How to do the strongest men in the world train to get stronger? The answer to that question would be simple if they all trained the same way, but they don’t. There are a variety of popular training systems that are commonly used for strength training, but which one is best? The best training method is the one that works best for you. How do you do find out which training method works best for you? You try them out, but you must know the basic methods that trigger strength gains. I believe the hierarchy of strength training triggers will provide a means to help you find a trigger, or a combination of triggers that fits your physiology. What is this hierarchy? It’s listed below.
- The Load responsive lifter
- The high intensity responsive lifter
- The force and speed responsive lifter
- The high training density responsive lifter
- The total workload responsive lifter
For a lifter who possesses the perfect body, an occasional heavy rep for a given lift is literally all that is necessary for strength gains. Strength training is simple and easy if, (and this is a big if)…. if you have an efficient metabolism for breaking down food and utilizing it, if your muscles are sensitive and responsive to exercise, if your muscles are sensitive to anabolic hormones and those hormones are easily elevated for extended periods in response to workouts, if your body structures can handle heavy weights throughout the full range of an exercise motion, if you were born with tons more muscle fibers than normal in each muscle group, and if your nervous system learns quickly and maintains its ability to fire optimally for an extended period of time between workouts.
At the other extreme, a lifter may be lacking the necessary physiological elements to gain strength. If you do not naturally possess the physiological factors that help you to easily gain strength, you’ll need a training process that addresses the factors that are missing until you train them into your body in adequate measure for strength gains to occur. Such a lifter would need to include some degree of every layer of the hierarchy to form a comprehensive training plan.
Depending on how many parts of your physiology are already in place for strength gains, you may be able to start at the top of the hierarchy, or you may need start at one of the other layers of the hierarchy. If you are stuck, there may be a layer that you haven’t paid any attention to that can play a significant role in helping you to start making progress again, or there may be a combination of layers that are needed. In the next article, I will discuss each layer of the hierarchy. Best of training to you.