Why is Resistance Training Important? Part 1/6: Anaerobic Power at He's Fit

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Why is Resistance Training Important? Part 1/6: Anaerobic Power

Posted July 4, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Megan Hueter

Section: His Fitness, Strength Training, His Health, Physical Health

15 lb weights Resistance training improves specific parts of fitness. The extent of those improvements is related to the design of the program.
Improvements in power may be the most important element for enhancing performance in any sport. The definition of power is strength x velocity. Power is needed for throwing, jumping and striking as well as acceleration (e.g., max sprint).
Most activities in sports require strength at high velocities. The capacity of a muscle differs across a spectrum, with the highest force outputs seen at low velocities and the lowest force outputs seen at highest velocities. Max effort occurs somewhere between 30-70% of someone’s max force potential.
Heavy resistance trianing programs have the greatest effect on strength improvement at the slow-velocity, high-force portion of an exercise. Therefore, a variety of loading patterns can be used to enhance power. Because all explosive movements begin at zero or very slow velocities, benefits from resistance training can also occur at the initial acceleration of a movement.
Stay tuned for, “Why is Resistance Training Important? Part 2/6: Jump Performance”

For resources and more informaiton:
[Hoffman, J.R. & Ratamess, N.A. (2006) A Practical Guide to Developing Resistance Training Programs. Monterey, CA: Coaches Choice. Page 36.]
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