Have you ever dreamed about hitting a walk-off home run in the World Series?   Or maybe you have had to sprint to catch the bus, or you’ve tried to show your friends up on the basketball court.

Basketball

In our imaginary and real lives, you need the ability to do things powerfully.

But what is power? Power is determined by Force and Acceleration (P = F x A). Think of force as a push or pull from the object’s interaction with another object, such as the pull of gravity on us or the push phase of a push up.

Acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its velocity, like sprinting to catch the bus or a car moving from a dead stop.

As we age, we lose around 1.5% of our strength per year after the age of 50. More alarming, we lose twice that, around 3% of our power or the ability to move quickly every year after the age of 50.

However, even if you’re not 50, it makes perfect sense to train for power. Training for power is not only fun, it will incinerate calories and help you become fat burning machine and stronger.

Insert one or more of the following power moves at the start of your training, just after your warm up. Make sure you rest two minutes after every set to recover fully.

1. Jump squats- Perform three to five sets, five to eight repetitions per set at the start of your training. Be sure to jump has high as you can and land softly after each repetition.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is_DHwvidlg&w=560&h=315]

2.Medicine ball overhead throw– Perform three sets, six- twelve repetitions per set. Take a strong step forward, release the ball as quickly as possible and alternate legs.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo29urO_CEw&w=560&h=315]

3. Medicine ball squat toss- Perform three sets, six to twelve repetitions per set. Ensure proper squat form, imagine the ball is a hot potato and keep your eye on the ball at all times.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7fJAWO6Q2U&w=560&h=315]

4. Incline plyometric push up- Do this on a padded weight bench to ensure a soft landing for your hands. Perform three sets, five to eight repetitions per set. Ensure proper push up form and explode off the bench.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1BjlYCH2cA&w=560&h=315]

5. Medicine ball twist throw- You can either catch the ball or take in on the bounce. Perform three sets, eight repetitions on each side. Take the ball to your hip on each rep and release the ball as quickly as possible.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BmitGSZKPs&w=560&h=315]

 

These will have you sweating, smiling and catching your breath, which is a sure sign of a good time. Because exercise is fun……right?

2 Comments

  1. Barbara

    Push and Pull. We are surrounded … Another type of force is magnetism that may pull an object toward it or push it away, depending upon the polar fields.

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