power

The biggest misconception is that “power” can be used interchangeably with “strength.” The fact of the matter is that power is actually strength multiplied by speed, and to build power, the athlete must understand whether the strength component or the speed component is of greater importance to his or her sport.

That critical distinction is often misunderstood or ignored by many coaches, and the outcome translates into poor results on the playing field where power is needed most. For sports relying on strength-speed (like shot putting), speed development is important, but strength is more critical. For sports geared to speed-strength (like sprinting), training against resistance is needed, but strength acquisition from that resistance is somewhat less important. Again, grasping the difference is crucial to proceeding with the right plan, for even within the same sport, sometimes, the need for one type of power or the other can vary from position to position. In football, for instance, a lineman has great need for strength–speed, while a running back needs speed-strength. To maximize performance, the training done to elicit these effects must be specific to the goal.

How do the differences in training for power show themselves in the gym? If strength is the primary component of an athlete's power needs, the resistance levels (weights) used during training should be high. Therefore, the speed at which the exercises are performed might tend to slow down due to the exertion used in trying to lift the weights at a good, normal pace. If speed is the primary need, lower levels of resistance are used with exercise movements performed as quickly as possible. (This, however, does not mean using poor technique or locking out joints.)

Aside from differentiating between the components of power before proceeding with the right type of conditioning, coaches have to choose the right methods to use, as there are many ways to train. Training can include Olympic weightlifting exercises such as cleans, jerks or snatches. Plyometric exercises are also great, since they use the stretch reflex properties of muscles. These can be done using various forms of jumping, hopping, bounding, or with medicine balls and other stimuli to elicit the stretch reflex.