More on Power...

If we again consider the power equation, P = F x d/t, we are left with two primary objectives when lifting for power improvements. One is to keep speed constant on the lift and increase the mass that we are lifting (remember that F = m x a). The other is to increase the speed at which we are lifting the same mass. I'm assuming that you don't have some sort of freaky levers or appendages that allow you to alter the distance to any significant degree, so we'll keep distance equal in all considerations. (Although you could alter the exercise slightly, say a snatch-grip deadlift as opposed to a conventional deadlift with the same weight and speed, but increasing the distance slightly, but I digress...).

Most everyone focuses on lifting more and more weight to increase power, but that's only half of the equation! You can still get tremendous results with little increase in injury potential if you focus on moving weight faster throughout the repetition. Let us not forget that very rarely is the strongest guy on the team the best athlete. This reminds me of a great story I saw years ago....if powerlifting was so great a developing athletes, then why aren't more powerlifters pro athletes? Certainly they're stronger than most pro athletes, so why struggle in a sport with such meager earnings? Why not use is for something more lucrative?

Obviously I'm being rhetorical here. There's much more to sports performance than the squat, bench and deadlift, but the point is well taken by strength coaches that train their athletes to be powerlifters. Louie Simmons does a great job of differentiating from his sport to the athletes sport and has the results to back it up. We all need to forget where we come from and focus on the client to be effective coaches.

Klaus Bartonietz, a track and field coach from Europe, brings us back to the importance of the power equation when training athletes. On the Athletics Coaching website discussion forum, Klaus reminds a poster about the importance of speed in lifting:

If 100kg are lifted with a maximum barbell velocity of 2m/s, then 20kg can be lifted with the same 2m/s or even much less, but should be pulled with 10m/s for the corresponding power outcome. For this, the bar has to be thrown away, like a overhead throw. And this is a different type of exercise.

Simple calculations showing the importance of movement speed for the power outcome during a lift:

Power outcome of snatching 100kg: 100kg x 9,81m/s2 x 2m/s = 2000 Watt

slow (“normal speed”) 20kg:20kg x 9,81m/s2 x 2m/s = 400 Watt only!!

fast 20kg: 20kg x 9,81m/s2 x 10m/s = 2000 Watt

I highlighted the point about throwing the bar. This prevents the deceleration of the bar during concentric movement...bringing compensatory acceleration to new levels!! This is bridging the gap between strength training and shock training that Dr. Verkhoshansky has so eloquently developed.

Stay tuned for more.