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What is Chronic?
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What is Trained?
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Hypertrophy is not the only factor
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Sometimes hypertrophy isn’t warranted
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SAID principle
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Strength:Bodyweight Sports
 Strength Athletics
 Track and Field
 Combat Sports
 Field Sports
 Swimming
 Life
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Short Term Adapations to Training:
 Increase Motor Unit Recruitment
 Pattern Acquisition
 Changes in H-reflex activity
 Decrease in Inhibitory Resistance (GTO, Antagonist
Activity)
 Increase Synergist Assistance
 Increase High Threshold MU Recruitment
 Increase Motor Unit Syncronization (minimal effect)
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Do these adaptations just stop?
 A plateau is observed in research and in the field.
However, training is consistently varied from
stimulus, volume, load, etc. So improvements can
be continued.
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Acute Adaptations Continue to a greater
degree.
Motor Units
 High Threshold
 Firing Frequency
 Conduction Velocity

Spinal Cord Plasticity
 Interneuron Circuitry

Supraspinal Activity
 Trained maximize activation

Simple vs. Complex Movements
 Proposed that complex movements have a much
larger window for adaptation
 Motor Unit coordination now a much bigger
factor

Strength is Relative to the Task
 80% MVC Isomentric Contraction of Elbow Flexor
vs. Lifting a 400 lb stone

Training age:
 Experience = need for specificity
 Experience = less dramatic response

With proper periodization of training
performance can continue to improve.
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Research is needed in the area
There is evidence that neurological changes
continue to occur throughout the training age
of a strength athlete when training
necessitates a large neural contribution (high
load/speed training)
Understanding these changes will allow for a
better understanding of training application
and progression

What is/are neurological adaptations to
resistance training that would allow for
increased strength?
 A. Increased Inhibitory activity of spinal
interneurons
 B. Increased supraspinal activation
 C. Increased High Threshold Motor Unit
activation
 D. Both B and C
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