At the risk of bucking the tide and being heretical is general strength everything it is made out to be? What I see called general strength in so many speed and power programs is often just STUFF. A bunch of exercises thrown together with goofy names does not necessarily mean it is productive training. I do believe that properly designed general strength work is important at certain times in a training cycle and in a career. For the young developing athlete it is key element in development, for the older more mature athlete it is a reset button. In other words at different stages of an athlete’s career it should have different emphasis. General strength takes many forms; it is not just body weight exercises. Properly designed general strength work takes into account order of exercises, sequence and timing in order to be optimally effective. Use it, but use it wisely- don’t drink the kool aid. Be discriminating and see where it fits in the whole program.
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Vern Gambetta
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