Lack of Speed Kills

After a putrid posting performance from me in the month of November I am determined to be a much more active writer this month. First up for December is power development. Once we hit about 30 years old we lose a pound of muscle each year. With that muscle loss we lose strength. Even more important we lose power. Power is simply the ability to summon our strength fast. This becomes more and more important as we age. Think of slipping on an icy sidewalk or step and being able to catch yourself. By maintaining power we can prevent falls that often lead to broken bones that can then lead to a sedentary lifestyle. The good news is this can easily be offset by adhering to a solid strength plan. We can maintain and even build power by adding speed to our workouts. The worst thing you can do is perform exercises slowly. If you exercise slow you will become slow. Take a typical bench press as an example. Lower the dumbbells to your chest in a slow and controlled manner, then EXPLODE the weight up as fast as possible. Then add this principle to every exercise you do. Here are a couple great and easy power exercises to add to your training:

• Kettlebell swing - this is a great and easy exercise to learn to train explosive hip extension.
  
• Box jumps - Note the fact that she is simply stepping down in the video. You don't need to perform a ton of reps either. 2 - 3 sets of 5 will do it. Don't go crazy with the height of the box either. You should land soft and in an athletic position (feet just outside hips, knees bent, butt back, chest up.) If you are unable to land in a perfect athletic position use a smaller box. If you aren't yet ready for box jumps you can perform Jump Squats. Start with no weight and work on your landing. Again, land in a perfect athletic position. Then you can add weight, either a barbell on your back or hold two dumbbells by your side.
  

Whether you play a sport or not we are all athletes and maintaining power is the best way to avoid potential falls and injuries.