Power

UNDERSTANDING POWER CAPACITY AND HOW IT can be created is one of the primary keys to optimizing athletic performance. Power should not be confused with strength. Power is the capacity to do a given amount of work as rapidly as possible. By this definition, power includes the elements of strength and speed. It is dynamic strength coupled with movement speed. Speed is the ability to apply force rapidly when snatching, cleaning, throwing or sprinting.One of the major advantages of being physically powerful is the ability to accelerate. An athlete who is powerful can get up to full speed faster than an athlete who is just strong. Being able to accelerate is not the same as simply being fast. Acceleration refers to the ability to change velocity quickly. Velocity is speed in a given direction. For instance, in cleaning a weight, the velocity of the bar is equal to its speed and the upward