In the practice of training, some still believe that strength training merely calls for changes in enzymatic quantity or quality within the muscle, which ultimately results in muscle cross-section increases. Results of ergophysiological and training research on the optimal training stimulus for the greatest possible strength increases appear to come from two distinct sources: • The tension stimulus theory, created by Rasch and Pierson (1964) and Hettinger (1968) stipulates that maximal tension results in the most effective rate of strength increases. • In contrast, the so-called ATP-debt theory from Meerson (1967, 1973) suggests that training with submaximalloads (15 reps in 20 s per set) done repetitively results in the highest strength increases.
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