The difference between FORCE and POWER
Strength is all about producing force.
Power is all about producing…well, power.
Perhaps we should rename “strength training” to “force training”?
Here’s the simplest and most practical way to tell the difference.
If it is possible to do slowly, it is a strength exercise.
If it is only possible to do quickly, it is a power exercise.
Can you deadlift slowly?
Yes, you can. It sucks…but you can do it.
Can you power clean slowly?
No, no you cannot. If you try, it becomes some kind of horrifying-looking semi-explosive reverse curl. You need to move quickly, explosively, aggressively, POWERFULLY…or else you just miss the lift.
Can you squat slowly?
Sure. Again, this takes more concentration and effort than squatting at a comfortable pace, but it’s certainly possible.
Can you jump slowly?
No. Try it. And please film it. It’s just not possible. You won’t even leave the ground. Every time you jump, you should be trying to jump as high…
…or as far as possible. You want to do it as FAST as you can as well, because it’s a power exercise.
Can you press slowly?
Definitely. If you are lifting maximal weights, the lift will take 4–7 seconds to complete as you work through the sticking point.
Can you push press slowly?
Sort of? You need to generate momentum with the legs to get the bar moving. The top part of the lift might be slow as you lock it out, but the bottom half is always very fast. This puts it in the unusual category of being both a strength and power movement.
Can you jerk slowly? (get your mind out of the gutter!)
Nope. A jerk always happens extremely quickly. You either make, or you miss it. There is no grinding out a jerk. Jerking requires a lot of focus and technique. Get distracted for even a moment…and there is just no way you’ll have a successful jerk.
Can you bench press slowly?
You sure can. If you are lifting max weights, it’ll be slow even if you want it to go fast.
Can you throw slowly?
No. Whether it’s a medicine ball or a baseball, you cannot throw anything slowly. Try it with an object nearby if you don’t believe me. You might do the first part of the motion slowly, but I guarantee you’ll cheat and do the last part quickly, because otherwise the object is lacking the velocity needed to actually GO anywhere.
That last part is key-velocity, or how FAST the movement is being completed.
Force=Mass*Acceleration
How do you maximize force? Heavy weights, accelerated as quickly as possible. You still want to TRY move quickly when “strength training” as acceleration is a component.
Power=Force*velocity
How do you maximize power? By focusing on speed. Because of the added velocity component, how fast you move is important. A true 1 rep max on squat/bench/deadlift is terrible for power production because it happens so slowly.
This next part is a bit technical, so I’ll try to explain it as best I can!
Force is the blue line. As you can see, it tends to fall, supporting the idea that heavy weights require higher forces to move.
Power is the red line. Heavy weights, on the left, are high force but so low velocity that power is low. As you move right, the weights are lighter (so force is lower), but the velocity is increasing a lot, so power is going up.
Eventually, you get to the teal (or indigo? what a gross color…of all the colors they had to pick that one?) line where power is maximized-the best outcome of multiplying force and velocity.
From there, velocity continues to increase, but force is now falling at a rate that more than cancels that out, leading overall power to decrease.
If you look at the red curve, there are quite a few force/velocity inputs that result in quite a high power-as long as you are somewhat near optimal, you’ll be getting a good workout. So, what is optimal?
So, what percentage should you train to maximize power?
Should We Train at 30% of 1RM to Maximize Power Production?
0% to 80%. That’s a pretty big range, so I’ll explain.
Jumps are usually 0% (just bodyweight). You can’t jump with less than your bodyweight unless you have a jetpack or something.
Throws are ~30%.
The powerlifts (maybe they should rename powerlifting to “forcelifting”?) are as follows:
Bench press 40–60%, squat 50–70%, deadlift 50–60%.
Olympic lifting is usually around 80%.
Lifting a moderate weight quickly or a light weight very quickly tends to even out-that red curve is pretty generous when it comes to programming.
You can squat, bench press and deadlift for strength, or you can lighten the load and do it for power. Up to you.
But jumps, throws and Olympic lifting cannot be done for strength. They are exclusively power exercises.
May the force-and power-be with you.
