For too long power training has been the domain of Olympic Lifters and elite sportsmen.
Even many top level athletes are directed away from weight training because in the belief it will slow them down.
Many boxers are misinformed that weight training will cause them to add bulk which will either slow them down or play havoc with remaining in a particular weight division.
Runners are also told weight training leads to slower muscle contractions and greater bulk which will reduce their times as they haul ass around a middle to long distance race.
Whilst these suggestions can be true, it is only in the case of bad programming using 1970’s bodybuilding programs which are indeed counter productive in the sports arena.
A properly designed resistance training program is in fact critical to optimising potential and achieving almost any goal.
Here is why power training should feature in every program:
Runners
Most runners struggle to finish a race strongly because of a lack of sufficient power endurance in the legs which leads to reduced stride length, not because of poor stamina or endurance capabilities.
Watch any half marathon and you’ll see many people complain that they have ‘nothing in their legs’ at the end of a race yet they are able to maintain a solid conversation as soon as they cross the line because they are not panting for oxygen.
A combination of poor strength endurance and inefficient running economy can be the difference between a good runner and a top athlete and both can be improved through power training.
A study into the effect of explosive training on runners such as plyometrics with bodyweight only, fast repetitions against 0-40% of 1RM and sprints, showed enhanced 5km times with no change in V02 max (the standard indicator of cardiovascular performance).
The runners concerned had 33% of their running training replaced with THE explosive resistance training, so they were running less but performing better in a test situation over 5km.
Similarly over 14 weeks, a group of well-trained runners followed a program of concurrent endurance running with power training using weights of >90% of their 1RM. Again, they experienced gains in leg strength and power and improvements to running economy with no change in aerobic capacity. (Unfortunately no time trial tests were conducted but improvements are highly likely to have occurred due to improved running economy).
This makes interesting reading for those who either get bored by just running all the time or who are frustrated at plateau’s in run times over any distance.
In this case, exercises such as bounding, power lunges (bodyweight and against resistance), jump squats (bodyweight and against resistance), multi-directional single leg jumps, power cleans, and kettlebell swings and snatches are highly effective.
Power-based exercises enable the runner to train their ability to effectively decelerate and accelerate on each stride, prolonging the time to fatigue. They are also critical for developing stability in the lower limbs under the considerable downward forces experienced during running.
Traditional stability exercises clearly have their place in a training program but stabilizing joints in a static situation (such as single leg squats) does not in anyway guarantee stability during running.
At the moment each foot is planted, downward forces are 6-8 times that of bodyweight, and deceleration of bodyweight and stabilisation of the joints requires specific power training as detailed above.
Wobbling on a glorified ‘woopee cushion’ won’t get the job done!
This applies not only to competitive runners but sportsmen and women of all disciplines who are required to have the ability to stabilise their joints and power off in any direction in a split second.
Fat Loss
Few people looking to shed some pounds have any desire to increase their power clean or hang snatch, especially beginners. Fair enough.
However, the use of power exercises of different forms are critical to ensure rapid and consistent fat loss results.
Without simplifying the matter too much (although it is often unnecessarily complicated), fat loss requires building muscle and burning fat through resistance training, clean nutrition and perhaps cardio interval training. For some, aerobic exercise may be added if the time and energy levels are there for some extra calorie burning but this is rarely necessary nor productive.
Whatever your beliefs regarding sets and reps for fat loss the fact remains that the heavier the weight that can be lifted for that chosen rep scheme, the greater the stress on the muscle and the greater the intensity of post-exercise recovery thus elevating metabolic rate.
For instance, where all other factors remain equal, a man who can squat 80kg for 8 reps will experience results faster than an identical man who can squat 65kg for 8 reps. The difference can only be eliminated quickly through increases in strength and power which won’t come fast enough simply by trying to add 5lbs to the bar each week within the 8-10 rep range.
To a certain extent, working within a particular rep scheme will bring a degree of strength gain but not nearly as fast as when power training movements are included.
Introducing exercises which improve neurological firing patterns and consequently muscle recruitment, means heavier weights can be lifted for more reps in any given set.
More advanced trainees needing to shed some pounds can use many exercises such as variations of power cleans, snatches, jerks and plyometrics as well as medicine ball exercises like slams and overhead throws.
However, clearly most of these are impractical for beginners. This should not discourage a trainer or enthusiast from using ‘power’ training as there are many options which can be used without the need for high skill levels.
For example, using isometric contractions at different angles of the movement (particularly those where the person is weakest).
When trying to improve the contractile force of a muscle, using contractions in which the tension is built rapidly over 3-5 seconds can lead to fast gains in muscle fibre recruitment and thus power and ultimately increases in the weights that can be used in the training program.
For instance, if a person is unable to perform full push ups because they lose all strength at the bottom of the movement, using isometric pushes against a wall through various ranges can help develop the necessary strength and power in the muscle to help with the main exercise.
The ‘fat loss’ program thus becomes much more effective, much faster (assuming clean nutrition is being adhered to!)
Power can be defined as the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movements. The two components of power are strength and speed (
www.brianmac.co.uk)
Developing power does not necessarily have to involve Olympic lifts or bounding up and down an athletics track, but can have dramatic results in beginners and advanced trainees alike looking for fat loss, when programmed correctly.
Muscle Building[/b]
In talking about fat loss, we’ve seen why power training improves the ability to lift heavier weights through any rep range.
It therefore doesn’t take much more explanation to see why it is also imperative for those looking for increased muscle size.
Either performing strength and power work at lower rep ranges at the start of each session or building in cycles of strength training will work.
Muscle gain may be somewhat slower compared to a ‘hypertrophy only’ phase but will set you in much greater stead for another acceleration of size in 4-6 weeks time!
The Westside barbell club is famous for it’s use of ‘speed’ deadlifts, squats and bench press to improve the core lifts. There is a lot more to this method than people think but the concept is based around performing power movements with light weights 2-3 days before performing the ‘big lift’, benefitting from neurological carryovers.
For instance, I might perform deadlifts at 50% of my 1RM for 6x2 reps on Monday, then go for
PR on the Wednesday or Thursday performing ‘normal’ deadlifts.
This can be used to improve pure strength, or the performance of sets in the hypertrophy range thus aiding muscle growth.
Also, power training by its very nature requires work to be done by the ‘fast-twitch’ fibres of the working muscle. These fibres have much greater potential for growth and so stimulation of the nervous patterns that control them will be of great benefit to those seeking muscle growth.
It is clear therefore that no matter what the goal is, power training should play a key role. It is my belief that power exercises should be an ever-present element in any training program and not ignored for long periods of time as in traditional periodisation models.
Clearly different sports will place less or more importance on power in improving performance and within each sport this the need will change throughout the training year.
For some, a set or two at the start of each strength and conditioning session will suffice to maintain fast muscle-firing patterns, whereas for other sports it will be a major priority thus taking up a large proportion of training time.
For instance a triathlete may focus on strength and power through resistance training during the off-season from November to December time before converting these new capabilities as they begin to return to higher volumes of swimming, cycling and running. However, they should maintain a low volume of power training even during the competitive season.
Under no circumstances should power training be ignored for optimal physical performance regardless of age, gender or goal.
Even a 75 year old lady looking to simply improve quality of life needs the ability to get up and down easily and react to unstable situations which could lead to injury. This is based trained through power-based movements which develop or at least maintain fast muscle-recruitment!
The exercises will change, the degree of difficulty will change but the fact remains that every human being needs the ability to generate power effectively both in daily life and in sport.
Jon Le Tocq, Storm Force Fitness
The Importance Of Power Training For Any Goal
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