[Scott Johnston]

James:

Thanks for your questions.  I’m sorry I was not more clear.  There are a number of ways to increase max strength that have gained popularity in the strength training community.  Far be it from me to critique them so I stuck with one that has been a fairly traditional approach for 50 years.  The general principle is that using about 80-90% of your one rep max you do 4-6 sets (after a few warm up sets) of anywhere from 2-5 reps (this varies based on who you talk to).  The main effect of this type of training is neurological.  You are trying to train your motor nervous system to recruit more motor units.  I chose this method because it is the least likely to cause hypertrophy (adding muscle mass) which is something more endurance athletes want to steer clear of.  I wish I could be more concrete in my recommendations for the exact number of sets and reps But I have seen great gains using the full ranges listed above.  I do not add more sets or more reps as the weeks go by. Instead you will be able to increase the resistance you are using.   You will notice that the resistance you were using 2 weeks a go is no longer as challenging. That is your signal to increase the resistance.  The effect if that your brain has to recruit more motor units to move that higher resistance.  I suggest no t going to failure in most sets.  The long rests between sets allow the motor nerves to recovery and the ATP stores in the muscle cells to recharge.   If you are doing these workouts correctly you should feel energized an invigorated immediately afterwards.  These session can speed recovery form endurance training because that are relatively low energy and stimulate your endocrine system  to produce anabolic hormones.

I hope this helps.
Scott