Strength

Strengthening the Antagonists and Stabilizers

Muscles work in pairs, for every muscle in the body, there is another muscle that is capable of opposing its force. This pairing permits movement, however, if one part of a pair becomes stronger than the other, force output suffers. For example, if you only train the quadriceps muscle since it extends the leg during kicking, the hamstrings, which are the antagonists in kicking movements, weaken in proportion to the quads, and power output declines. The weaker the antagonists are, the sooner they will contract and oppose the prime movers, resulting in a slower movement. Stronger antagonists are less sensitive to this protective response.

Insufficient stabilizer strength also limits power output. Stabilizers are muscles which anchor or immobilize one part of the body, allowing another part, such as a leg,  to exert force. The most important stabilizers are  the abdominals and trunk extensors. If the motor cortex detects that it cannot stabilize the force provided by the prime movers, it will not allow the prime mover to contract with full force. In other words, the force output of the prime movers is limited by the strength of the stabilizer muscles.

Ballistic Training

Ballistic training involves plyometrics, modified Olympic lifting, jumping, throwing, and striking movements (such as punching a heavy bag or kicking a shield). The obvious advantage of ballistic training is that it lacks a deceleration phase, making it much more coordination-specific for most athletes. Ballistic training is initiated after significant preparatory training with lighter resistances to strengthen tendons and ligaments. Without such preparation, ballistic training would result in too much risk.