Seb Coe’s Strength & Conditioning Program – Part 2: Static and Dynamic Resistance Training 101
SeSe[Article by Chelsea Ho of Sweat Elite]
Continued from Part 1: How To Assess Your Total Body Fitness And Gauge Your Starting Point
In this article, we will explore the different types of resistance training that runners have used over the years. Seb Coe used this strength program. This is a summary of the key ideas from Chapter 6 of Better Training For Distance Runners written by David Martin & Peter Coe.
We have created a table which outlines the different types of resistance training. These have been explored in further detail below.
Static Resistance Training: Isometrics
What is it? This is when we push against an object that is immovable. Our skeletal muscles generate tension but does not lead to movement. As such, muscle length stays constant throughout the exercise (at least externally; there are some changes which also occur microscopically).
Where’s the evidence? While there are many variables involved, the current status of studies suggest a weekly improvement in muscle strength by 2-5% when static resistance training is used. While the initial gains are sizable, they plateau rather quickly after about 5 weeks.
Classic examples include wall sits and planks. Another familiar example is when runners lean toward and push against a wall or tree as a warm-up stretch before a training run or race. Although the intent of the exercise may be to stretch the calf muscles, the upper-torso & upper-limb muscles experience isometric tension.
What are the cons? This can induce a sizable increase in blood pressure, even if the active muscles form a small fraction of the total muscle bulk. You may also risk joint discomfort and stress from excessive compression. Also, this exercise does not simulate the ballistic movements, neuromuscular control or synchronised coordination of multiple joints that are obviously involved in running.
The bottom line…Static resistance training plays a smaller role in a runner’s strength & conditioning program compared to dynamic resistance training.
Dynamic Resistance Training
What is it? This is when we push/pull a load (or any other form of resistance) that leads to movement and thus lengthening or shortening of muscle length.
Some important terminology…during dynamic training, two types of muscle loading occur. Eccentric and concentric loading involve the lengthening and shortening of muscle fibres respectively.
Classic examples include sit-ups, whereby the rectus abdominis shorten (involving concentric tension) as we sit up, and then lengthen (involving eccentric tension) as we return back to lying down. Or chin-ups, whereby the biceps brachii undergoes concentric tension when ascending to the bar, and undergoes eccentric tension when returning to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Please note, it can be tempting to simply associate the lengthening of muscles with relaxation and the shortening or contraction of muscles with tension. This is not true since eccentric work is the lengthening of muscle while under tension. In fact, although fewer muscle cells are recruited during eccentric work, each muscle cell are involved more intensely than during concentric work.
The 3 types of dynamic resistance training Seb Coe used include isotonic, isokinetic and plyometric workouts.
Isotonic workouts involves the use of a constant load (that is, an unchanging resistance). You can use your own body weight (e.g. in push ups, sit ups or pull-ups). Alternatively, free weights can be employed (e.g. lifting a barbell).
Isokinetic workouts requires the use of certain specialised equipment which permits athletes to train their muscles by moving them at a constant speed (i.e. Isokinetically’) through their entire range of motion. In order to achieve a consistent velocity, the equipment is designed to provides an accommodating resistance at different joint angles.
Plyometrics (or ‘bounce-loading’) are training exercises that augment concentric power output by means of a closely linked preceding eccentric (stretch) loading. There is minimum time delay between the lengthening and shortening tension. Examples include bounding up hills and box jumps. This is a staple in the conditioning programs of elite middle-distance runners and deserves an article itself (see part 3).
The Principle of Increasing Intensity
How does an athlete get stronger? The consensus is that the individual muscle fibres increase in size, rather than adding to the number. This known as muscle hypertrophy**. How, then, can we most efficiently stimulate this adaptation? Researchers have demonstrated that the intensity of work performance, rather than simply the work load managed (i.e. how heavy the weight is) or frequency of repetitions that is responsible for this process. One such breakthrough study was conducted by MacDougall, Wenger, and Green (1982), and I quote Martin & Coe’s commentary on their work as shown below:
“Both body builders and power lifters were studied in an attempt to learn more about the mechanism by which muscle training produces hypertrophy. These two types of athletes train quite differently: Body builders typically do many repetitions at submaximal loads, and power lifters generally do only a few reps using very heavy loads. A common denominator of these two groups, however, is that both train to failure, that is, to the point of virtually complete fatigue. Thus, they both provide a maximally intense stimulus to their muscles. Both types achieve a similar end result in terms of hypertrophy (increased muscle mass).
**Note that muscle hypertrophy often correlates with strength gains, but they are not synonymous nor presumably desired. For example, increasing muscle bulk is important for a body builder. On the other hand, a middle-distance runner desires considerable strength and power but with a minimal increase in muscle size. A long-distance runner requires adequate joint and muscle strength largely from an injury-prevention perspective. Nevertheless, the principle of increasing intensity still holds for anyone looking to improve their strength.
The next article will dive deeper into the principles and rationale of plyometric training used by Seb Coe.
Continue to: Part 3 A Deeper Dive into Plyometric Training
Source: Martin, D. E., & Coe, P. N. (1997). Better training for distance runners. Human Kinetics 1.
