The Importance and Essence of Absolute Strength Training for All Sports
Understanding Absolute Strength
What is Absolute Strength?
Absolute Strength is the maximum amount of force we can generate, regardless of the time it takes to produce that force. It is the peak level of strength an athlete can achieve, often tested through overcoming isometrics or one-repetition maximums (1RM) as done in KFP’s program, Kaizen Conjugate.
Absolute Strength Training in the Weight Room
Force drives movement, making it one of the most important general physical qualities that needs to be addressed in the weight room. If force = mass x acceleration, adding more weight (mass) allows for greater force production. This type of training typically involves heavy lifting with lower repetitions, focusing on exerting full force onto the ground to move a very heavy or immovable object. Absolute Strength training directly enhances an athlete's ability to produce force, which is fundamental for all sports performance and is characterized by:
Exerting full force and maximal effort, pushing the muscles to their upmost limits
Slow movement or no movement at all due to very high resistance
In the weight room, absolute strength training involves intense, high-weight, low-repetition workouts that challenge an athlete’s maximum capacity. By consistently lifting near-maximum or maximum loads, athletes can increase their overall force output. This method allows for a more controlled and continuous progression by adjusting weight (mass), which is essential for sustained force production development.
Benefits of Absolute Strength
Off-Season Benefits
Foundation Building: the offseason is prime time to build absolute strength, as athletes are not competing and can manage the higher intensity and volume of training. Absolute strength and force output are foundational pillars of athleticism. We know that 1) to ensure transfer, “training athletes requires a reasonable development of capacities (absolute strength being a capacity) before more specific training takes place” (PMID36412764, 2022) and 2) the development of both absolute and relative strength improves measures of power and agility (PMID31266193, 2019).
In-Season Benefits
Performance: incorporating absolute strength training in-season helps maintain the strength gains made in the off-season, ensuring athletes remain powerful and explosive. It has been hypothesized that strength levels remain 30 +- 5 days after the last stimulus, so you may not want to go more than that without training for absolute strength. Also, research indicates that “in-season strength training programs induced improvements in strength” (PMID33508780, 2021). With this in mind, you can still improve strength in-season without compromising sport-specific skills to peak your athletes when it is most important.
Injury Prevention: increased strength and strength training volume can reduce the risk of injury (PMID30131332, 2018). Being exposed and strong through full and different ranges of motion and movements in a controlled setting (the weight room, conditioning, practice in some cases) can build joint capacity that translates to sport, make you more mobile for your sport, and build confidence and resilience with your sport-specific movement.
Other Benefits
Improved Sub-Maximal Effort: if your maximal effort, force, or strength increases, it is likely that your sub-maximal effort, force, or strength increases as well. Applying this to sports that need repeated power or power endurance, you will most likely be able to push off the ground harder, change directions faster, improve stride length, or hit harder more consecutively.
Better Body Composition and Longevity: absolute strength has been associated with leaner body compositions which, in turn, may also increase relative strength ratios. Training like this, also found in Kaizen Everfit, has also been associated with prolonged and sustained lean body composition and strength as we age (PMID18427414, 2008 and PMID33975206, 2021).
Mental Challenge: pushing yourself in absolute strength training has been anecdotally associated with higher confidence levels in sport and an increased capacity to push and grind through more sport-specific situations.
Controversy Surrounding Absolute Strength Training
Historical and Common Points of View
Historically, there has been controversy surrounding absolute strength training. Some common points may include:
Fear of Bulk: concerns that athletes, particularly in endurance sports, will become too bulky and lose speed or agility.
Injury Risk: belief that lifting heavy weights increases the risk of injury, especially for younger or less experienced athletes.
Sport-Specific Training: the argument that strength training should be highly specific to the movements and demands of the sport.
Let’s take a second to think about these points. Fundamentally, these points have positive intentions. But we have to be diligent about how we express these concerns because they may not be concerns at all if we look at the current data and research. Not only that, but you could also be doing the athlete a disservice in two different ways 1) neglecting parts of your training that are very beneficial for your development as an athlete 2) creating and planting fears in your athletes that may lead to other significant issues down the road.
Fear of Bulk: bulk could be defined by two variables: increase in muscle and increase in body fat. Muscle building happens when we apply hypertrophy principles. It so happens that using “lighter loads and higher reps” is one of those principles. In fact, there is no significant difference in muscle gained between absolute strength training and the above principle (PMID29016473, 2020) We also know (from above) that absolute strength training is associated with leaner body compositions, especially as we age. In addition, nutritionally, you will not gain extra body fat from lifting weights if you are at caloric maintenance or deficit (PMID18025815, 2007)
Injury Risk: research presented in this blog already discusses the association between increased strength and strength training volume and decreased risk of injury. Lifting heavy weights comes after a long progression of technique work, sub-maximal loads, and, most importantly, self-confidence by the athlete that will provide a safe environment for absolute strength implementation.
Sport-Specific Training: understanding the difference between sport-specific vs. similar-to-sport is important. Just because something does not look like the sport or the common practices around it does not mean that it is not sport-specific. Training like a Kaizen Athlete for the interconnected concepts of strength, speed, agility, and mobility sounds sports-specific to me. An athlete could generate more force, move faster, change directions quicker, and be strong through ranges of motion needed in the sport. It sounds like an improved athlete ready to improve in their sport.
By understanding the essence of absolute strength training and its significant benefits, athletes and coaches can optimize training programs to enhance performance, reduce the risk of injuries, and build a foundation of strength that supports all aspects of athletic development.
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