220-Age is a gross estimation of Heart Rate max (HRmax). It is used in a sense that BMI is used to quickly evaluates body composition. I think there is a disconnection between HRmax and Exercise Intentisty that needs to be made. HRmax % is only a part of the equation of VO2 (volume of oxygen consumption in the human body). HRmax is used in exercise prescription because, without laboratory equipment you can't measure the other parts of VO2. Is HRmax the true absolute beats per minute a heart can achieve? Most likely no, but prolonged activity at the rate will lead to MVO2 (heart oxygen consumption) not being able to keep up with demand (ischemia).

The second part and edit of your question has to deal with what your targeting to exercise. Exercise intensity can come from volume, time, mode, and strain of activity (aka intensity). I would argue if you can go for 30mins at 90% of HRmax that is not your true maximum. Your ie. training question deals with which energy system you want to target.

A more accurate measure in calculating your HRmax/VO2max would be a Bruce Protocol along with a measure of HR and blood pressure at each stage.

Paraphrased Sources:

Therapeutic Exercise: Moving Towards Function

Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy: Evidence to Practice

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning - 3rd Edition

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. I have a bachelors/masters in Exercise Science and this is a book we used since my first semester.

Becoming a Supple Leopard I have the first edition, so I'm not sure what was added in the 2nd, but this is a great book that isn't so "sciency"

This is somewhat unrelated to what I was referring to, which was specifically mass vs strength gains.

Your conclusion is moderately sound from the layperson's perspective, but incorrect. Improving strength alone has massive improvements on power output. If you still want to improve power on top of that, then power-based resistance exercises (AKA Olympic lifts, such as the snatch, clean and jerk, and others) will work towards that goal. If you have a sport-specific motion in mind, like charging off a starting block, then you can do resistance power exercises that work those core groups.

A single resistance technique can train either strength, power, or endurance depending on a few factors. Here's a short summary:



  | Strength | Endurance | Power
---|----|----|----
Weight (%1RM) | 60-90 | 30-70 | 50-70

of reps in a set | 8-12 | 14+ | 1-2

Speed of motion | Slow/controlled | Slow/controlled | Fast/explosive
Rest between sets | 1-2 min | 30-60 sec | 30-60 sec

Note the most important part in the table above: 1-2 reps in a set with rest between sets for power training. Power training is also performed with lower resistance than normal strength training (to avoid injury to the weight-bearing joints). Note that this mainly applies to lower extremity exercises; upper extremity power exercises should be performed with caution to avoid damage to the rotator cuff. (If you're looking for advice regarding the starting blocks or vertical jump specifically, the clean and jerk has shown to significantly improve performance in those motions.)

Sources and further reading

Baechle, T. R., & Earle, R. W. (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd ed., pp. 400-401). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. http://amzn.com/0736058036 (Note that the fourth edition has come out, but I haven't had the chance to read the difference summary.)

Kenney, W. L., Wilmore, J. H., & Costill, D. L. (2011). Physiology of Sport and Exercise (5th ed., pp. 272-273). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. http://amzn.com/0736094091

Timing doesn't matter so much so long as you're hitting your macros ([See the FAQ] (https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/faq#wiki_how_important_is_nutrient_or_meal_timing.3F)).

That said some people will experience apetite loss during / after workout for a bit. As I understand it's due to increased blood flow in the rest of your body removing blood flow from your stomach. (Source: I beleive I read this in [Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning - 3rd Edition] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736058036/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1))

You're asking for a lot of details...

General consensus: 3-5 reps for power, 5-8 for pure strength, 8-10 for hypertrophy, 12+ for endurance. Recent research has partially debunked these ideas but general knowledge is alright.

Do some homework this summer if you REALLY want to understand strength training (cheap and effective): Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning.

Have you read this? If not, you should.

I've got an acquaintance that took the test, said he was surprised by the number of questions from section 5 of the book.

I only used the course book. The test was not very difficult to me. I would generally think that a lifter would focus on all of the right material to study except the big section of not letting athletes die. Lots of questions on eating disorders, hydration, heat stroke

I work in a biomechanics and motor control lab

Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning - National Strength and Conditioning Association

Designing Resistance Training Programs

Science and Practice of Strength Training

Periodization Training for Sports

Strength work should be low repetition (1-6 reps). Recovery period will be 3-5 minutes between sets.
Hypertrophy (ie size) work should be medium repetition (8-12 reps). Recovery period will be shorter, 1-3 minutes.
For hypertrophy, lifting to failure is not necessarily bad. For strength, you don't want to miss reps really.
The above points aren't really debated among educated fitness professionals.
Source: any kinesiology textbook anywhere. But here's a good one
http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Strength-Training-Conditioning-Edition/dp/0736058036

Endurance is its own metric. There is no such thing as "endurance strength". Do you have any physiological education? Endurance tx increases endurance. Period. No other words are needed.

There is no such thing as an "endurance muscle". There is, however, Type I muscle fiber, which is primarily recruited for endurance exercise due to its significantly greater aerobic capacity than Type II fiber.

Further reading

Further reading 2