Power Training Is Not For Athletes Only
What is Power Training?
Over the years training for power has been getting a lot of traction in the fitness community. Whether you are a regular gym goer, a weekend warrior or if the gym is your second home, you have heard about powerlifting, and Olympic weightlifting being referred to as power training. However, they are two completely different types of training. Yes, Powerlifting has the word “power” attached to it, but that sport does not train for power. Olympic weightlifting does. The main difference between the two is the velocity and the speed factor. In Kinesiology (the study of human Kinetics & Kinematics) Power is simply referred to as force times velocity. Simply stated, power training is moving weight fast.
“Hey Coach, who Benefits of Power Training?”
Power training increases your overall athletic performance, it can reduce the effects of Parkinson’s disease, improves motor control and neurological signaling. In activities of daily living (ADLs) strength is expressed as power. Whether you are catching your step after you trip over something, throwing a ball, jumping around with your children, or even going out for a jog, you are expressing power in your movement.
Everyone benefits from from power training; however, certain populations benefit more than others. People over forty-five and athletes benefit the most from this type of training. Power training can sometimes save your life. The number one cause of death in older adults is falls, hence the famous phrase “I have fallen and can’t get up” (one alert). When I was working with CareMore back in 2016, I specialized in geriatric training and our main priority was to prolong the life expectancy of our seniors. Power training was the answer, and the results were incredible.
Most commonly, athletes train for power development. Although, athletes are classified into two main categories, Power-athletes and Skilled-athletes, I would argue that all athletes benefit from power training. Depending on the objective, athletes can increase their acceleration, speed, change of direction, increase their vertical jump, and in the case of rugby and American football, collision impact output can also increase.
What types of power exercises are good to implement?
Implementing some power training exercises on your own can be beneficial but I would highly recommend training with a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS) or a Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach (RSCC) to prevent injury. The risks of training for power can include tendinopathy, tendinitis, spondylosis, and many other orthopedic conditions. Here is a list of low risk and high-risk exercises. Give the low-risk exercises a try but beware of the high-risk exercises - hire a professional.
Low Risk Power Exercises
Bench press
Overhead Press
Step Up
Inverted Row
Box Jump (ground to box)
Medicine Ball Slam
Note: For these exercises to be considered power exercises, tempo is important. Slow on the eccentric (lowering) and fast on the concentric (ascending). The eccentric movement has to las 2-3 seconds and the concentric should last 1 second. To accomplish the right tempo loads of 40-60% of your one rep max should be used.
High Risks Power Exercises
Snatch
Clean
Jerk
Depth Jump
Loaded Vertical Jumps
Burpees
The take home message of this short blog is that power is essential for living a healthy life. The benefits of training for power outweigh the risks in the low-risk exercise list. For the more advanced exercises, there is a higher risk of injury if the coach you hire is not qualified. Like always, I am a few feet away from the platforms so if you need assistance please don't hesitate to reach out.