Power & Strength Training: Why You Need It
Power is the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movement. While it sounds simple, what you probably don’t know is that after the age of 30, we start losing up to ten percent of our strength every decade and thereafter. To make it worse, we’re losing nearly three times that amount in power! So how we do maintain power as we age? It’s simple…with power and strength training!
What Is Power Training?
Power is the product of both strength and speed, and at Driven Fit in South Tampa, it is a key element in achieving overall fitness results. Because power training stimulates the nervous system, it can reduce the chance of injury when used frequently and correctly. Power training involves:
- Increasing power (obviously)
- Exercises that produce gains in power which help sustain physical ability
- Finding an optimal combination of speed and weight training
Strength vs. Power
As we age, power flows more swiftly than strength. With that in mind, most of our custom fitness programs include exercises that produce gains in both strength and power.
Unfortunately, in our industry we know many other trainers underutilize the power training part. For instance, other personal trainers often focus on the amount of weight and number of reps without paying mind to the speed of execution. Team Driven knows optimal power training and overall fitness results are achieved when speed is added to weightlifting and resistance training.
Driven Fit Power Training Exercises
We’ve got several power training exercises in our arsenal, but these are by far our favorites:
Kettlebell Swings
Several studies show how kettlebell swings are significant to power development, especially in terms of vertical jumping. In addition, the kettlebell swing is an excellent way to incorporate conditioning and volume training for your glutes and hamstrings. We have a wide array at the studio so you can work up as you increase your strength!
Bust it with Battle Ropes
Ropes are a versatile tool that allows you to combine other movements to achieve a more efficient workout. Work your arms and legs with a hip hinge motion to swing the ropes and produce power in your hips, hamstrings, and glutes. You can blast calories and build muscle at our gym when you add these to your regimen.
Medball Slams
Perfect for power, perfect for releasing pent-up frustration! And, while you may think slamming a big, heavy ball is going to hurt, it’s one of the most joint-friendly power movements and easiest to learn.
Principles of Power Training
At Driven Fit, we understand the importance of power training (especially for our clients ages 30 and up) and incorporate it into most of our fitness programs. The philosophy of power training is straight forward and includes:
- Choosing the right tool. Whether you choose a medball, kettlebell, or sandbag, power is achievable by using a variety of different tools. Choose what works best for you and your fitness program.
- Performing power work first. Power exercises belong at the beginning of the workout when the body is fresh and not fatigued. Plus, we just like getting the real hard stuff out of the way and moving on with the rest of the workout. Hate us at the beginning and love us at the end!
- Keeping reps moderate. Power work doesn’t involve utilizing super high reps or chasing fatigue. In fact, both are counterproductive in terms of developing power. Your trainer will make sure that the reps push you but don’t completely burn you out; we’ll also watch for proper form on every move.
Power Training at Driven Fit
Ready for power?! The personal trainers at Driven Fit can help you achieve the results you want! For more information on our fitness programs, please call or text our South Tampa wellness studio gym today at (813) 440-3016!
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