Muscular Power and Explosiveness
Muscular power development depends upon the right balance of
speed and agility
as well as
strength
for specific skills and sports that require explosiveness.
Definition: Muscular power is the ability to exert maximum force in minimum time. It is a combination of speed and strength.
It is the rate at which one can perform work. Powerful athletes are explosive and can accelerate rapidly (increases in the rate of speed of movements).

Denise's Mentor for the Discus, Jean Roberts, Australian Olympian
Examples: Jumping, spiking a volleyball, and throwing the discus. Olympic lifters have been known to generate more power than athletes in any other sport. See
Olympic Lifting
How to Develop: Build both speed and strength in the optimum balance, with
body coordination
by practicing the target tasks, events, or sports. The clean, snatch, and speed squat are excellent training lifts. Examples of sports training
activities include plyometric exercises (e.g., bounding), using medicine balls, and practicing starts for sprinting.
How to Measure: Generally speaking, use any activity where maximum efforts are made for 4-6 seconds. Examples of tests of tests of muscular power are the vertical jump, broad jump, standing triple jump, throwing tests (e.g., softball throw), and short sprints. There are also more sophisticated tests that provide more precise measures in the lab.
Weight training should include strength lifts in combination with explosive
lifts, such as the
olympic lifts
and
Olympic lifting variations.
As weight loads increase, speed decreases, so monitor and revise your weight training program according to your goals.
Related Products
Strength and Power for Sport DVD
Plyometric Training DVD
Workout Pass!
Xpress Workouts
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Sources:
Garhammer, J.J. (1981). Force-velocity constraints and elastic energy utilized during multi-segment lifting/jumping activities. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, (Abstract) 13, 96.
McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., & Katch, V.L. (2000). Essentials of exercise physiology
(2nd ed.). Baltimore: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.
Newton, H. (2002). Explosive lifting for sports. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Powers, S.K., Dodd, S.L., & Noland, V.J. (2006). Total fitness and wellness
(4th ed.). San Francisco: Pearson Education.
Safrit, M.J. & Wood, T.M. (1996). Introduction to measurement in physical education and exercise
science (3rd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
United States Department of Health and Human Services, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. (2000, March).
Definitions: Health, fitness, and physical activity. Retrieved August 29, 2008, from http://www.fitness.gov/digest_mar2000.html


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