Power: The Forgotten but Vital Training Variable
How to measure and improve your power to enhance health, capability and longevity
Many go to the gym to either build muscle, trim fat, get stronger, or improve their endurance. But there is one aspect of performance that is often ignored — improving power.
Power is a measure of work over time. It is how quickly you can generate force. Jumping, throwing, and swinging a golf club require power. In baseball, fastball velocity is one of the most important performance metrics a coach and scout looks at. In many track and field sports, your speed and jump height are all that matters.
Even if you aren’t an elite athlete, power helps you stand up from a chair, toss a bag of mulch in the back of a truck, or throw your kid in the pool.
Power is a primary marker of health and wellness, along with strength, VO2 max, and vitals. Without power, we can’t quickly generate force. In simple terms, force is a push or pull that can make things move, stop, or change direction. Your strength is how much force you can produce while power is how quickly you can produce it.
Power declines with age
Research shows our maximum power production for a typical person reduces by more than 50%…
