The physical activity guidelines are clear – as adults, we are recommended to engage in muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days per week. This includes bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups, squats and lunges, planks and bridges. It also includes the acts of lifting, pushing, and pulling loads, whether it be within or outside a gym – this activity is known as strength, or resistance training.

The benefits of strength training are well established. The ancient Romans and Greeks practiced forms of strength training, whilst the first scientific studies investigating the physiological effects of resistance training began in the latter half of the 20th century. These studies, often studying neuromuscular adaptations and changes in muscle cross-sectional area, laid the groundwork for understanding how strength training benefits the body.

As Exercise Physiologists, we are naturally strong proponents of regular strength training. Our organisational mantras are based around personalising our recommendations to each person we see – our exercise and strength training prescription must be specific to the physical demands of YOUR daily life and where YOU want your health and fitness to be in three weeks, three months and three years time. Our responsibility is to understand the science and strategy of how to most effectively and efficiently get you towards your goals!

Introducing power training

Whilst the concepts of strength training can be simplified to state that the body adapts specifically to the demands placed upon it (this is the SAID principle, which stands for Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands, and is a fundamental concept in exercise science and rehabilitation), it’s important to now discuss power training. Research confirms that after about age 30, muscle power typically declines at roughly 1.7% per year, while muscle strength declines closer to 1% per year. Since muscle power decreases more rapidly, and is more closely linked to physical function, it becomes particularly important to address (1). 

But what’s the difference between muscle power and muscle strength?

Both strength and power training focus on improving your physical capacity, but they serve different purposes:

• Strength training is specific to the our ability to exert maximal force against resistance, for example lifting progressively heavier weights in a controlled manner;

• Power Training is our ability to exert force quickly, combining strength and speed to generate explosive movements (power = force x velocity). Real-world examples of this include springing out the way of an on-rushing danger, standing from a chair without support, or giving one last push on a decrepit fence that needs replacing.

 

The benefits of power training

Power training emphasises lifting quickly during the concentric phase (as the muscle shortens), often using light-to-moderate loads. This technique is aimed at targeting fast-twitch fibre recruitment, speed, and coordination (a comparison of fast vs slow-twitch fibres can be found here). Because aging typically affects fast-twitch (type II) fibres, power declines more quickly than strength, compromising abilities like rising from a chair, climbing stairs, or catching balance in the case of a trip.

Restart’s organisational cause is to equip and empower our patients with the knowledge, tools and confidence to extend both their health-span (to improve quality of life now and into the future) and lifespan (to live a long and health-prosperous life). Knowing that muscle power declines at a rate of 1.7% per year from our 30s onwards points to the importance of incorporating power training both NOW and into the future!

Developing muscle power in your 30s and 40s will improve your ‘power baseline’ to off-set age-related decline. Developing muscle power in your 60s and beyond will mitigate the effects of ageing and ensure you can physically continue to do the things you enjoy capably and confidently whilst maintaining independence and quality of life. 

Furthermore, power training is a time-effective strategy to improve functional capacity. A study by Henwood and colleagues showed that both clinical populations and community-based adults benefitted from power training, with lower exercise volume required for functional gains. Their study found that both muscle power and muscle strength improved similarly using either resistance training protocol, and these changes were accompanied by improvements in several functional performance tasks. However, improvements in the power training group occurred with less total work performed per training session (4).

Examples of power training

Any movement that ticks the following boxes qualifies as a power-based exercise:

• Explosive movements,

• Low to moderate weight,

• High velocity (fast execution),

• Short sets and long rest periods.

Here are some upper and lower-body focused examples of power training that I integrate into my own workouts. Click on each of the pictures to view a video showing a beginner, intermediate and advanced level example of each!

Lower-body focus

Upper-body push focus

Upper-body pull focus

Conclusion

Strength training remains essential for building baseline capacity, bone health, and hypertrophy (muscle growth). However, power training offers advantages for improving functional performance, often out-performing traditional strength training on tasks involving speed and dynamic movement. Having said this, one is not better nor preferred over the other – a combination of strength training and power training likely provides the most effective and efficient strategy to maintain strength and functional capacity as we become older.

As discussed, the best time to incorporate power training into your weekly physical activity routine is now, especially if you have already celebrated your 30th birthday! If you require support in developing the best power training program for you and your health goals, or believe a loved one needs help in this area, contact myself and my Team at Restart Exercise Physiology.

Happy exercising,

Luke

 

References

1. https://www.zeropointonept.com/functional-longevity-health-fitness/strength-vs-power-training-what-you-need-to-know-to-boost-performance-and-longevity?utm_source=chatgpt.com Date accessed: 5th August, 2025
2. el Hadouchi, M., Kiers, H., de Vries, R., Veenhof, C. & van Dieën, J. (2022) ‘Effectiveness of power training compared to strength training in older adults: a systematic review and meta‑analysis’, European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 19(1), Article 18. doi: 10.1186/s11556‑022‑00297‑x
3. Balachandran, A.T., Steele, J., Angielczyk, D., Belio, M., Schoenfeld, B.J., Quiles, N., Askin, N. & Abou‑Setta, A.M. (2022) ‘Comparison of Power Training vs Traditional Strength Training on Physical Function in Older Adults: a Systematic Review and Meta‑analysis’, JAMA Network Open, 5(5), Article e2211623. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.11623
4. Henwood, T. R., Riek, S. & Taaffe, D. R. (2008) ‘Strength versus muscle power‑specific resistance training in community‑dwelling older adults’, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 63(1), pp. 83–91. doi: 10.1093/gerona/63.1.83