What is power?

The ability to exert a maximal force in as short a time as possible.

Strength + speed = power.

Strength is the maximal force you can apply against a load. Power is proportional to the speed at which you can apply this maximal force.

Jumping with weights or throwing weights are classed as power training exercises therefore weightlifting is one of these.

Muscle power is one of the main fitness components, again one of the top sports requiring power is weightlifting. Power in sport = moving weight with speed.

Explosive power = Rapid movements that require a maximum power output in the shortest amount of time.

Power is about muscle performance but agility, speed, coordination, strength, balance, flexibility and endurance could also affect an athlete’s power within sport.

Power is also a product of strength. A stronger athlete would simply be someone in the same weight category that can lift heavier than the other athlete. For example someone in the women’s 64kg category that can snatch 50kg would be classed as more powerful of an athlete than a woman in the 71kg category who can snatch the same max weight. However strength may be harder to compare between athletes if you break it down. For example; a woman in the 71kg category may be able to shift more mass e.g. squat 100kg which would be classed as having more absolute strength whereas the woman within the 64kg category may have her max squat at 85kg and therefore she possess less absolute strength but more relative strength (the amount of weight she can lift that is relative to her bodyweight).

Some coaches believe that although power is a product of strength, it should be developed separately from strength. Power can be developed in several ways but sprinting and jumping are the easiest ways to develop power.

Why is power important?

Power in sports is essential for peak physical performance and is an essential physical component of fitness to develop with a sports coach. Power in sport is a great measure of overall fitness of an athlete. Although it may be more important in some sports than others, all athletes need a certain amount of power to exert in order to succeed in their sport. There is more focus on power training for certain sports people. The ambition may simply be for others to improve the rate of force production behind them.

To be powerful as an athlete you need to; be strong, have good balance and have good coordination. You also need to be able to control your power.

Testing power:

Tests for power and speed include throwing, hitting, jumping and running tests (the last two are the most popular). Vertical jump tests mainly look at measuring leg power. Throwing and hitting tests normally combine a series of moves to determine endurance and power. We have completed distance jump tests in weightlifting before- I wonder wouldn’t a vertical jump test be more appropriate/reliable for a test of power in our chosen sport? We create vertical explosive movement in triple extension rather than distance…

Speed tests are used to determine power in sport by meausuring stamina and velocity.

Sprint tests- generally include 20m dashes to 60m sprints. Sports coaches may test athletes in these using GPS/accelerometers to track speed. Cycling, punching and swimming tests are also other examples to test power in sport.

Improving your power and sports and exercises that can be used to do this:

How do we achieve more power?

• Get stronger and/or…
• Get faster

Initially to develop power, improving someone’s maximal strength will be far more important than building speed. Then once sufficient maximal strength has been developed, the target can then switch to improving speed. Then both components can be developed for strength and power.

Power can be developed in accordance with relevant exercises and workouts that are specific to your chosen sport. Resistance training is a main type of training used for this.

Exercises; Slam balls for explosive power , squat jumps for power in your lower half, push ups for overall strength.

Sports that help improve power (and overall fitness); boxing for strength and explosive power, different sports such as rock climbing/bouldering to use new muscle groups and push your body to new limits, weightlifting – a very power specific sport and overall type of resistance training.

Biological Power – (explained in other post) https://fibrofitness.health.blog/2019/07/29/biological-power/

What else comes into power?

• Speed- strength
• Triple extension in lifts/jumps
• Speed of turn over in lifts
• Power achieved in vertical Vs distance jumps
• Other skills that are needed within that sport.
• Biomechanics
• Anatomy and people’s ‘makeup’
• Body composition
• Carry over from other sports before (e.g. rowers into triple extension for cleans/ sprinters to split jerk timing)
• Practice and effects of plyometrics
• Lateral & uni-lateral power
• Biological power
• Energy systems- phosphagen specifically
• Muscular contractions
• Fast twitch muscle fibers
• Flexibility and fascia.