Is strength ever a weakness?

I listen to a lot of lifting related and strength and conditioning podcasts - at least more than I assume the average person listens to - recently in a couple of different discussions they’ve talked about the question: how strong is strong enough?

For context, this question can be asked in the Weightlifting world with a different perspective than if we are talking about Strength & Conditioning for a different sport. Although both the levels of strength required and the direct correlation to performance is quite a bit lower in something like field sports or athletics, the answer to the question still comes down to one thing:

How much time can you give to getting stronger without neglecting or detracting from the skill demands of your sport?

To answer this question you first need to know your current status and how that compares to the standard you’re aiming to compete at. Good training programmes can only be written after doing a bit of analysis first. In weightlifting this is relatively simple; know your 1-3 rep maxes for the classic lifts and the more common training exercises like squats, pulls and presses. Usually, we can see what our priorities should be as there is so much direct correspondence between the competition lifts and the training lifts. It’s obvious if someone is weak as we can compare the lifts to known standards in their weight category. Equally, it is easy to see if someone is physically stronger than their current technical skill allows them to express in the snatch, clean and jerk.

In other sports there are often more complexities and subjective or discreet skills that may play a role in improving performance. A good S&C coach will be able to analyse these as well in order to devise a plan that proportions training time and energy towards improvement.

It seems fairly obvious that most lifters (those not at the elite level already) will always get better by getting stronger. The question then is not ‘can you be too strong’ but rather ‘how much time and effort should I put into getting stronger versus spending those resources on getting better technically?’

I’ve written before about ratios that will show you how efficient your current technique is and that’s a good place to start. The other place to look is at the strength levels of your club and training partners or even competitors.

Let’s say for example, you are a 64kg female and your next targets for snatch and clean and jerk are 70kg and 90kg. Have a look around at the people you see hitting these numbers or even slightly more and see what they squat. If it isn’t more than you, that lifter is more efficient and maybe technically better than you. If they squat more than you squat, there’s your intermediate goal. The size of the gap should also hint at the importance it plays. Using the same example; you squat 110kg but the lifter currently ahead of you squats 130kg it’s quite a different prospect to them squatting 113kg.

Being stronger almost always gives you the potential to snatch, clean and jerk more weight but there is a limit to the benefit of spending time working on strength when skill, speed or power are the things preventing better performance. If you squat 250kg but can’t snatch 100kg you don’t need much strength work right now.

Strength is only ever a weakness when gaining more of it will detract from actually getting better. Figure out where you need to spend your time and energy before running off to follow some ‘great’ strength programme.

Can being strong at one movement make another movement harder?

Picture a lifter who comes from a general strength training background and has preferentially trained their deadlift more than their squat. It could be the case that this lifter therefore has a great pull but can’t always stand up or even catch what they pull. Even so, the problem isn’t that a strong pull is a problem, simply that the squat is WEAK relative to it. This lifter therefore must dedicate more training volume, effort and intent to bringing the squat numbers up to par.

You cannot be too strong. You can spend too much time trying to get stronger at the expense of other qualities that you need to be a good weightlifter. Don’t chase arbitrary numbers in the strength lifts only to see very little impact on your competition lifts!

*For anyone who wants to know what the Podcasts' were;

Sika Strength Podcast, Travis Mash’s Barbell Life, & Barbell Shrugged