and starting strength are greater than a beginner or intermediate.

The strength curve consists of seven factors that affect how it will look. The first factor was mentioned early. It is called the angle of “Q”. This represents the starting strength; the steeper the angle, the more muscle fibers are recruited. The second factor deals with the angle of “A” representing acceleration in the concentric phase. If the angles of the tangent lines on the upward curve become greater and greater then you are accelerating. This should be the goal under strength gains or muscle growth. Factor three is concerned with maximum force. This is represented by Fmax. It is important for Fmax to be as high as possible given ideal circumstances. The fourth factor deals with time, or Tmax. This measures the time from the beginning of the concentric phase to Fmax. Tmax should be kept as short as possible. The fifth factor deals with the relationship between time and force. When you divide Fmax by Tmax the result is your explosive strength, which shows your ability to keep on the muscle fibers that you turned on during the angle of “Q”. It is imperative to increase this number as much as possible. Factor six deals with the relationship between limit strength and Fmax. The idea here is that only power lifters should focus on limit strength, because Tmax is too short to recruit all the muscle fibers to reach your true max. Therefore athletes who want to improve their strength with quickness should realize that it is ok for Fmax to not reach limit strength, because their Tmax is too short. The last factor of the strength curve explains the amortization phase. This represents the transition phase from the eccentric phase to the concentric phase of the lift. Advanced athletes would like to have a quick amortization phase, meaning that they should train ballistically so they can generate more force. These seven factors are the foundation of the strength curve.

In order to learn how to improve two of the seven factors listed above we will use the bench press as an example. I noted before that the steeper the angle of “Q” is, the greater is the number of muscle fibers recruited. Therefore in order to improve your starting strength, which should only be improved after limit strength and acceleration improvements are made, perform plyometrics, Olympic lifts, and running drills that require you to have quick starts. These methods will work because of the SAID and specificity principals. Another way to improve the strength curve is to improve the amortization phase of the lift by performing ballistics. Training ballistically will allow you to practice shortening the amortization phase so that the tension built up during the eccentric phase is not lost in the amortization phase. This tension can be used to provide maximal force output in the concentric phase to improve your athletic abilities. Understanding the seven factors allows you to make improvements by manipulating the strength curve.

Source: Hatfield, PhD, Frederick C. Fitness: The Complete Guide. 8.1.5th ed. Santa Barbara: International Sports and Sciences, 2004. 194-198.

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