GET STRONG!
What determines true strength? Let's look at a few of the different types of strength.
Absolute Strength: This is the basic definition of strength: who can generate more force, regardless of everything else. I can bench 300 pounds; you can bench 250 pounds. I'm stronger and I have more absolute strength.
Relative Strength: Relative strength not only looks at how much weight you can lift, but also your own bodyweight. In effect, the person with more relative strength is the one with the better strength-to-bodyweight ratio Starting Strength: This is how much you can lift from a completely extended position from a lift, with no momentum or reversal of movement. Reactive Strength: This employs that reversal of momentum I just talked about - the lengthening and quick shortening of the muscle. The squat done in "normal" fashion as just described would be a measure of reactive strength. Strength-Endurance: This is fairly simple - how strong are you in a repeated fashion? Sure, you might be able to bench press 250 pounds once. But how much weight can you do for 10 reps? 12 reps? 5 reps? Power: Now, we're going to add a time element to the mix. If strength is basically a measure of how much force you can generate, then power is a measure of how quickly you can generate that force. For example, say you can squat 450 pounds. That is a measure of strength. Saying you can squat 450 pounds in 2.1 seconds is a measure of power. Power-Endurance: Remember everything I mentioned above about strength-endurance? Well, apply all the same principles here, only with power-endurance (adding the time element to the equation). Hopefully, this clears up some of the different types of strength and how they're measured. When t comes to MMA, power and power-endurance reign supreme over all the others. There is nothing slow going on in the cage, so you'd better be able to move fast, and you'd better be able to exert strength while you do it. (Taken from original artlice by Matt Wiggins on www.mmaweekly.com)
