Multi-Dimensional Concept of Power
Implications for Training and
Performance
CRAIG J. CISAR, Ph.D.
CSCS, *D, NSCA-CPT, *D
DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
DEFINITION OF POWER
• WORK/TIME
• WORK = FORCE X DISTANCE
• (FORCE X DISTANCE)/TIME
• VELOCITY = DISTANCE/TIME
• FORCE X VELOCITY
FACTORS LIMITING POWER
• FORCE
• CONTRACTILE PROTEIN IN SARCOMERE
• ACTIN
• MYOSIN
NOTE: TOTAL FORCE = ACTIN & MYOSIN
BINDING PLUS ELASTIC STORED ENERGY
FACTORS LIMITING POWER
• ELASTIC STORED ENERGY LOCATED IN
• MUSCLES
• TENDONS
NOTE: ELASTIC ENERGY IN TENDONS HAS
GREATER FORCE POTENTIAL THAN
ELASTIC ENERGY IN MUSCLES, BUT IS
LIMITED IN USE DUE TO THE NECESSITY
TO OPTIMIZE COORINATED MOVEMENT
FORM
FACTORS LIMITING POWER
• STRETCH REFLEX MECHANISM
• PRESTRETCH OF MUSCLE TO 120% OF
NORMAL RESTING MUSCLE LENGTH
• MORE OPTIMAL BINDING OF ACTIN
AND MYOSIN
• MUSCLE SPINDLES DETECT STRETCH
EVOKING REFLEX CONTRACTION
BY THE STRETCHED MUSCLE
EXAMPLES: (1) CONTRACTING AGONIST STRETCHES
ANTAGONIST AND (2) DURING THE ECCENTRIC PHASE
OF PLYOMETRICS
FACTORS LIMITING POWER
• MOVEMENT SPEED AND REACTION TIME
• CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS
SYSTEMS
• NEUROTRANSMITTER CONCENTRATIONS
• MYELINATION OF AXONS
• INTRAMUSCULAR ENZYME
CONCENTRATIONS OF PHOSPHAEN
(ATP-PC) METABOLISM
• MYOSIN ATPASE
• CREATINE PHOSPHOKINASE
• ADENYLATE KINASE
WAYS TO IMPROVE POWER
INCREASED FORCE (I.E., STRENGTH)
PRODUCTION CAPABILITES
• NEURAL ADAPTATIONS
• CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
• ENHANCED ACTIVATION OF
MOTOR TRACTS FROM THE
PRIMARY AND PREMOTOR
CORTEXES
• PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
• INCREASED RECRUITMENT
OF MOTOR UNITS
INCREASED FORCE (I.E., STRENGTH)
PRODUCTION CAPABILITES
• INCREASED CONTRACTILE PROTEIN VIA
MUSCLE HYPERTROPY (I.E., MUSCLE
FIBER SIZE)
• HIGH VOLUME STRENGTH TRAINING
PROGRAM
• INCREASED HYPERPLASIA (I.E., MUSCLE
FIBER NUMBER)
• HIGH INTENSITY STRENGTH TRAINING
PROGRAM
>NEURAL ADAPTATIONS>HYPERTROPHY>HYPERPLASIA
INCREASED FORCE (I.E., STRENGTH)
PRODUCTION CAPABILITES
• MUSCLE FIBER TYPE AND SPEED OF
MOVEMENT
• FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS =
GREATER FORCE PRODUCTION
• FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS =
FASTER SPEED OF CONTRACTION
• FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS = GREATER
FORCE PRODUCTION AT FASTER
SPEEDS OF MOVEMENT
MUSCLE FIBER TYPE AND SPEED OF MOVEMENT
INCREASE MOVEMENT SPEED
(I.E., VELOCITY) AND ACCELERATION
• MUSCLE FIBER TYPE
• FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS =
FASTER SPEED OF CONTRACTION
MUSCLE FIBER TYPE
INCREASE MOVEMENT SPEED
(I.E., VELOCITY) AND ACCELERATION
• FORCE VERSUS RESISTANCE
• INCREASED FORCE AND/OR
DECREASED RESISTANCE =
INCREASED MOVEMENT SPEED
• ACCLERATION = FORCE/MASS
• INCREASED FORCE AND/OR
DECREASED MASS (E.G., FAT
MASS) = INCREASED
ACCELERATION
INCREASE MOVEMENT SPEED
(I.E., VELOCITY) AND ACCELERATION
• COORDINATION
• SYNCHRONUS RECRUITMENT OF
MOTOR UNITS
• AGONIST MUSCLE VERSUS
ANTAGONIST
• BALANCED INTERACTION BETWEEN
AGONISTIC MUSCLE AND
ANTAGONIST MUSCLE
INCREASE MOVEMENT SPEED
(I.E., VELOCITY) AND ACCELERATION
• DECREASE REACTION TIME AND HENCE
MOVEMENT TIME
• CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS
SYSTEMS ADAPTATIONS
• INCREASE DISTANCE OF FORCE APPLICATION
• TRAINING
• DEVELOPMENT MOVEMENT SKILLS AND
TECHNIQUE
POWER NEEDS ANALYSIS
FORCE VERSUS VELOCITY
PERCENT OF MAXIMAL POWER
VERSUS VELOCITY
TRAINING AND
PERFORMANCE
IMPLICATIONS
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• FORCE VERSUS VELOCITY
• NEEDS ANALYSIS
• HIGHER FORCE CAPABILITIES
AT SLOWER VELOCITY OR
LOWER FORCE CAPABILITIES
AT FASTER VELOCITY OR BOTH?
• CAN EITHER END OF THE FORCE
VELOCITY CONTINUUM BE
IGNORED?
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• NEEDS ANALYSIS
• WHICH MUSCLE GROUPS NEED TO
BE POWER TRAINED?
• DOES THE POWER TRAINING
NEED TO BE SIMILAR FOR
ALL MUSCLE GROUPS?
• CAN ANY MUSCLE GROUPS BE
IGNORED IN TERMS OF
POWER TRAINING?
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• NEEDS ANALYSIS
• RANGE OF MOTION
• THROUGH WHAT RANGE OF
MOTION DOES POWER NEED
TO BE DEVELOPED?
• BE CREATIVE IN SELECTING
AND DEVLOPING EXERCISE
TRAINING TECHNIQUES
THAT MIMIC THE REQUIRED
RANGE OF MOTION
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
CLOSED-CHAIN VERSUS OPEN-CHAIN
KINETIC EXERCISES
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• CLOSED-CHAIN KINETIC EXERCISES
• IN CLOSED-CHAIN EXERCISES THE DISTAL
SEGMENT (E.G., HAND OR FOOT) IS FIXED
WHILE THE PROXIMAL SEGMENT MOVES
• EXAMPLE: IN WEIGHT BEARING EXERCISES
THE BODY MOVES OVER THE HAND OR FOOT
• NO LINK WITHIN THE CHAIN CAN MOVE
INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHERS; ALL ARE
AFFECTED BY MOVEMENT OF ONE SEGMENT
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• OPEN-CHAIN KINETIC EXERCISES
• IN OPEN-CHAIN EXERCISES THE
DISTAL SEGMENT MOVES FREELY IN
SPACE
• IN OPEN-CHAIN EXERCISES THE
MOTION OF ADJACENT JOINTS IS
NOT PREDICTABLE AS THEY MAY
MOVE INDEPENDENTLY OR
TOGETHER
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• CLOSED-CHAIN KINETIC EXERCISES
• LOWER-EXTREMITY MOVEMENTS IN
SPORTS ARE PRIMARILY CLOSED-CHAIN
• CLOSED-CHAIN EXERCISES CAN BE USED TO
IMPROVE STRENGTH, POWER, STABILITY,
BALANCE, CORDINATION, AND AGILITY
• CAPABLE OF GENERATING LARGE FORCES BUT
AT SLOWER VELOCITIES
• MORE BALANCED MUSCLE ACTIVATION
AND FORCE PRODUCTION
• CONSIDERED TO BE MORE FUNCTIONAL
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• OPEN-CHAIN KINETIC EXERCISES
• PRODUCE HIGH VELOCITY MOVEMENTS
SUCH AS THROWING OR KICKING A
BALL, SWINGING A GOLF CLUB OR BAT,
OR SWINGING THE LEG DURING
RUNNING OR ARM DURING SWIMMING
• HENCE, IMPORTANT DURING MANY
SPORTS AS WELL AS DAILY ACTIVITIES
• BETTER AT ISOLATING MUSCLES THAT
ARE WEAK
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
CLOSED-CHAIN VERSUS OPEN-CHAIN
KINETIC EXERCISES
• NEEDS ANALYSIS
• WHICH TYPE OF CHAIN KINETICS NEEDS
TO BE DEVELOPED?
• OPEN CHAIN OR CLOSED CHAIN OR
BOTH?
• BE CREATIVE IN SELECTING AND
DEVELOPING EXERCISE TRAINING
TECHNIQUES THAT MIMIC THE
REQUIRED CHAIN KINETICS
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE FIBER TYPE
• GREATER FORCE
• GREATER SPEED (I.E., VELOCITY)
• GREATER POWER
• CAN TRAINING INCREASE THE SIZE
(HYPERTROPHY) AND/OR NUMBER
(HYPERPLASIA) OF FAST-TWITCH MOTOR
UNITS?
• HYPERTROPHY HAS LONG BEEN ACCEPTED
• HYPERPLASIA DOCUMENTED IN CROSSSECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDIES
• CAN TRAINING CHANGE MUSCLE FIBER TYPE?
• MUSCLE FIBER TYPE CONVERSION HAS BEEN
QUESTIONED
MUSCLE FIBER TYPE CONVERSION
SPECIFICIY OF TRAINING
• PHOSPHAGEN (ATP-PC) ENERGY SYSTEM
• HIGHEST POWER (KCAL/SEC)
• LOWEST CAPACITY (TOTAL KCAL)
• PRIMARY ENERGY SYSTEM USED IN POWER
ACTIVITIES
• DEVELOPMENT OF ATP-PC ENERGY SYSTEM
• HIGH INTENSITY, SHORT DURATION ACTIVITY
• LONGER REST PERIODS TO REPLENISH ATP-PC
• 25-30 SECONDS TO REPLENISH 50%
• 2-3 MINUTES TO REPLENISH 100%
GENERAL TRAINING GUIDELINES
• HIGH FORCE DEVELOPMENT
CONCENTRIC STRENGTH TRAINING
• 2-4 SETS USING A 2-4 RM (90-95% OF
1-RM) WORKLOAD PERFORMED 3-5
DAYS PER WEEK WITH A 2-5 MINUTE
REST PERIOD
• MOST FREQUENTLY USED WITH MULTIJOINT, CORE EXERCISES (I.E., MULTIJOINT EXERCISES INVOLVING ONE OR
MORE LARGE MUSCLE GROUPS) FOR
SINGLE-EFFORT EVENTS
GENERAL TRAINING GUIDELINES
• HIGH SPEED DEVELOPMENT CONCENTRIC
STRENGH TRAINING
• 2-4 REPETITIONS PER SET, 3-4 SETS PER
EXERCISE USING A 30-60% 1-RM
WORKLOAD WITH A 2-5 MINUTE REST
PERIOD
• USED WITH MULTI-JOINT POWER EXERCISES
(E.G., POWER SNATCH, POWER CLEAN,
HANG CLEAN, PUSH JERK, AND PUSH
PRESS) FOR MULTIPLE-EFFORT EVENTS
AGAINST A MODERATE (60% 1-RM
WORKLOAD) TO LIGHT (30% 1-RM
WORKLOAD) RESISTANCE
GENERAL TRAINING GUIDELINES
• PLYOMETRIC TRAINING
• IN-PLACE, SHORT RESPONSE, AND
LONG RESPONSE EXERCISES
• LOWER BODY EXERCISES INVOLVING
QUICK FEET MOVEMENTS, SKIPS,
HOPS, JUMPS, AND BOUNDS WITH OR
WITHOUT CONES, HURDLES, BOXES,
ETC.
• UPPER BODY EXERCISES INVOLVING
MEDICINE BALLS AND BODY WEIGHT
WITH OR WITHOUT BOXES
GENERAL TRAINING GUIDELINES
• SPEED TRAINING
• SHORT INTERVAL, REPETITION
TRAINING USING WORK BOUTS OF 2-3
SEC UP TO 30 SEC WITH A WORK:REST
RATIO OF 1:3 OR 1:5 AND A PASSIVE
RECOVERY
• ACCELERATION SPRINTS - GRADUAL
INCREASES IN SPEED FROM JOGGING
TO STRIDING TO SPRINTING IN 50-100
METER SEGMENTS
GENERAL TRAINING GUIDELINES
• SPEED TRAINING
• HOLLOW SPRINTS - TWO SPRINTS WITH
A PERIOD OF WALKING OR JOGGING
IN BETWEEN BETWEEN EACH SPRINT
• SPEED TRAINING - REPEATED SHORT,
MAXIMAL SPRINTS WITH COMPLETE
RECOVERY BETWEEN EACH SPRINT
• OTHER SPEED DRILLS
GENERAL TRAINING GUIDELINES
• AGILITY TRAINING
• IMPROVE REACTION TIME
• IMPROVE EXPLOSIVE CHANGE OF
DIRECTION CAPABILITIES
• FLEXIBILITY TRAINING
• IMPROVE DISTANCE THROUGH WHICH
FORCE CAN BE EXPLOSIVELY APPLIED
• BALANCE TRAINING
• PROVIDE A STATIC AND DYNAMIC
FOUNDATIONAL PLATFORM FOR
EXPLOSIVE MOVEMENT
EXAMPLES OF TRAINING MODALITIES
• BODY WEIGHT
• WEIGHTED CHEST VESTS
• ANKLE AND WRIST WEIGHTS
• BARBELLS AND DUMBBELLS
• MEDICINE AND KETTLE BALLS
EXAMPLES OF TRAINING MODALITIES
• OTHER EQUIPMENT TO IMPROVE STRENGTH,
SPEED, AGILITY, AND/OR BALANCE
• RUBBER BANDS AND TUBING
• BOXES, STEPS, HURDLES, AND CONES
• SLIDE BOARDS
• LADDERS
• RINGS AND DOTS
• TUBING/CORDS, HARNESSES, AND BELTS
• PARACHUTES (E.G., POWER CHUTES)
• MATS AND STABILITY BALLS
• BALANCE ROLLERS, DISCS, BEAMS, AND
BOARDS
• OTHER - BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
QUESTIONS??