How strong is strong enough? article

[James_Smith]

@NumberTwo

I’m leaning toward Mortac’s assessment. Simply looking at one element and insinuating that it - alone - is providing value-added is problematic. Any changes to the lifting program must include adjustments to every other element - either upwards or downwards. The article is simplistic at best and the author does not have a full grasp of the implications of the true impacts of advancing the weight training program (and modifying the weight inputs) for greater speed development. It also equates strength training with weights alone, and does not consider other forms of strength training as having equal or greater benefit.

Do weights improve acceleration capabilities? Yes, particularly in developing athletes with a limited training history. Is there a point of diminishing returns with weights as it relates to speed? Absolutely. This is why the track coach should have knowledge of how weights should be integrated into the overall plan. Deferring the strength component to a strength coach is naive and could lead to significant problems down the road. Strength coaches do not have enough experience with speed development and maximal velocity sprinting to develop a program independently of the work being prescribed by the track coach.

Fantastically well stated.