Strength training results in a ton of benefits and when add speed to the equation you’ve got what is known as power exercises. Power training boils down to overcoming resistance as quickly as possible. Instead of teaching your muscles to just get bigger and stronger, power work enhances the neuromuscular system, so your body can respond to a stimulus and react more efficiently.
Benefits Of Power Training
Power work improves your reaction time, balance, coordination, and overall performance. Since power training is higher in intensity, you will increase your cardiovascular endurance. It’s also good for joint health. Power exercising puts a higher load on joints, tendons, and ligaments than other types of exercise, which helps make them stronger over time. These benefits become increasingly important as we get older, since we tend to lose power more quickly than we lose strength. Recent research suggests power declines by 7 to 14 percent per decade in adults, which is why we can all benefit from power training.
Types Of Power Training
Plyometrics or Jump Training– focusses on your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for explosive movements, by forcing them to stretch and contract quickly. This includes a variety of explosive jumps, hops, and quick agility moves that involve fast feet or changes in direction.
Trajectory or Ballistic Work– focuses on your ability to move or launch an object (like a medicine ball) as hard or far as possible.
Dynamic Power Training– involves tweaking your approach to typical strength moves and use a moderate weight—50 to 60 percent of your one-rep max to increase your intensity.
How To Incorporate Power Training into Your Workouts
- Keep intensity moderate- Maintain an effort level of 50 to 60 percent of your max, especially during weighted movements. This intensity level ensures you can still move with the speed needed to gain the maximum benefits.
- Mind your reps- Don’t push yourself into fatigue or bad form. Stick to about six reps or roughly 10 seconds of work time.
- Rest & Recovery- To maintain peak output, you must take recovery seriously. Stick to a work-to-rest ratio of one to five to ensure you get the most of your performance.
Put It Together- Rainbow Slam Power Move
- Kneel on the ground, with your knees slightly wider than hip-distance apart.
- Hold a dumbbell in both hands, rotate your upper body slightly, and extend your arms so you’re holding it towards the right side of your body.
- Forcefully, but with control, swing the dumbbell over your head in an arch or rainbow shape, until you reach the same position on the opposite side of your body.
- Alternate directions and swing the dumbbell back to the other side.
- Do 5 reps.
