Power Training 101

   When you think of power training, think explosiveness over merely strength 

Training Time : Tim Rudd for IYCA

   Whether it’s the ability of the athlete to juke a defender and break off a big touchdown run, kicking the ball explosively past the soccer goalkeeper or slam dunking a basketball after an explosive crossover move in basketball, power training is a vital component to sport performance. 

   These are the players which every athletes envies ““ the players who dominate on the athletic field. Those players, coincidentally, are the ones who have developed the most important physical characteristic in all of sports “” POWER!

   Power is a vital component that every athlete must train for and it’s important to understand what it is and why it’s important. Power is defined by the following equation: Power = Force x Velocity. Force is essentially how strong the athlete is, or how much weight he or she can move. Velocity is how quickly the athlete can generate a percentage of that force.

   In simple terms, if an athlete is powerful, he or she will be able to generate force quickly. It’s the perfect mix of speed and strength.

   The main difference between traditional heavy weight training and power training lies in the load and speed of the movement for the exercise. 

For example:

   When training for maximal strength, loads of 75 to 95 percent are utilized with movements such as dead lifts, squats and bench press for improving maximal strength (force). This gives the athlete a foundation, or the potential to be more explosive. Olympic lifts use loads of 85 percent (30-70 percent for developing athletes) of maximal strength will results in increased rate of maximal force production, improving an athlete’s starting and explosive strength.

   Reactive or ballistic exercises such as throws, sprints and jumps “” along with any sort of agility/multi-directional speed work “” increases muscular power (ability to accept and re-produce ground reaction forces quickly).

   In sports, the goal for an athlete is to create force quickly, and power training is what separates average athletes from great athletes. That ability to create separation, change directions quickly, or jump over an opponent simply can’t be countered.

Check out this article in the digital edition of SportStars Magazine…  Power Training 101 

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