Yesterday a client asked me a great question and I wanted to share it with you all here.

 

During the workout I had the client doing some rope slams, this client turned to me and asked what we were working on during that exercise.

 

My response to him was upper body power, this led to a greater conversation when he asked what is the difference between power and strength.

 

It is common to think that power and strength are the same things, while they are similar and correlated they actually are a little different.

 

Let’s start with the definitions of each.

 

Maximum Strength: “The highest level of muscle force that can be produced, maximum strength is the ability of a muscle or specific group of muscles to recruit and engage all motor units to generate maximal tension against an external resistance. “ (https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5495/7-different-types-of-strength-and-their-benefits)

 

Now that you understand the definition of both you might be wondering why strength and power are important to you?

 

Both lower body and upper body strength and power are important for a good quality of life.

 

Let’s say that you are walking down the street and you trip on a curb you did not see if you are able to move your legs quickly (power) you might be able to to save yourself from falling and catch your step.

 

In terms of your upper body let’s imagine this.

 

If you have a young kid/grandkid and you want to pick them up to play with them you need to make sure you have enough strength to lift them up.

 

Now that you have them up if they are a daredevil maybe they like when you toss them up in the air and catch them. You must have enough upper body power for them to get some height (hopefully not too high though).

 

If you are ready to invest in yourself and get strong and powerful well into your 50s Core Principles is the gym for you. For more information and to learn more about who we are and what we have to offer please send an email to info@coreprinciples-sc.com or give us a call/text @ 203-914-6396

 

-Coach Pat