Focus: Foundational power development.Power training is necessary in most sports. In order to perform well you need to develop sufficient muscular power to move quickly and efficiently. The following is a power training program designed for foundational muscular power development. By foundational I mean that it does not apply specifically to a particular sport or activity. From here you can develop specific power in the context of a chosen sport or simply maintain and build on the foundation created for general physical power.
Definition of Muscular Power
Muscular power is defined as force x velocity. What this means is that by applying power you are applying considerable force/strength in a rapid manner. This is required for activities such as sprinting, throwing, jumping etc.
Prerequisites
Before undertaking a power training program you need a sufficient strength base. Without strength and joint stability you are almost guaranteeing injury, especially since most effective power training involves plyometric training, which requires an ability to absorb a lot of impact.
This is a foundational program, so therefore all that is required is sufficient strength. You don’t need to be he-man but you must at least have three months of consistent, progressive strength training under your belt. if you can’t meet this requirement I advise that you do so before throwing yourself into maximum power training.
Exercises
The exercises in this program will be outlined and explained. Please note that you should still engage in strength training throughout the course of a power training program. Without strength there is only so much power you can develop. This program also involves some dynamic weight training exercises that are considered power development exercises due to their rapid movement.
All exercises used will either be outlined here, in our exercises guide or will be common exercises you can easily find on the internet or through professional instruction.
- Power-clean.
- Push-press.
- Snatch.
- Squat jump.
- Tuck jump.
- Single leg bounds (there are some great videos of Linford Christie performing these over hurdles on you tube.com).
- Clap push-up.
- 20 metre sprints.
- Side to side squat jumps: squat down and immediately jump with full force to one side. Immediately on landing, absorb the impact and jump again. You can use an object to jump over if you like.
- Bulgarian split jumps: this is simply a Bulgarian split squat performed jumping. Raise one leg behind on a bench or chair and squat with the other leg and jump. Absorb impact and rebound into the next rep immediately.
Power training should be undertaken at maximum intensity with brief sessions and longer rests between sets.
The Program
The following power training program is designed to be performed over the course of 12 weeks. There are two phases of six weeks each. For each phase there will be three different workouts. Workouts are performed every second day and then recycled throughout the course of each six week period.
Phase One
WORKOUT ONE
Power-clean 5 x 5 (heavy)
Squat jumps 3 x 5
Tuck jumps 3 x 5
Clap push-ups 3 x 5
20 metre sprints x 3
Rest two minutes between each set.
WORKOUT TWO
Snatch 5 x 5 (heavy)
Tuck jumps 5 x 5 (follow each set of tuck jumps immediately with a 20 metre sprint).
Rest two minutes between each set.
WORKOUT THREE
Push-press 5 x 5 (heavy)
Super-set each set immediately with squat jumps x 5
Rest two minutes between each set.
Phase Two
WORKOUT ONE
Power-cleans 3 x 5
Super-set each set immediately with squat jumps x 5
Snatch 3 x 5
Super-set each set immediately with tuck jumps x 5
Rest two minutes between each set.
WORKOUT TWO
Push-press 3 x 5
Clap push-ups 3 x 5
Single leg bounds 3 x 5 (each leg)
Bulgarian split jumps 3 x 5 (each leg)
Side squat jumps 3 x 5
Rest two minutes between each set.
WORKOUT THREE
Workout three is a circuit to be repeated twice all the way through with the same two minute rest break between each individual set.
Power-clean 1 x 5
Snatch 1 x 5
Push-press 1 x 5
Squat jumps 1 x 5
Tuck jumps 1 x 5
Single leg bounds 1 x 5
Bulgarian split jumps 1 x 5
Side squat jumps 1 x 6
Clap push-ups 1 x 5
20 metre sprint.
This power training workout is designed to stimulate maximum recruitment of motor units and teach them to fire off rapidly to get the muscles used to operating so fast under force.
DragonDoor.com is a resource I continuously refer to for strength and power training ideas, resources, DVDs and training equipment.
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