Welcome to the 70–90 Club podcast. This is Laura Artman and today I’m talking about the importance of power training vs strength training. Strength is important. But there’s another piece of the puzzle that often gets overlooked: how quickly you can use that strength. That’s power. And it matters in the gym and in everyday life, whether you’re climbing stairs, getting out of a chair, or reacting when you lose your balance.
A 2020 study by Helland and colleagues, published in PeerJ, compared two workouts: one focused on strength and one focused on power. Sixteen trained participants completed both sessions, with the power workout using loads fifty percent lighter than the strength workout. The researchers matched the total lifting work between sessions. The results? The strength workout took more than forty-eight hours for participants to recover from fully, while recovery after the power workout occurred in less than forty-eight hours. So how can we apply this?
The study gives us six exercise pairs that train similar movement patterns in different ways.
First, the squat and the loaded countermovement jump. The squat builds strength against resistance. The jump trains you to produce force quickly.
Second, the front squat and the front squat with an overhead push. The power variation combines an explosive lower-body movement with an overhead pushing action.
Third, the trap bar squat and the trap bar countermovement jump. One emphasizes strength; the other emphasizes rapid force production.
Fourth, the bench press and the bench press throw.
Fifth, the narrow-grip bench press and the narrow-grip bench press throw. Both throwing variations were performed in a Smith rack, using appropriate safety arrangements.
And sixth, the weighted push-up and the explosive push-up. The first builds strength against resistance, while the second focuses on pushing away from the surface quickly. The principle behind all six pairs is simple: similar movement patterns, different training objectives.
In the study, the strength session used five sets of five repetitions at a five-repetition-maximum load, with three to four minutes of rest between sets. Participants lowered the weight under control and tried to lift it as quickly as possible.
For power training, the load dropped to fifty percent of the corresponding strength exercise. Participants moved through the lowering phase quickly and emphasized explosive effort during the lift. Sets and repetitions were adjusted to match the strength session’s total concentric work. Interestingly, the power workout took about twelve percent longer to complete, despite using lighter weights.
The researchers also observed improvements in multi-jump height at twenty-four hours and a positive response in squat peak power at forty-eight hours following the power session. These findings are encouraging, but they don’t guarantee the same results for everyone. A practical weekly plan might place strength training on Monday and power training on Thursday, leaving time for recovery between demanding sessions. And don’t overlook recovery monitoring.
Rate how recovered you feel on a zero-to-ten scale before training, and track a consistent performance measure, such as jump height, if it’s appropriate for you. Combining how you feel with how you perform gives you a more complete picture. One important limitation: the study involved young, resistance-trained adults, not beginners or adults over fifty.
If you’re older or new to explosive training, start with manageable variations, lighter resistance, and movements you can perform safely. You don’t need loaded jumps or barbell throws to begin developing power.
The takeaway is this: strength builds your ability to produce force. Power trains you to produce that force quickly. Both have a place in a smart training program.
Train for strength, practice moving with speed, and give your body enough time to recover. The goal isn’t simply to lift more. It’s to build strength you can use when it matters.
Thank you for listening. Join the conversation using hashtag 70-90-fitness. Contact Laura Artman Certified Personal Trainer to learn more. LauraArtman.com. once again that is LauraArtman.com.
