Maximum strength development in martial arts and perception and awareness: new approach for training methods

The development of strength in combat sports is often studied independently of athletes' perceptions, despite its application in variable “open skills” contexts. While the literature highlights the impact of strength training on performance, limited research examines the link between strength improvement and athletes' awareness of associated psychophysical benefits. This study aimed to provide preliminary evidence exploring the relationship between the physical effects of a strength training protocol and athletes' perceptions and awareness. Twelve male Wushu Sanda athletes (16–27 years) with similar athletic characteristics participated. Pre-, mid-training, and post-testing measured one-repetition maximum (1RM) for Bench Press, Back Squat, and Deadlift, while questionnaires assessed perception and awareness. The training protocol consisted of 3 weekly sessions over 8 weeks. Statistical analysis (repeated-measures ANOVA/Friedman and Bonferroni/Wilcoxon post hoc tests) revealed significant strength gains and progressive improvements in confidence and awareness of training benefits. Quantitatively, participants showed increases of 17.3% in Bench Press, 14.7% in Back Squat, and 15.7% in Deadlift (p < 0.05). Differences were most pronounced between pre- and post-tests, underscoring the value of extended training. The findings suggest the effectiveness of the protocol in developing maximal strength and demonstrate a clear connection between physical improvements and enhanced athlete perception and awareness. Given the small sample size and lack of a control group, these findings should be interpreted with caution. These results highlight the importance of integrating psychological and motivational factors into physically demanding training programs to maximize outcomes.