The Ten Commandments of Strength Training

Before setting you loose in the weight room it would first be necessary to outline the basic rudiments
of proper exercise execution in order to establish a fundamental base for safe and efficient
training. The readers would be well-advised to acquaint themselves with “The 10 Commandments of
Safe and Efficient Training” in order to garner a thorough understanding and thus appreciation of
the importance of the basic rudiments associated with the principles of weight resistance training.
Throughout the presented analysis of proper movement methodology, reference will be made to
the following points of proper exercise execution. Principally, the references to strict exercise execution
and the avoidance of the usage of momentum will be emphasized.
It should be noted at the outset that failure to adhere to the presented points below will undoubtedly
result in two negative resultants: increased injury risk and reduced growth and development
potential.

• Commandment 1

Thou shalt employ correct posture in the preparatory phase of the lift. No haphazard approaches
please.

• Commandment 2

Thou shalt maintain proper form throughout the execution of the movement. The general tendency
is to suffer breakdowns in form as the muscles fatigue during the completion of the set. The
trainee is often induced to alter movement planes in manner of incorporating new muscle fibers in
effort to complete the movement application.

• Commandment 3

Thou shalt establish a strong mind/muscle connection through high-intensity concentration. It is
the mind/muscle connection that establishes the magnitude of the transmitted impulse. Strong neural
impulsing is required in order to provide for maximum motor-unit recruitment potential.

• Commandment 4

Thou shalt concentrate fully during both the concentric and eccentric contractions of the movement
application. The tendency is for the trainee to relax to the point of collapse during the eccentric
phase of the movement. Strong impulsing is required to overcome the forces of gravity that threaten
to overpower the eccentric phase of the movement.

• Commandment 5

Thou shalt utilize complete range-of-motion (ROM) contractions in both the concentric and ec22
Advanced Techniques in Weight-Resistance Training
centric phases of the movement in order to allow for the muscle to be developed fully

• Commandment 6

Thou shalt utilize slow speed-of-contraction applications during the execution of both the concentric
end eccentric contraction phases of the exercise. Frequently, beginning trainees blast the
weights up through the force phase of the movement and then allow the forces of gravity to drive
the resistance downward out of control. Easy does it!

• Commandment 7

Thou shalt utilize closely-linked, synchronized motor-unit firing in order to provide for smooth,
highly-controlled movement applications. Frequently, beginning trainees rely upon sporadic herkyjerky
movement applications (this is predominate in the concentric contraction phase of the movement),
in effort to “make the lift”.

• Commandment 8

Thou shalt train through the pain barrier (lactic acid build-up) by maintaining strict adherence to
the concept of working the specific muscles that the exercise was designed for. Many beginning trainees
will yield to the “pinching” sensation of the lactic-acid pooling in the muscles and will incorporate
the support of adjoining muscles in effort to assist in the lift. This is where the concept of “No
pain – No Gain” originated from. The idea of training the muscles past the point of fatigue provides
opportunity for increased motor-unit recruitment. This concept represents the fundamental premise
of weight-resistance training which is: the “progressive resistance or, “overload” principle which
states: “in order to provide for muscle hypertrophy (growth and development) increased loads have
to be placed upon that muscle”.

• Commandment 9

Thou shalt not yield to temptation. The beginning weight training student will be hard- pressed
not to yield to the temptation to incorporate momentum into the movement application. It takes
great concentration and even more will-power to prevent momentum from entering into the movement
application. The difference between realizing the training goals and merely coming close can
often be directly correlated to the measure of momentum that was applied during the exercise application.

• Commandment 10

Thou shalt use intelligent weight selection. We told you that a measure of common sense would
serve the beginning weight-training student well in his/her quest to utilize safe and efficient training
applications. The general tendency (especially among the male students) is for the trainee to attempt
to use too much weight in the early weeks of training. No need to have a tree “popping up out of
nowhere” or to apply a stubbing your toe syndrome into your training; more like shooting yourself in
the foot actually. Overly optimistic assessments of strength represent a very avoidable area of injury.

Glen Cunningham
www.corfit.com