Power is King: Part 1

Power is King: Part 1

In the world of athletics the ability to generate power directly influences sports performance. When training a younger athlete or a beginner to strength training increase's in strength will also increase power. That being said when training more advanced athletes training for power must be done with exercises where you move heavy loads very quickly i.e. Olympics lifts, Snatch, Clean & Jerk and their accessory moves. 

    You might be thinking that if you move lighter weight faster then you will increase your power out put. Not true, working sets of  power cleans done at 50% of 1RM are not going to increase your 1RM power clean. You must spend time trying to acclerate heavier weight if peak power production is to be increased. So then the opposite would not be true either, strength training with near maximal loads is usually done at a slow repetition speed. Think about pulling your 1RM deadlift, how long did it take to get it from the floor to lock out? Moving heavy loads slowly will not increase your power out put.  Here's how you calculate and compare training methods for increased power out put.

Take a baseball player who trains with traditional power lifting exercise* (deadlift). 

Bodyweight = 100kg(220lb)

Deadlift personal best 1RM=200kg(440lb)

Distance from the floor to lock out= .60 meters

Time to lock out = 4 seconds

To calculate his power output in the deadlift, first calculate the work performed

(force x gravitational constant x distance)

work = 200kg x 9.8m/s(2) x .60 = 1176 newton meters (N m)

Now calcualte total power generated ( work/time) 

power = 1176 N m / 4 seconds = 294 watts

Now we can express this through power / bodyweight  or relative power output.

Realitive power = 294 watts / 100kg = 2.94 watts/kg

This relative power scaled to the mass of the athlete.

Now we use the same formula to calculate the power genretared by a baseball player who trains specifically for power development by using a Olympic lifts (power clean).

Bodyweight = 100kg(220lb)

Power clean personal best 1RM=102.2kg(225lb)

Distance from the floor to lock out= 1.27 meters

Time to lock out = .6 seconds

Work performed 

102.2kg  x 9.8m/s(2) x 1.27m =1271 N m

Total power generated (work/time)

power = 1271 / .6 = 2119.9 watts

Relative Power output (power/bodyweight)

relative power = 2119.9watts / 100 = 21.1 watts/kg

Deadlift @  440lb = 2.94 watts/kg      vs.     Power clean @ 225lb = 21.1watts/kg

The difference between the two lifts is the increased speed and distance of the power clean. Even though the weight for the power clean is almost half of that of the deadlift the baseball player is moving the weight 6 times faster and further then the deadlift. This statement should not be used to discount the effectiveness of power lifting( low power-high strength) exercies but this statement does express that olympic lifts ( high power) should be a part of any program used to increase athletes power output.

* The term powerlifting is a mis-nomer since power lifting is concerned with maxiaml strength not power. 

1-9-13

Clean and Jerk 

2 x 2 @ 80%

2 x 2 @ 85%

Snatch Balance

1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Your first set of one rep should start at 70% of 1RM Snatch balance. From there work your way up to a 1RM.

Sots Press (snatch width grip)

2-2-2-2-2

Work your way up in weight. Start from the bottom of the squat with the bar on your back, working on keeping your elbow pit's up(external rotation) when pressing the bar up.

Pause Front Squat

2 EMOTM for 8 min @ 80% of 1RM

Daily WOD

                    The "BIG ERN" A great power athlete in his own right.