Jim Stoppani - Jim Stoppanis Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength

Strength training can be traced back to the beginning of recorded time. As early as 2000 b.c.e., the ancient Egyptians lifted sacks of sand to strength-train for hunting and military duty. According to military records, the Chinese also used strength training for their military personnel as early as 700 b.c.e. But the historical association that most people are familiar with is the ancient Greeks. Many of the athletes who competed in the ancient Olympics lifted heavy stones to develop strength and boost their athletic performance. Besides those functional results, strength training provided the development of a muscular physique. This masculine physique was honored in classic Greek art and writing. In fact, it may be the ancient Greek cultures celebration of muscle that is responsible for spawning the modern sport of bodybuilding. Several famous athletes during that period, such as Milo and Heracles, often performed feats of strength and displayed their muscularity to spectators. In the 19th century, the appreciation by the masses for heavily muscled physiques made celebrities out of many performing strongmen of that time. The most famous was Eugen Sandow, who is considered the father of bodybuilding.

Despite the fact that humans have a longstanding fascination with strength and muscularity, the concept of strength training is one that few have familiarized themselves with. Even during the fitness boom of the 1970s in the United States, most Americans participated in some form of aerobic exercise but neglected the strength component of physical fitness. Over the years, with help from pioneers of strength training (such as Bob Hoffman, Joe Weider, and Charles Atlas) and through advances in research on the developing science of resistance training, strength became viewed as a necessary component of physical fitness and athletic performance. And participation in strength training grew faster than participation in any other physical activity.

As the popularity of strength training grew, so did awareness that this practice was a complicated science that participants must fully understand in order to reap the true benefits. That is why part I of this book is so important for anyone interested in strength training at any level. Unless you clearly understand the principles of strength training, you will never fully comprehend how to implement an effective strength training program.

So before you skip ahead to one of the strength training programs in parts II, III, and IV, be sure you have a decent grasp of the fundamentals presented in these first four chapters. Armed with this background, you will have a much fuller understanding of the exercises, techniques, and programs presented in the other chapters. You also will be more capable of individualizing these techniques to create specialized programs for yourself and for others.

Strength training is performed by a wide range of people for a variety of reasons. Most are interested in gaining muscle strength and muscle mass with a concomitant loss of body fat. In addition, many people expect these physical adaptations to carry over into improvements in performance of athletic endeavors and daily life activities. Strength training can provide these adaptations as long as you follow certain principles, which are discussed here to help you realize your strength training goals. These principles are integral to understanding how strength training works, how to individualize it to meet your needs and goals, and how to change it to continue making adaptations as you progress.

In addition to understanding the concepts of strength training, you must be familiar with the terminology that is often used in discussions of strength training. Having the ability to understand and use this lexicon will help you to learn the fundamentals of strength training and to communicate with others who participate in strength training. To familiarize yourself with this vocabulary, refer to the glossary at the end of this book.