WHAT IS POWER

MARCH 10, 2017 / BRAINSTORMCOM

Power – The ability to use muscle strength quickly. Power is a skill-related component of
physical fitness. How can power be improved or increased? It can be increase by three
general ways: increase the force-producing capabilities of muscles; decrease the time it
takes to move across a distance due to faster speed; and increase the distance a force
acts on one’s body. Total body strength training, increased flexibility through stretching,
sport specific training and improved technique, sharp mental focus, and increased
reaction time are many ways to improve overall power. Power can be tested by
performing a vertical jump test or standing long jump. Examples of power: Psychometric
training (such as jump squats or box jumps), jumping exercises, or in track and field- the
running long jump or high jump.

Power is the first skill-related component of physical fitness for Preliminary PDHPE.
Power defined as an amount of work done in a particular time. Work is the product of a
force on an object, and remember, muscular strength is the maximal amount of force
muscles can exert on an object. This means that muscular power is directly affected by
muscular strength. In this context, power essentially be thought of a strength at speed.
To measure someone’s maximal power is to measure how much strength they have at
the fastest speed they can exert it.

Power = Work (force x distance)

Time

In order to develop power many athletes will seek to develop their strength at speed.
Power relates to movement efficiency and sports performance because for many sports
power is required more than strength or speed on its own. This is because acceleration
relates to power. So for example, when a full-back wants to take on the defensive line,
they often move along at a “cruise” pace, and then quickly accelerate around the
defender. This acceleration requires power in order to get around the defence as they
have to react before they then exert their power in order to catch them. If the full-back
has greater power, he is more likely to get around the defender.

Greater power will also mean the athlete can complete set amounts of work at a faster
rate. This means they are less efficient in terms of energy expenditure per minute, but
more efficient if it is a time related sport. So for example, they will use more energy
faster throughout a 60 minute Netball game. This may mean they fatigue faster and
require more rests. This is why in rugby league the forwards are substituted so
frequently, they have a greater power and require greater rests because they fatigue
faster.

On the other hand, in sports such as the 100 m sprint, or a 50 m swim greater power is
an advantage as it will allow the body to move faster and complete the set amount of
work in a faster time. it is also advantageous in sports where short fast movements are
helpful to the outcome, such as martial arts or combat sports. Boxing in-particular
benefits from the athlete having excellent power in their punches, and tennis from power
in the serve.

If an athlete has good power, this does not directly result in good performance, not even
in a sport such as shot put, which is heavily influenced by power. This is because
performance in sport also requires good technique and often many of the other
components of physical fitness. A rugby player with great power is still fairly useless
without good muscular endurance, or coordination. However, athletes in sports where
power is prominent will generally perform better if they have good power to go with their
good technique etc.

Power - the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive

burst of movements. The two components of power are strength and speed. (e.g.
jumping or a sprint start)

Sports Definition: the ability to exert a maximal force in as short a time as possible, as in
accelerating, jumping and throwing implements. While 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.

Throwing a baseball, kicking a soccer ball, sprinting and jumping are all examples of
power activities, and there are exercises and drills you can use to help develop power.
When training for power, quality of movement is more important than quantity of
repetitions.

Matthew Cain, PhD by Matthew Cain, PhD

on February 20, 2018

Power is a fundamental component of fitness that is often developed through Olympic

weightlifting movements. However, not all clients meet the strength and mobility
prerequisites to perform these types of exercises. For example, if clients are unable to
perform a barbell overhead squat, it could be dangerous for them to attempt a barbell
snatch. As such, health and fitness professionals should utilize other exercises that can
develop power, while considering the overall needs and goals of their clients.

2. ONLY ONE STANDARDIZED EXERCISE

1. Jump Squat With Arm Action

Exercise Type: Low-force, high-velocity

Stand with the feet hip- to shoulder-width apart and arms parallel to the sides of the
body. Preparatory phase: Begin with a lower-body countermovement, while performing
a double-arm action heading backward. Upward phase: Explode (jump) through the
floor utilizing triple extension (of the ankles, knees and hips) and both arms, reaching for
a desired target. Downward phase: Land softly, like a cat, on the mid-foot in a quarter-
squat position, with shoulders, knees and toes aligned. You may want a client to load
this exercise with low-to-moderate dumbbell resistance. Follow the same instructions as
above, with the following exceptions: Hold dumbbells in both hands while performing the
jump squats, but do not move the arms.

. Jumping, or plyometrics, can also build power in the legs for a higher vertical jump,
faster sprint and quick acceleration. Two different studies, one in the January 2010
"Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research," and the other in the June 2004
"British Journal of Sports Medicine" showed that having strong, powerful legs directly
relates to sprinting and jumping performance

Jump squats are a high-intensity plyometric exercise that are excellent for building
explosive power, conditioning the muscles and joints of the lower body and increasing
the height of your vertical jump. Because of their difficulty, jump squats should be
performed correctly to prevent injury and get the most out of the exercise. Before
performing jump squats, you should familiarize yourself with basic takeoff and landing
position, correct jumping technique and the mechanics of creating and absorbing force.
1. Take the proper stance. Get into a normal standing position, with your body facing
forward and feet parallel. Your feet should be directly underneath your shoulders. Now,
slide them a couple inches apart and turn your toes slightly outward. From this stance,
you’ll have a solid base to take off from and land in. Also, your knees will stay in natural
alignment with your toes during the squat portion of the movement, which will alleviate
the pressure on your knees.[1]

2. Lower yourself into the squat. Begin the squat by lowering your hips back and down
while bending your knees. Keep your chest upright, with your chin up and head facing
forward. Get into as deep a squat as you can while maintaining the correct technique.
Your arms can either be down at your sides or held poised out in front of you to assist in
balancing at the lowest point of the squat. Take a deep breath as you go down.[2]

3. Initiate the jump. Once you’ve gone as low as you can, reverse your motion in one
quick, explosive movement. Drive hard with your legs as you come up out of the squat.
Lift your arms to chest level and keep your torso and head straight and upright. Breathe
out sharply as you push through the squat.[3]

4. Jump as high as you can. At the top position of the squat, keep pushing to propel
yourself into the jump. The balls of your feet should be the last part of your body in
contact with the ground. Take advantage of the strength of your calf muscles to
generate extra force as you go airborne. Throw your arms up straight over your head
and use the momentum to extend your body and carry you higher.[4]

Part Three of Four:

Landing Safely and Correctly

Image titled Do Jump Squats Step 5

1. Control your descent. When you reach the peak of your jump, you’ll need to begin
preparing yourself for the landing. Keep your core tight to prevent your body from
turning or rotating off its axis in midair. Bring your arms back down from overhead to
guide your trajectory as you lower your eyes to spot the ground beneath you. Your legs
should be fully extended when you reestablish contact with the ground.[5]

2. Touch down with the balls of your feet. Point your toes and allow the balls of your feet
to touch first. The calves control extension and flexion of the foot, and will be the first
muscle group responsible for slowing your downward movement. Your feet should be in
roughly the same position they were in during the takeoff, slightly wider than shoulder
width apart with toes turned outward.[6]

3. Bend your knees to absorb impact. Continue lowering your weight after making
contact with the balls of your feet. Bend your knees and brace yourself with your legs as
you sink to gradually dissipate the force of the landing. Try to land as softly and
smoothly as possible. This part of the landing is critical in avoiding injury.[7]

Conditioning the legs to absorb impact has the added benefit of strengthening the
connections between muscles and tendons.

4. Put yourself in position for the next jump squat. If you’re performing a single jump
squat, or if it’s the last one of your set, stand back upright after absorbing the impact of
the landing. If you’re doing multiple, continuous jump squats, use the knee bend as a
lead-in to the next jump squat. Keep your arms in movement to stabilize yourself and
increase the height of each jump.[8]

5. HOW TO MEASURE THE PERFORMANCE

Simply put, Power = Force x Velocity, which means power can be improved by
increasing force or velocity, or using a mixed-methods approach. To maximize power
development, a combination of unloaded (e.g., 0% 1 RM) and loaded (e.g., up to 90% 1
RM) exercises should be used, which will also enhance program variety. This enables
clients to operate throughout the entire power continuum (0 to 90% 1RM) to maximize
power output. However, the intention of the movement is more important than the
movement velocity itself (Behm et al., 1993). Therefore, when trying to increase power,
encourage clients to move as fast as possible, but always with control.