What is the Strength Deficit?

The strength deficit indicates the percentage of maximal strength potential which is not used during a movement.

The closest an athlete can utilize recruitment of as many muscle fibers in a given movement is to force the body to react by reflex action to a suddenly imposed load.

For example, in a jumping activity, a measure of the strength deficit may be made by comparing a static squat jump vs a counter movement Jump.

If there is a small difference between the two jumps, this implies that training should focus more on nervous stimulation via the use of speed-strength exercises such as plyometrics.

If the deficit is large, then strength and hypertrophy training with 5-8 rep max is more applicable.

In general, this test can be performed on most muscle groups and movements (throws, jumps, bench press, back squat etc).

It is also important to note that athletic performance does not depend simply on the ability to produce maximum strength, since lots of actions in sport happen so fast that it is impractical to recruit a sufficient number of muscle fibers.

The technical skill and rate of force development are of greater importance to sporting accomplishment.

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Matthew Watkin-Jones

Strength & Conditioning Coach

Experienced strength and conditioning coach with 15+ years of expertise and NSCA CSCS qualification. Global work, sports degree, and insightful articles showcase the commitment to optimizing athlete performance. A proven professional.