Maximum force is the greatest force that muscles can develop with a voluntary contraction.
For physics , a force is the cause that can deform a body or change its state of motion or rest. The concept is usually linked to the ability to hold a weight, move something or resist a push. The maximum , on the other hand, is the extreme or upper limit that something can reach.
The greatest force that a group of muscles can exert through voluntary contraction is called maximum force . Specifically, it is the largest weight that a person can move in a single movement.
Maximum strength in bodybuilding
The idea of maximum strength is frequently used in the field of bodybuilding . Those who choose to develop their physique by lifting weights seek to increase their muscle mass and eliminate fat. Beyond an adequate diet, in these cases it is necessary to develop training that stimulates numerous nerve fibers to cause muscle hypertrophy (that is, muscle growth).
This search for muscular hypertrophy, in turn, requires lifting large weights repeatedly, for which strength is needed. At this point it is important to keep in mind that there are different types of force: maximum force is that which, in a single movement or repetition , allows the lifting of the largest weight that the subject can move.
Power and resistance
Explosive force , also called power , relates to the speed with which the weight can be moved. Endurance strength , on the other hand, is given by the ability to sustain effort for long periods of time.
It should be noted that explosive strength and endurance strength depend on maximum strength: according to its characteristics, the person will have more or less power and endurance.
In short, we can say that maximum strength is an essential element of good physical condition, both for those people who want to improve their resistance and for those who focus on increasing their explosive power. The voluntary muscle contraction that is carried out when using maximum force is closely related to the neuromuscular system. We understand the neuromuscular system to be the group in which the musculoskeletal and nervous systems are found; In it, the intervention of a presynaptic neuron, a synaptic space and at least one muscle cell occurs.
Maximum strength can be trained.
Maximum strength training
Training maximum strength allows us to improve the synchronization of the movement units while increasing the fibers of our muscles. To get the most out of it and achieve the goals we set for ourselves, in addition to avoiding mistakes that pose risks to our health, it is important to take certain tips into account when exercising:
* any relatively heavy load should exceed 85% of the maximum repetitions;
* it is not recommended to do more than five consecutive repetitions;
* do not exceed the number of exercises per day;
* rest between very long sets to give the muscles time to recover.
While there are many well-known maximal strength programs, there are three that stand out:
* 5×5 method : it is one of the most common. Its creator is not known, but many believe it was Bill Starr , who details it in his book The Strongest Shall Survive : Strength Training for Football . Simply put, it is based on five sets of five repetitions;
* 5/3/1 method : it was invented by Jim Wendler and is based on four exercises that serve to increase strength, such as deadlifts, military presses and bench presses;
* Westside Barbell : It is also known as the conjugate method , and consists of rotating main movement exercises. For example, instead of simply doing squats, this method proposes training all the muscles involved in this exercise to strengthen them separately and improve our performance when trying it again.