Why do we hop, bound, skip, jump and throw medicine balls?
Some research has shown a decline in power of over 8% per decade beginning in the 20’s (Bonnefoy et al. 1998). If you are in your 30’s, 40’s or 50’s you may have already experienced as much as a 30%-40% decline in power output (the ability to produce force quickly). In light of this, you may not be “old” yet, but the topic of power training definitely applies to you.
In this era of “functional” training, your coach’s job goes beyond simply kicking your butt in a workout…we need to prepare you to perform in life, both today and down the road.
Researcher Joseph Signorile has done a lot of work related to role of power as we age. In an article for the IDEA Health and Fitness Association, Signorile provided a synopsis of some of the relevant research related to the role of power as we age and the importance of power training in our programs. Quite simply, power (the ability to produce force quickly) is one of the major correlates to independence (Foldvari et al. 2000), fall prevention (Whipple, Wolfson & Amerman 1987), and rehabilitation after injury (Lamb, Morse & Evans 1995) as we age. As indicated, without some form of exercise or lifestyle activity that introduces power training into your life, power output begins declining at a very early age.
So…not only is power training a great tool for improving fitness and burning a lot of calories, it is also a critical component of any “functional” training program that should be preparing us to perform in the sport of life.
