STRENGTH / ENDURANCE TRAINING
Generally, when discussing training goals, strength is one of those things that's lumped with money, love, sex or intelligence - you can never have enough of it. And most times, this is true - especially if you're an athlete. I don't care what anybody says (because, believe it or not, I have seen it argued the other way), if you compare two athletes of similar size, skill and experience, then the stronger one has a distinct advantage. Even if you're not an athlete, training for strength has its many advantages, be it making you more healthy, making daily "chores" (such as mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, washing your car, etc.) easier, leading to a better looking body for the opposite sex, or anything in between.This is all well and good - but there is a slight problem. Most trainees who train for strength aren't necessarily in need of strength. What they are in need of is strength-endurance. The problem with programs that focus on increasing your 1 Rep Max is: Should you need to be able to exert that strength for any time frame beyond what one rep might take, or have to make due with less rest than you're accustomed, then your strength won't hold up.