Strength training can be undertaken for sport purposes or as a general fitness program. The sport fitness aspect is vital in the man or woman's conditioning for endurance performance, this can be enhanced by a well structured and planned out routine. Strength training has also been highlighted in medical journals as a beneficially safe and effective exercise in elderly people, which will be highlighted a little later.

Strength training for athletes is multifunctional and provides strength, power, and endurance. Various programs exist for the sportsperson, and mostly include per iodization which involves the phasing of the exercise routine to avoid over-training and encourage the athlete's strength to peak at the correct time.

Hypertrophy involves the increase of size and muscle, more specific to full contact sports, where athletes require size and power in the process of their selected sports, examples would be rugby and football. Hypertrophy can be disadvantageous in other disciplines, where size can be a hindrance due to maneuverability requirements in some sports.

Maximal strength in sport refers to the amount of power a sportsperson can exert or generate at a given time and is enhanced with effective strength exercises. In weight lifting, the athlete conducts explosive power training as this is required for maximum lifting exercises. Endurance training also forms part of the strength repertoire, enabling the athlete to perform at maximum levels for prolonged periods of time.

Medical studies in the benefits of strength training in elderly people have identified benefits in reducing the signs and symptoms of numerous conditions, including:

-Arthritis, increased muscle strength and general physical performance;
-Diabetes, improvements in glucose control
-Osteoporosis, increase in bone density and reduced risk of fractures;
-Back pain;
-Depression, strength training provides the feeling of wellbeing as well as the biochemical changes in the brain to alleviate depression; and
-Obesity, by increase of metabolic rate - this helps weight loss and long term weight control.

Strength training can be conducted on the same basis as resistance training and can be applied by athletes and non-athletes alike, obviously at different intensity levels and with different desired outcomes. As a beginner, it is recommended that an alternative training program be established, in consultation with a qualified trainer. This will enable correct technique and gradual progression in the right direction.

Rest the muscle groups that have been trained to benefit from the strength training routine. Various muscles can be exercised via techniques such as presses, curls, lunges and squats. An old time favorite technique and one of the most effective is the squat.

This exercise uses a lot of the muscle groups in the lower body, there are variations of this exercise, and one specifically is the squat jump. This technique involves development of the leg muscles and therefore the leg power, thereby increasing both the endurance and speed of the subject. The benefits of strength training as highlighted above are not only applicable to elderly people or professional sportsmen and women, but to all who consistently involve themselves therein.