When most people hear the word strength, one image usually comes to mind.
A heavy barbell. Lots of weights.
A massive lift.
Someone picking something off the floor that makes everyone stop and stare.
And yes, that is strength.
But it’s only one expression of strength.
Because when you zoom out, strength shows up in many different forms.
And chances are, you already possess more strength than you realize.
- Absolute Strength
The most obvious type of strength is absolute strength.
This is your ability to produce maximum force in a single effort.
Think:
• A heavy deadlift
• A heavy squat
• A heavy press or bench press
It’s the ability to move something heavy one time.
This type of strength builds resilience in the body and is incredibly valuable.
Strong muscles, bones, and connective tissue create a body that is more durable and capable.
It’s important to understand that a one-rep max is not a fixed number.
Many factors influence a single maximal effort:
• Sleep
• Training frequency
• Recovery/Rest
• Nutrition
• Stress levels
• Warm-up quality
• Appropriate ramp-up sets
All of these affect how your body performs on a given day.
Early in a training journey especially for new or intermediate lifters, absolute strength often increases quickly. Personal records can happen regularly as the body adapts to training.
This is very exciting.
For veteran lifters, progress in your 1 rep ability happens slowly if at all. Once you’ve been lifting consistently for 8–10+ years, it can be helpful to shift your perspective toward yearly personal bests rather than expecting constant new maxes.
At that stage, consistency at challenging loads over time becomes more meaningful than where a single one-rep max sits on any particular day.
Fluctuations in 1 rep capability are completely normal. They’re part of the process, not something to stress over or beat yourself up about.
And while absolute strength is important, it’s only one piece of the larger strength picture.
Submaximal Strength
Submaximal strength is the ability to move incredibly well and move large loads near your maximum capacity.
For many people, this is where real strength lives.
This is me.
I am not the strongest in terms of absolute strength.
But give me 70–90% of my max, and I can move it well, with strong positions, clean technique, and repeatable rep ranges that are locked in for my frame.
Submaximal strength is also where most strength gains are made in training.
It’s the sweet spot where the body adapts.
Examples might look like:
• 3 sets of 5 reps at 75–80%
• 5 sets of 3 reps at 80–85%
Heavy enough to challenge the body.
Controlled enough to maintain great movement.
This is where strength is built consistently over time.
Bodyweight Strength
Another powerful form of strength is how well you can control your own body.
Push-ups.
Pull-ups.
Dips.
Sit-ups.
Squats.
Lunges.
These movements require your body to produce force using its own weight as resistance.
Someone who can perform strict pull-ups or controlled push-ups demonstrates a tremendous amount of strength even if they never touch a barbell.
Strength Endurance
Then there’s strength endurance.
This is your ability to produce force repeatedly without breaking down.
Think about:
• Sets of 10-20 rep squats
• Repeated kettlebell swings (20-30+)
• 15 Push-ups done again and again
Strength endurance is where strength meets conditioning.
It’s not just about being strong once.
It’s about being strong again and again.
Your body and muscles ability to repeatedly produce contractions without failing.
Where absolute strength was about a single rep, strength endurance is the ability for multiple repetitions.
Strength Balance
Another often overlooked expression of strength is strength balance.
This is about the balance of strength from arm to arm and leg to leg.
In simple terms:
Do I have one side that is stronger, more stable, or more coordinated than the other?
Most people do.
And that matters more than they realize.
Strength balance shows up when we look at single-side movements like:
• Lunges
• Step-ups
• Split squats / bulgarian lunges
• Single-leg deadlifts
• Single-arm presses (overhead or from laying down)
• Single-arm rows
These movements help reveal the differences between the right and left sides of the body.
Maybe one leg feels more stable.
Maybe one arm presses more smoothly.
Maybe one side tires faster, wobbles more, or struggles to create the same force.
These imbalances can show up as:
• Reduced balance and coordination
• Compensation patterns
• Less efficient movement
• Greater wear and tear on certain joints
• A higher likelihood of aches, pains, or injury over time
It simply means your body is giving you information.
And that information matters.
Part of training well is not just getting stronger overall, but closing the gap between sides.
We want the weaker side to become more capable.
We want the less coordinated side to improve control.
We want the body to work more evenly and more efficiently.
True strength is not just about how much force you can produce.
It’s also about how well that strength is distributed and expressed throughout the body.
Because a stronger body is great…
Yet a stronger, balanced body is even better.
Isometric Strength
There is also strength in holding positions under tension.
Example:
Planks.
Wall sits.
Split Stance Lunge Holds.
L-sits.
Hanging from a pullup bar.
Ring/Dip Support.
Static positions held, your muscles working continuously to stabilize and maintain position.
This type of strength builds deep joint stability and resilience.
We all need this to support our bodies and the other aspects of our strength.
Often unsexy yet incredibly effective, relevant and neccesary.
Mental Strength
And finally, there’s the kind of strength that can’t be measured with a barbell.
Mental strength.
The ability to keep moving through discomfort. To stay present when things are difficult.
To channel your inner strength, to keep going.
Even when it’s hard, when you’re tired, when you don’t want to.
To show up again tomorrow.
Anyone who has trained hard knows this feeling.
The last few reps.
The final minute of a workout.
That quiet voice inside saying:
Keep going.
So Who Is Strong?
Strength isn’t just about the biggest lift.
A truly strong person is someone who can:
Lift.
Move their body.
Possesses balanced strength.
Has muscular endurance.
Has mental resilience and fortitude.
Strength is not one quality.
It’s a collection of capabilities.
And the beautiful thing about strength is this:
It can be built.
At any age.
At any starting point.
You are strong.
The Railroad View of Strength
At Railroad, we train strength in many forms.
From lifting heavy to lifting high reps.
To challenging workouts to workouts we pace.
To bodyweight reps, unilateral work and static isometric work.
To showing up when you’d rather not, or life is heavy.
For the grit, fortitude and resilience inside to push yourself, before, during and again.
Because strength is not just one quality…
It’s about creating a you that is well rounded, capable, resilient, and confident for life.
And that is strength you carry with you everywhere.
A body you can count on, no matter the situation.
Loving you,
Coach Shawn