Most people focus on training for strength rather than power, but you need the ability to generate power when you play sports. For example, high-jumpers, sprinters, football players, and boxers depend on power capabilities to help them excel at the sport they play. Strength alone won’t help a high jumper propel themselves into the air and reach a maximal height, and it won’t help a boxer throw a punch. That’s where you need power capabilities!
What is the difference between strength and power? Strength is the ability to generate force, regardless of how fast you do it. Strength and power are similar in the sense that they both require the exertion of force, but they differ in terms of how quickly that force must be generated. The element of time isn’t important for strength. You’re strong if you can lift a certain amount of weight, regardless of how long you take to do it. In contrast, power is the ability to generate force in the shortest time possible. To become more powerful, you have to become stronger and/or faster, as both strength and speed are part of the equation.
As mentioned, some sports heavily depend on power, but you use power in everyday activities too. When you play volleyball, you need upper body strength and power to spike the ball. but you also need sufficient strength and power in your lower body to propel your body into the air. You even need power capabilities to thrust out of a chair. One reason older people become chair bound is that their bodies can’t generate enough momentum to push them out of a chair. That’s why both strength AND power training is important.
Smart Ways to Develop Power When You Strength Train
The secret to becoming powerful is to master the art of generating force quickly. There are several approaches to improving power capabilities. One is to increase the tempo of your lifts. With this approach, focus on moving the weight faster or even make the movement ballistic and choose a lighter weight. Otherwise, you won’t be able to increase the tempo enough to offer benefits.
How light should you go with the weight? When training for strength, the goal is to maximize the amount of resistance that you work with so you can activate as many fast-twitch muscle fibers as possible. Therefore, select a weight that’s at least 80% of your one-rep-max. Using a resistance this high, you’ll only be able to complete 2-6 repetitions before your muscles fatigue. When you train for power, you must generate force quickly. Therefore, work with a weight that’s around 60% of your one-rep max at first. With a lighter weight, you can focus on speed and moving the weight through space quickly. That’s the key to building power.
In the beginning, work with a lighter weight and higher reps, but you can still argue for adding sets where you use a heavier weight and a fast tempo once you’re more advanced. By increasing the weight to around 70% to 80% of your one-rep max and boosting the tempo, you’ll activate more fast-twitch muscle fibers early on relative to using a lighter weight. In fact, if you go too low with the weight, you’ll build muscle endurance rather than power, even if you use a fast tempo. You recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers for power movements too. So, as you become more advanced, add some sets using a heavier weight, even if you can only do 5 or 6 reps.
Beyond Dumbbells and Kettlebells
Working with dumbbells and barbells isn’t the only way to build power. Kettlebell training, like kettle bell swings, where you move the bell through space at a high speed helps develop power capabilities. With kettlebell swings, you work your lower body, core, and upper body, so it’s a total body movement. Another effective kettlebell exercise for building power is the kettlebell snatch, a more advanced move. Perfect the kettlebell swing before attempting snatches as the risk of injury is higher.
Another way to build power is to add plyometric exercises to your routine. You might already do this! Exercises like jump squats and platform jumps stretch the muscle and shorten it quickly. These movements increase the force speed with which muscles can contract, so you develop greater power. The easiest plyometric exercises to perform are ones that you do from a standing position.
A good beginner plyometric move is the jump squat. Increase the intensity by adding tuck jumps, split jumps, and long jumps. For most people, the jump squat is an old standby. You can make them easier or harder by increasing the height to which you jump, by increasing the tempo, and by doing more jumps. For power development, increasing the tempo is the best strategy. It’ll also boost your heart rate more!
Depth jumps are a more advanced move. To do one, you jump from a platform (8-24 inches in height). Upon landing on the ground, you jump as high as possible. Athletes do this movement to improve their sports performance. If you try it, make sure your platform is sturdy. It’s better not to attempt an advanced movement like this until you’ve done easier plyo moves for a while.
If you’re just starting out, get accustomed to jumping by grabbing a jump rope and jumping as fast as you can. You’ll get an excellent cardiovascular workout too!
The Bottom Line
You need power training even if don’t play sports! Your muscles lose strength and power as you age. One way to slow the aging process and stay functional is to train in a way that builds strength and power. Low reps versus high reps for power training? Start with lighter weights and higher reps but add some sets with heavier weights and lower reps as you advance. They both have benefits!
References:
- BMC Geriatr. 2017; 17: 102.Published online 2017 May 2. doi: 10.1186/s12877-017-0490-8.
- com. “5 Best Kettlebell Exercises to Build Explosive Power”
- IDEA Health and Fitness Association. “Power Training For Older Adults”
- Exp Gerontol. 2013 May;48(5):492-8.
Related Articles By Cathe:
Muscle Aging: The Importance of Power Training
Strength Versus Power: What’s the Difference and Which Is More Important for Sports Performance?