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The 10 Considerations of Strength Development Part 1

Mike Arthur, M.S.C.C., University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Coach Arthur is a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach and is regarded as one of the mostknowledgeable strength coaches in the nation. Mike has been instrumental in developing the Universityof Nebraska into one of the premier collegiate strength and conditioning programs in the country forthe past 25 years. He now coordinates the workout programs for student-athletes in all 22 Nebraskasports except football. His years at Nebraska directing the development of thousands of athletes haveproduced many advances in the strength programs used by athletes around the nation. His researchhelps Nebraska stay on the cutting edge and allows NU athletes to further develop their skills and tal-ents. Among his many honors, Mike was named the 1995 National Collegiate Strength and Condition-ing Coach of the Year and in 2003 the board of directors selected him for the USA Strength andConditioning Coaches Hall of Fame. His vast experiences and unique “practical research role” atNU have allowed him to formulate this revolutionary approach to body mechanics and strength training.[Ed.]

The following information is from Mike’s PowerPoint presentation developed for the PosturalRestoration Institute found online at www.posturalrestoration.com.

he 10 considerations are the application of the postural restoration principles as they apply to strength trainingmethodology in the weight room. In presenting the 10 considerations of strength development, it is important tolay the foundation of why and what they mean to training the athlete. The 10 considerations are based on the studyof Ron Huska’s teaching from the Postural Restoration Institute. For readers of this publication, the foundation of

postural restoration can be found in the excellent eight-part series onthe new off-season authored by Lisa Bartels. Considerations 1-5 dealwith alignment from the athlete’s perspective. Number 6 deals withthe athlete’s symmetry and the unnatural tendency of the body to shiftto the left. Considerations 7-10 address the upper body as they relateto considerations 1-6. The basic goal of these 10 considerations is tomaintain a neutral posture and to do strength training exercises thatsupport this concept rather than promote bad posture/alignment.

What is Neutral Posture?In Figure 1 you see the way most athletes look from the side with anterior pelvic tilt. Figure 3 presents the neutral position.

In Figure 1 we see the pelvis forward as indicated by the red line. That line is parallel to the ground in Figure 3. In this illustrationyou see the abs working with the hamstrings as a force coupled with the hamstrings pulling down with the abs pulling up—the effectof leveling the pelvis in the neutral position. However, if the hips tilt forward, the athlete goes into back extension (Figure 1). Theabs and hamstrings are weak with the force couple of hip flexors and back extensors strong. In order to strengthen the back extensorsthat are already strong, the athlete creates an imbalance.

The first consideration is to not go into back extension. This is illustrated in Figure 4 in the “classic” back extension methodversus a flat-back and abs-flexed position. Figure 5 introduces the consideration of not overstretching the hamstrings (second con-sideration). The overstretch position illustrated is what most people think of as a “normal” hamstring stretch. Hip/back flexibility

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Mike Arthur

development along with the hamstrings actually occurs. This overstretch actually weakens the hamstrings which hinders the abilityto hold the pelvis in a neutral position, thus achieving proper alignment. If the hamstrings are weakened, the quads become strongerand create a muscle imbalance. The result in quad over-development in relationship to the hamstrings is the forward (anterior) tiltof the pelvis.

The third consideration is strengthening the hamstrings. Figures 6, 8 and 9 provide the exercises. Figure 7 of this series il-lustrates avoiding of back extension in this process by keeping the abs facilitated.

Strengthening the abs is a natural progression in consideration 4. Part of ab strengthening is to keep the abs facilitated inorder to keep the trunk stable and avoid engaging the back extensor muscles. A key issue is which muscle groups stabilize the trunk.Most athletes are by nature too extended, so working spinal flexion by engaging the abs turns off/relaxes the back extensors. Missionaccomplished.

Sit ups are not the answer to strengthen the abs. You can do all the sit ups in the world; but if you do not use the abs in func-tional movements, the results are not there. Figures 10 thru 16 demonstrate this functional aspect of ab strengthening.

Consideration 5 is to avoid strengthening the hip flexors. Most people think that working the lower abs is done by leg raisesbecause they work the hip flexors. What they actually do is work the muscles underneath that cross the hip joint. The abs attach tothe pelvis so your abs cannot lift your legs off the ground (see Figure 17). This holds true for exercises such as cycling because theyare non-ab working. It strengthens the hip flexors because the abs do not cross the hip joint. The hips flexors become over-developedwhen doing leg raises because you strengthen the back extensor/hip flexor force couple.

The Anatomy Behind the 10 ConsiderationsA different way to look at symmetry is illustrated in Figure 18 which is from the frontal plane. Most people try to work both

sides equally, but in reality they cannot because one side is stronger than the other; the athlete is rotated more on one side. As youshift to the right, the athlete is already orientated to the right more often than to the left. This strengthens the muscle on the right sidemore with the exception of the hip abductors on the left side.

A look at Figure 2 shows the anatomy of the psoas muscle and how it attaches to the lumbar spine and femur. If you lookat the diaphragm on the left side and the central tendon, look at the right side and the lobe size on the right compared to the left. Yousee the right side lobe is larger. There are also more attachments on the spine on the right side than the left. This is the bodyorientating to the right. Look at individual’s posture to see the shoulder “down” on the right side. The liver and diaphragm positionscontribute to this via the breathing process, which orientates the rib cage to the right.

Is this affectation of right-side orientation the same for-left handed individuals? The muscular structure is the same becausehuman evolution took care of this. The left-handed person will still have a right-side orientation, but the affect will not be as pro-nounced. You can always tell the difference between a right-hander and a left-hander by the shoulder rotation.

In next issue’s part 2, we will cover the last 5 considerations.

Figure 2Figure 1

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Figure 3 Figure 4

Figure 5Overstretched Hamstrings Ideal Hamstring Flexibility

Figure 6Keep abs facilitated and back flat

Figure 8

1. Shift weight to left leg.2. Reach as far as possible with right hand.2. Raise right leg straight back and up.4. Raise left hand above hip.

1. Keep weight shifted to left leg.2. Pull right arm back and up lead-ing with elbow.3. Bring left elbow and right kneetogether.

Figure 9

1. Use abdominals to pull pelvis and rib cage together.2. Keep hip joint and shoulder joint level with back flat.

1. Lie on left side place right foot in front and leftleg back.2. Place right hand behind head and pull both shoul-der blades together.3. Lift hips as high as possible off ground balancingon left forearm.4. Take deep breaths through nose and out mouth.

Figure 11

Figure 10

Single Leg Reach

Figure 7

Don’t go into back extension Keep abdominals tight

1. Lie on right side place left foot in front and rightleg back.2. Place left hand behind head and pull both shoulderblades together.3. Lift hips as high as possible off ground balancingon left forearm.4. Take deep breaths through nose and out mouth.

Figure 13

1. Lie on right side place right foot in front and left legback.2. Place left hand behind head and pull both shoulderblades together.3. Lift hips as high as possible off ground balancing onleft forearm.4. Take deep breaths through nose and out mouth.

1. Stand facing wall about 3 to 4 feet away.2. Turn shoulders a throw ball at slight angle , so youcan catch ball to opposite side.3. Catch ball as you turn to the opposite side andthrow, keeps hands below shoulders.4. Repeat alternating sides for 20 throws as fast as pos-sible.

Figure 15

1. Lie on left side place left foot in front and right legback.2. Place right hand behind head and pull both shoul-der blades together.3. Lift hips as high as possible off ground balancingon left forearm.4. Take deep breaths through nose and out mouth.

Figure 12

Figure 14

Figure 17

Figure 16

1. Stand with side facing wall about 3 to 4 feet away.2. Throw ball into wall so that ball bounces straight backto same side.3. Catch ball let it turn you reverse direction and back towall. Keep hands below shoulders.4. Throw ball ten times, switch sides and throw ten moretimes.

Rotational Medicine Ball Toss

Figure 18

Frontal Plane – Shift to Left

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The 10 Considerations of Strength Development Part 2Focus on Alignment, Symmetry and Upper Body

Mike Arthur, M.S.C.C., University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Coach Arthur is a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach and is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable strengthcoaches in the nation. Mike has been instrumental in developing the University of Nebraska into one of the premier collegiatestrength and conditioning programs in the country for the past 25 years. He now coordinates the workout programs for student-ath-letes in all 22 Nebraska sports except football. His years at Nebraska directing the development of thousands of athletes have pro-duced many advances in the strength programs used by athletes around the nation. His research helps Nebraska stay on the cuttingedge and allows NU athletes to further develop their skills and talents. Among his many honors, Mike was named the 1995 NationalCollegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year and in 2003 the board of directors selected him for the USA Strength andConditioning Coaches Hall of Fame. His vast experiences and unique “practical research role” at NU have allowed him to formulatethis revolutionary approach to body mechanics and strength training. [Ed.]

n part one, we introduced you to the first five considerations of strength development based on Ron Huska’s teaching from thePostural Restoration Institute found online at www.posturalrestoration.com. For readersof this publication, the foundation of postural restoration can be found in the excellenteight-part series on the new off-season authored by Lisa Bartels. We will take a look atthe final five considerations in this issue.

The final five considerations refer to the illustrations we used in the last issue.Figures 19 thru 22 illustrate the sixth consideration of strengthening the adductors. Con-

sideration 7, not doing overhead lifts, may be a little controversial (Figure 23). When an athlete doesoverhead lifts, they go into back extension. I said in part one that strengthening the back extensor mus-cles is a big no-no because the lats are too tight for this back extension. It is not bad to do overheadlift if the athlete can engage their abs and stay out of back extension. I would recommend to just leavethem out. Why do you need them in sports? If you lift overhead with lats too tight and strong, theybecome back extensors that pull the scapula and arm out of whack. This can be a big problem for thethrowing athlete. Another example is if athletes do cleans, you often see they have trouble racking thebar. The reason is not tight elbows, wrists or big biceps—it is tight lats.

Consideration 8 (Figures 24 to 26) says to strengthen the triceps and lower traps. The triceps’third head attaches to the scapula to help stabilize it and the rib cage. The same is true for the lowertraps. Most athletes have upper traps that are overworked, thereby lifting the shoulders up and weakening the lower traps. If youwork the lower traps, this is in opposition to working the overhead lifts which help put the scapula in correct position on the athlete’srib cage.

Consideration 9 (Figures 27-31) stretches the pecs and lats as they relate the first eight considerations. Pecs get overworkedin most strength programs. When athletes do lat pull downs they think that it is the muscle group that opposes the chest, but that isfalse. If you think in three planes of motion, the pecs (especially hor-izontal) adduct the arms toward the body’s midline along with the lats.They both attach to the humerus on the front part, almost at the samespot, with both being internal rotators. The only difference is that thechest flexes the arm and the lat extends the arm. If you look at mosttraditional strength programs the pecs, lats and upper traps are over-worked and cause muscle imbalance; however, if you do work them,

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Mike Arthur

be sure you stretch them. Most Olympic lifters do not include lat and pec work in their training because it limits range of motion inthe shoulder joint.

The final consideration (Figures 32-37) says to include single-leg exercises. This is in reaction to the fact that most strengthprograms incorporate the squat, which is a different type of movement from the single-leg exercise. If you stand and work on oneleg, you incorporate more abductor and glute muscles to stabilize the leg. You use more adductor and quads when you squat. Yourlegs become sore when you do single-leg exercises but not when doing squats. You want to work the glutes which are hip extensors.The hip flexors are the muscles that cause problems as they get overworked and overused.

These are the 10 considerations of strength development with focus on alignment, symmetry and the upper body. Togetherthey create a simple approach to strength training an athlete while avoiding asymmetric development which is a leading cause of in-jury.

Figure 19

1. Lie on your right side with legs bent ninety degreesand ball place between knees.2. Inhale through nose as you pull left leg back. Nonot rotate shoulder back.3. Exhale through mouth as you squeeze down withleft knee. Should feel inside of left leg activate4. Do ten repetitions breathing in through nose outthrough mouth.

Left Adductors1. Place band above knees.2. Lie on side with feet on bolster.3. Knees and hips bent 90 degrees4. Shift left leg back, right leg forward.5. Ankles together, back rounded.6. Right hand on ground, left hand under head.

Figure 20

Right Glute Max1. Keep left leg back and raise right leg.2. Right hip should be engaged.3. Breath (long & slow) 4-5 times in through noseand out through mouth.4. Relax repeat four more times.

Figure 21

1. Stand with both feet atbottom of steps.2. Place left foot on the firststep.3. Shift left hip to left andback.4. Zipper should be linedup over left foot.5. Both feet should be flat.6. Toes pointed straightahead.7. Place right foot next toleft foot and repeat.

Figure 22

The final consideration (Figures 32-37) says to include single-leg exercises. This is in reaction to the fact that most strengthprograms incorporate the squat, which is a different type of movement from the single-leg exercise. If you stand and work on oneleg, you incorporate more abductor and glute muscles to stabilize the leg. You use more adductor and quads when you squat. Yourlegs become sore when you do single-leg exercises but not when doing squats. You want to work the glutes which are hip extensors.The hip flexors are the muscles that cause problems as they get overworked and overused.

Don’t incorporate lat pull-downs, pull-ups, dips or shoulder pressesFigure 23

1. Place hands on ground behind hips and feetdirectly in front of you.2. Dig heels into ground and lift hips off ground.3. Tuck hips up and pick right foot off ground(feel back of left hamstring engage).4. Keep shoulder blades down and together (feeltriceps engage).5. Hold position and take 5 long breathes inthrough nose and out mouth.

Figure 24

1. Lie on bench with hips and knees bent.2. Raise hips slightly off bench.3. Hold dumbbell in right hand with arm straight.4. Keep palm facing in toward feet.5. Lower dumbbell to left shoulder keeping elbow pointed up.6. Raise dumbbell to straight arm position.

Figure 25 Figure 26

1. Hold pulley handle in right hand.2. Shift into left hip and side bend trunk toleft.3. Pull shoulder blades down and together.4. Raise handle to right, up and back. Feelright shoulder blade muscles engage.

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These are the 10 considerations of strength development with focus on alignment, symmetry and the upper body. Togetherthey create a simple approach to strength training an athlete while avoiding asymmetric development which is a leading cause of in-jury.

1. Place hand at shoulder height2. Rotate to the left3. Feel stretch across chest4. Keep abs engaged5. Breath in through nose out through mouth6. Hold for 5 breaths and repeat 2 –3 times

Figure 27 Figure 28

1.Shoulders supported on ball.2.Keep rib cage down.3.Pull pelvis up by tightening glutes4.Hang arms out to side5.Feel stretch across chest.6.Breath in though nose and out thru mouth7.Hold for 5 breaths and repeat 2 –3 times

Figure 29

1. Lie on elevated surface, with light dumbbell in left hand,lower arm over edge.2. Place pad between bent knees and rotate legs to right.3. Feel stretch across chest.4. Breath in deep breathes through nose out through mouth.5. Hold for 5 breaths and repeat 2 –3 times

1. Place left foot back and shift body to leftside2. Hold pulley handle in right hand andsink back into left hip.3. Feel stretch through the lats and ribs.4. Breath in through nose and expand ribson side you are stretching.5. Breath out through mouth and feel sidestretch.6. old for 5 breaths and repeat 2 –3 times

Figure 30

1.Align foot, knee, hipsagainst wall2.Reach as high as possible3.Feel stretch thru the ribcage4.Stretch right side morethan the left5. Breath feel rib cage ex-pand when breathingin through nose.6. Feel reach increase asyou blow air outthrough mouth.

Figure 31

1. Step forward with left foot and lower dumbbells until they barelytouch the ground.2. You do not need to take a long step.3. Lower right knee until it almost touches the ground.4. Extend with the left leg and step all the way through into the nextstep with the right leg.5. Take ten steps and then turn around. Take tens steps back to whereyou started.6. Ten steps each direction constitutes one set of ten repetitions.

Figure 32

1. Step forward with leftfoot and simultaneouslyrotate plate left.2. You do not need totake a long step.3. Lower right kneeuntil it almost touchesthe ground.4. Extend with the leftleg and step all the waythrough into the nextstep with the right legand simultaneously ro-tate plate to right side.5. Take ten steps andthen turn around. Taketens steps back to whereyou started.6. Ten steps each direc-tion constitutes one setof ten repetitions.

Figure 33

1. Place right feet forward and leftfoot elevated on box.2. Lower hips until right knee almosttouches ground.3. Keep lower back rounded.

Figure 34

1. Swing left legthru as right leg isextended.2. Place left backon box and repeat.

Figure 35

1. Place dumbbells on boxat knee height.2. Round lower back.

Figure 36

1. Lie on right side place left foot in front and rightleg back.2. Place left hand behind head and pull both shoulderblades together.3. Lift hips as high as possible off ground balancingon left forearm.4. Take deep breaths through nose and out mouth.

Figure 13

1. Lie on left side place left foot in front and right legback.2. Place right hand behind head and pull both shoul-der blades together.3. Lift hips as high as possible off ground balancingon left forearm.4. Take deep breaths through nose and out mouth.

Figure 12

Correction: In the last issue of Performance Conditioning for Soccer four figures (12-15) were accidentally omitted fromthe final article of The 10 Considerations of Strength Development Part 1. Below are all four missing figures along withan excerpt of that article that pertains to the missing figures. We deeply apologize for this oversight.

Strengthening the abs is a natural progression in consideration 4. Part of ab strengthening is to keep the abs facilitated inorder to keep the trunk stable and avoid engaging the back extensor muscles. A key issue is which muscle groups stabilize the trunk.Most athletes are by nature too extended, so working spinal flexion by engaging the abs turns off/relaxes the back extensors. Missionaccomplished.

Sit ups are not the answer to strengthen the abs. You can do all the sit ups in the world; but if you do not use the abs in func-tional movements, the results are not there. Figures 10 thru 16 demonstrate this functional aspect of ab strengthening.

1. Step up ontobox (dumbbellsand hips movetogether).

Figure 37

1. Lie on right side place right foot in front and left legback.2. Place left hand behind head and pull both shoulderblades together.3. Lift hips as high as possible off ground balancing onleft forearm.4. Take deep breaths through nose and out mouth.

1. Stand facing wall about 3 to 4 feet away.2. Turn shoulders a throw ball at slight angle , so youcan catch ball to opposite side.3. Catch ball as you turn to the opposite side andthrow, keeps hands below shoulders.4. Repeat alternating sides for 20 throws as fast as pos-sible.

Figure 15Figure 14