THERE are two schools of thought about weight training: one, that a sustained contraction when lifting is most effective at building strength; the other that short, explosive movements bring better results.
In the first study to directly compare the two approaches, Dr Jonathan Folland, a reader in human performance and neuromuscular physiology at Loughborough University, concluded that fast contractions are an easier and less tiring way of increasing the functional capacity of muscles.
In the trial, participants were asked to take the approach of either explosive contractions lasting less than one second or sustained contractions lasting three seconds in a weight training programme that focused on the quadriceps muscles. Each of the groups trained with 40 contractions repeated three times a week for three months with a third group acting as a control. Extensive physiological measurements were taken before and after the training to assess any changes.
Findings showed that the explosive method was the best at increasing muscle strength. It achieved this, said the researchers, by assisting the nervous system in “switching on” and activating the trained muscles. “Whereas traditional strength training is made up of slow, grinding contractions using heavy weights which is quite hard work, this study shows that short, sharp contractions are relatively easy to perform and a very beneficial way of building up strength,” said Folland.
“These short, explosive contractions may also be beneficial to older individuals and patient groups, such as those with osteoarthritis, who would benefit from getting stronger, but are reluctant to undergo tiring sustained contractions.”