Strength Training Results for Youth: The Science

Everett Banks, Sophomore at Sacred Heart Prep, getting his strength training before hitting the court for his 8 week Transformation with Coach D Mo. 

As the Fall season for Team Esface wraps up, we’re beginning to notice some significant changes in our athletes performance→ Increased efficiency of movement in performing Olympic lifts, as well as improvements in jump height and sprinting ability. While all athletes adapt and progress at differents rates to a training stimulus, we’re on right on point with what research suggests,  it takes about 6-10 weeks for the nervous system to adapt to strength training. Neural adaptations may occur without an increase in muscle size, especially for  prepubescent youth populations lacking production of circulating anabolic hormones. The ability to produce force in short amounts of time (jumping/ sprinting/ changing direction) is governed by the nervous system. In the previous 6-10wks we’ve increased the neural drive in Team Esface athletes resulting in improvements in strength and power (as a whole Team Esface athletes-12U/14U/14U Girls improved force production in olympics lifts by 180 Kilograms while adding upwards of 50 inches to vertical jump height).  This happens via various neural (brain/spinal) adaptations→ increase in motor unit recruitment (Stimulation of High Order Motor Units --> Fast Twitch Muscle fibers) , increase rate and synchronization of motor unit firing, selective recruitment of Fast twitch muscle fibers, as well as reductions in inhibitory mechanisms (reduced activity Golgi Tendon Organs and Cocontraction of muscles surrounding a joint.).  That’s a lot of science, in layman's terms we’ve spent the last 8 weeks getting your child’s nervous system in tune with their muscular system allowing them to maximize their force production/absorption (jumping height, running speed, ability to cut and change direction etc), let’s keep this gains going through the winter and build off a strong Fall Season.

Sincerely,

Ryan Munoz

Head Strength Coach, Murray Athletic Development

https://madtraining.org/

ryan@murrayathletic.com