Traditionally, power training has been considered a training used exclusively for athletes and elite sports. Although it is an important component in the training of athletes, it is an equally important component in an exercise program for amateur athletes or recreational users of clubs or gyms.
Every activity that we carry out, whether in sport or during everyday activities, requires individuals to react and quickly generate force to certain demands placed on our structure. It is critical that people are trained at speeds that are functionally applicable in everyday life and sport, reducing the risk of injury and improving overall performance.
What is power training?
Power training is defined as fast, strong movements that involve an eccentric contraction (reducing force) immediately followed by an explosive concentric contraction (producing force). It incorporates the stretching capabilities of our tissues to store energy as potential energy and use this energy as kinetic energy, or energy of movement, to generate force efficiently. Power training also teaches the nervous system to recruit muscles quickly, thereby improving the speed with which the muscles generate force. It takes to increase the speed of movement and the speed of the muscles to generate force.
Why is power training important?
Regardless of the population or activity in question, the ability to react and generate force quickly is crucial to overall function and safety during movement. Power training can improve the ability to stabilize, reduce, and dynamically produce forces at speeds that are functionally applicable to tasks or sports.
Our nervous system will recruit muscles at speeds for which it has been trained. If we do not train the nervous system to recruit muscles quickly, the nervous system will not be able to respond properly. For example, if two basketball players of the same height are going to jump, the one who can react and generate force faster will win the jump. The same goes for the general population. If a person steps off a step that is deeper than expected, they may lose their balance and fall. If the nervous system has been properly trained to react quickly, a person who loses balance can recruit the correct muscles at the right time, allowing them to regain balance and lessen the chance of falls or injuries.
How to train muscle power?
It is important to bear in mind that power training has to be incorporated into the exercise program, but first a base of anatomical adaptation and strength has to be developed, since due to its explosive nature it has a lot of impact on muscle-tendon structures. (Cronin, 2005).
Power training could be said to be like strength training but performed at maximum speeds. The exercises have to be performed quickly and explosively, with an emphasis on the concentric part of the movement.
It becomes clear that power training is no longer just for athletes. It is an important component in all exercise programs to improve function, performance, and decrease the risk of injury.
In the DiR club hours you can find specific sessions for the development of these benefits, or contact a DiR personal trainer in your reference club.