"Train movement not muscle"

[spur]

Rip, How does one respond to this cliche that many sports coaches use? This is obviously a marketing approach for those coaches who do not know how to or want to use heavy weights.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I thought we used muscle to make movement occur. What does this little aphorism actually mean?

[Scott Mahn]

I always understood the aphorim to mean we should train "functional," compound movements, opposed to isolation movements.

So when the guy doing preacher curls asks you what muscle power cleans build you can tell him you're training a movement, not a muscle.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

It is funny how these same coaches/marketing gurus who are always using phrases like this will also commit a 30 minute portion of a training DVD to "glute activation" exercises. Not sure what sport requires you to stand there and squeeze your ass together for 10 minutes.

There is also a direct quote from a renowned coach/marketing guru whose products I have purchased before that "abdominal flexion is not to be trained directly because it is a movement that rarely occurs in sport". Apparently he has never actually watched a sport being played.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I use situps and other resisted abdominal flexion exercises in training because they are a good way to make those muscles stronger, but all the trunk muscles function primary as isometric stabilizers AND as active movers, but they actively move things over a much shorter range of motion in sports and work than we typically use to train them.

[Kiknskreem]

Its usually "Train movement patterns, not muscle groups.


A key distinction if you aren't familiar with the phrase.


IE... get off your bodypart split BB'ing mentality.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Understood on your point about the active range of motion during sport being shortened....I wasn't trying to liken the ROM to a GHD situp but none the less it does occur.

[spur]

Vern Gambetta is someone who uses the phrase

[Quintus]

I've heard "train movement, not muscle" before, but I didn't take it the same way some here have. It was presented to me mainly in the context of distinguishing between neuromuscular strength gains and those achieved through increased muscle mass. A large chunk of a beginner's strength progress is gained by training the brain to make the muscles move with the correct force at the correct time. It's only after the brain has mastered the movement that muscle mass becomes the limiting factor.

[spur]

You are right unfortunately thats not how most present it or understand it. I think the confusion arises because sports coaches, mix up sports skill training with a general stimulus like training for strength which enhances the fitness for sports.

PPST has presented these subjects well. Neural Integration: Stimulating the Muscle to move ( page 91) and page 121/122 : Exercise Selection.