Understanding The Strength Curve

February 4, 2020

Understanding The Strength Curve

At the beginning of an iron journey, building muscle seems like such a simple process. All we need to do is lift the weight and watch it grow. Eventually, we reach the unfortunate point in time where gains do not come so easily. This is when we need to learn the fundamental principles enabling us to experience further muscle growth.

After learning the general resistance training principles, the next revelation we receive is that muscle hypertrophy (growth) occurs outside of the gym. Meaning, we need to pay attention to our caloric and protein intake if we want gains. We consume more lean meats, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fatty acids. This change not only brings about continued muscle growth but an improved muscle to fat ratio. All is well!

Or so it seems…

More Lifting Does Not Mean More Muscle

The gym can become an addictive and stimulating environment. Feeding upon our excitement from the progress we’ve made, we believe that believe that more is better and suffer from fitness FOMO. So we train daily, assuming we will magically grow muscle every time we hit the gym.

When we reach this point, it takes more discipline to stay out of the gym than it does to stay in it. Rest seems wasteful, but it is the most vital component to our aim of increasing muscle growth. Once we learn to set our stubbornness aside, we scale back from the full-time gym commitment allowing for the body to rest and recover. The result is surprising. We experience more muscle growth!

This is where most people stop pursuing knowledge about how to create muscle hypertrophy and that is OK. Not everyone has an ambition to turn strength training into a full fledged passion. But for us fitness enthusiasts, we see progress as a never ending pursuit.

After completing several principle-based training programs and nutrition plans, you will ask “what’s next.” This is when we can incorporate resistance training modalities, helping us bring up weak points and continue our progress. Many of these training modalities work by maximizing the strength curve.

What is the strength curve?

On paper, the strength curve is a graph that represents either a flat, moderate, or steep curve in relation to the demands being placed on muscle fibers. This curve happens in two ways.

Ascending Strength Curve: shows where an exercise becomes easier or harder during the concentric (squeeze) portion of the lift.

Descending Strength Curve: shows where an exercise becomes easier or harder during the eccentric (resist) portion of the lift.

Ascending and descending strength curves differ in all exercises where there is a range of motion. Some curves get stronger at the top of the lift, such as a deadlift. Others have a bell-shaped curve where the exercise becomes harder in the middle of the movement, such as a bicep curl.

In our hopes of building muscle, we can see these weaker points of the lift as “missed opportunities.” Creating a training program that maximizes the strength curve can help take our strength and hypertrophy results to the next level. We can maximize muscle fiber recruitment for an exercise through proper exercise selection and variable resistance tools.

How to Use The Strength Curve

There are general guidelines for exercise and the strength curve but it is important to remember that we are not all created the same. An individual’s limb length, assisting and opposing muscle strength, and range of motion are all determining factors in what the strength curve path looks like for an exercise.

These examples all play a role in why we may be stronger or weaker in a position. Therefore, many of us have different sticking points during an exercise that requires specific attention and manipulation of the strength curve.

When using your understanding of the strength curve, be aware of the differences they may have. While we will recommend certain exercise selection and organization, be mindful that it may be a weak secondary muscle limiting your ability to move past a sticking point. Think through the workout program you create for yourself and go beyond trends, tips, and tricks.

Exercise Selection and Structure for Maximizing the Strength Curve

The low hanging fruit in optimizing your training program for the strength curve is proper exercise selection. A simple plan uses an exercise that is weak at a particular point, followed by an exercise that is strongest at that weaker point. An example of this could perform a set of incline dumbbell curls after completing the preacher curl.

To start, perform the exercises in the typical fashion with rest between exercises. If you want to tax a multitude of fibers, perform these exercises in a super-set fashion. This allows for the second exercise to focus more energy on the unused fibers that were not exhausted during the preacher curl.

Another strategy is to perform partial reps of the same exercise as part of a drop-set. By reducing the weight and limiting the movement to this weaker portion of the lift, the muscle cannot escape recruitment. An example is to perform a set of barbell bench presses. Then following it with a set of dumbbell presses where you only move through the bottom half of the lift.

Equipment that makes use of the strength curve

Many will argue that free-weights are king for building muscle. However, we cannot deny that equipment innovations have improved use of the strength curve. Popularized by Arthur Jones and his line of equipment Nautilus, our industry has seen a trend towards exercise equipment that creates an even distribution of resistance throughout the exercise. Most choose to use these types of equipment as assistance exercises once completing compound lifts such as squats. But this is not always the case.

Cam Machines

Nautilus popularized the use of a cam in their fitness equipment, showcasing an ability to increase tension at weaker points of the strength curve. Their promise was faster muscle growth in a safe environment. By creating machines that replicated compound lifts, as well as isolation movements, we now have many options for exercise selection. These options increase the resistance at other points in the strength curve and work for individuals with minimal exercise experience or recovering from injuries.

Cable Pulleys

Known for their ability to give a great pump, cable pulleys cause increased blood flow. They developed cable pulleys to keep constant tension on the muscle in a variety of positions for a multitude of exercises. The constant tension creates a more even distribution of intensity, which maximizes the strength curve. Cable Pulleys are also a great option for individuals with less training experience, but they require some knowledge for proper form.

Another benefit to Cable pulleys is that they can take an inferior exercise, such as triceps kickbacks, and give them purpose in a training program. The tricep kickback has only a small portion of the lift where the tension is high (at the top). When used on a cable pulley the tension begins right away, making it a much better use of your time and energy.

Chains & Resistance Bands

Popularized by power lifters is the use of chains and bands for the ability it has on moving past a sticking point in order to improve maximal strength. The weight getting heavier as the muscle contracts requires more force demand and speed acceleration to finish the rep. Speed is one way we increase total power output in a movement.

With a little creativity, the use of bands can apply to a variety of free-weight exercises. However, there is a learning curve required, and it’s advised to understand the process before applying it to your program.

Who Should Apply Methods to Improve the Strength Curve?

Beginning Lifters

While beginners can certainly find benefit in machine exercises as well as using a cable pulley, they will not increase muscle mass more so than free-weights. Research shows that beginners see no further benefit from this type of training when compared to traditional barbells and dumbbells.

However, this does not consider safety. If you do not feel comfortable using free-weight exercises, start with machines and cables that accommodate resistance until properly educated’d on how to use free-weight equipment.

Using resistance bands to create accommodating resistance for heavy lifts requires greater demands in compressive strength (resistance that is faster than gravity) which can be more taxing than performing the exercise traditionally. A beginner may not be ready for this type of strain on the body.

If you plan to use resistance bands then start with them as a stand-alone. We have created a series of beginner workout guides to using exercise bands.

Intermediate and Advanced Lifters

Intermediate and advanced lifters see the most benefit from applying variable resistance exercises in their workouts. Power lifters will choose to use these exercises as accessory lifts once they have passed the neurological adaptation phase where strength increases occur naturally. Bodybuilders make these movements the primary aim of their workouts in order to increase time under tension and maximum muscle fiber recruitment.

Strength Curve Relationship Status: It’s Complicated

Understanding the strength curve is a complicated subject. If you find yourself still somewhat confused, don’t feel bad. Having worked with thousands of personal trainers, even those in the fitness field struggle with this understanding.

Practical application: As you move from exercise to exercise, you will understand based upon your practical application of the information. Your creativity will bring about ideas on how to exercise a weak point in the strength curve, some of which will look funny to other gym goers. No matter, enjoy learning through real-world experience and use the strength curve not only to build more muscle but also to have more fun.

Resistance Exercise Bands

Want to increase variable resistance and maximize the strength curve with a minimal cost investment? Our resistance exercise bands are an excellent choice as they are space saving for the home gym and light enough to carry in a gym bag.

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