One of the best ways to improve athletic performance is through “power training.” As its name suggests, power training is a technique that maximizes your muscular power and combines speed and strength. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up some of the best strength training exercises for building muscle power and burning fat.
Before we dive in, let’s talk about muscle power. “Muscle power is different from strength,” emphasizes Domenic Angelino, CPT of the International Personal Trainer Academy (IPTA). “Think of strength as the total amount of force you produce during a repetition. Think of power [as] the rate [at which] You [can] produce force during a repetition. So if you move faster while producing the same force, your power increases. If you move at the same speed but produce more force at that speed, your power also increases. »
Power training involves developing explosiveness, or moving your body with speed. This usually involves jumping, like strong hip movements or squat jumps, like you would in a push press or power clean, explains Amanda Caprittocertified personal trainer and functional training specialist with PTPioneer.com. “Because of the speed requirement, power training is often performed with lower weights than one might use during strength training in the traditional sense,” adds Capritto.
Now let’s explore the best strength training exercises to build muscle power.
Jump squats

- Stand straight with your feet shoulder distance apart and your arms at your sides.
- Bend your knees and press your hips back as you squat.
- Engage your core and bring your arms back slightly.
- Press through your heels to jump explosively, bringing your arms overhead.
- Land gently in a squat position.
Ball snaps


- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
- Hold a slam ball at chest level in front of you.
- Lift the ball above your head.
- Engage your core as you hit the ball on the ground.
Box jumps


- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing a plyometric box.
- Bend your knees slightly and lower yourself into a partial squat, bringing your arms back.
- Push your feet and bring your arms forward as you jump onto the box.
- Land gently with your feet flat and knees bent.
- Stand up straight and lower yourself back to the ground.
Kettlebell swings


- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place a kettlebell on the floor a few inches in front of your feet.
- Press your hips back and bend your knees to grip the kettlebell.
- Engage your core and swing the weight between your legs.
- Press your hips forward as you swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height.
- Use control as the kettlebell lowers back down between your legs.
Plyo Push-ups
- Assume a standard push-up position with your body in a straight line.
- Bend both elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
- Explosively press through your hands to lift your body, maintaining a tight core.
- Land gently.
Jumped lunges


- Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart.
- Take a big step forward with one foot to assume a split stance.
- Drop down into a lunge.
- Maintain a high chest and tight core.
- Push through your feet to jump explosively, switching legs in the air.
- Use control to land softly, bending your knees as you do so.
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Group jumps


- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
- Bend your knees slightly and keep your arms at your sides.
- Engage your core and maintain a high chest.
- Bend your knees, push your hips back, and bring your arms back as you lower into a partial squat.
- Explode upward, bringing your knees toward your chest as you jump.
- Land in a slightly crouched position.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Associate Editor at Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and bringing readers interesting topics on fitness, wellness, and self-care. Learn more about Alexa
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