Power training and strength training are very different - here’s which to choose to hit your goals
Just like there are different types of shoes for each kind of workout, there are various types of training for each fitness goal. Two of the most common types: strength and power training.
Both types of training may look similar from the outside, but they have pretty different purposes. While strength training is for the ultimate goal of making your muscles stronger, power training is more about making your muscles work faster, creating different results when it comes to your fitness, says exercise physiologist Rachelle A. Reed, PhD, ACSM-EP.
Meet the experts: Rachelle A. Reed, PhD, ACSM-EP, is an exercise physiologist in Athens, Georgia. Tyneka Pack, CPT, is a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, strength and flexibility coach, and founder and CEO of Impackt Fitness.
So, does it make more sense for your lifestyle to train strength or power? Ahead, find out the benefits of both workouts, and whether you incorporate strength or power training into your routine for your exercise goals.
The difference between strength and power training
Strength training
This training focus is all about making your muscles stronger and helping your body move functionally and pain-free in the long term, says certified personal trainer Tyneka Pack, CPT. (While strength training programming has the main goal of muscle strength, there will likely also be an increase in muscle size. But it’s different from hypertrophy training, where the primary goal is to grow your muscles, Reed explains.) Strength training involves traditional deadlift, lunge, squat, and push and pull movements.
One of the biggest differences between strength and power training is that with strength, you lift heavier weights while doing moves at a slower pace. In fact, you’re likely lifting weights that are greater than 85% of your one-rep maximum (the greatest amount of weight you can lift for one rep), Reed says. You’ll also likely do about six to 12 reps for two to six sets, each with two to four minutes in between, to improve your strength, she adds.
Strength training basics:
- Involves traditional movements like deadlifts, lunges, and squats
- Lift heavier weights at a slower pace
- Do six to 12 reps for two to six sets with two to four minutes of rest in between
Strength training benefits
It can improve your ability to move functionally in everyday life. This is because you’re building strength, says Pack. You might do farmer’s carries so walking with your groceries is easier, or train deadlifts so you can pick something up off of the floor sans pain.
It can help you build and maintain lean muscle. This is especially important because after the age of 30, you lose anywhere between 3 and 8% of your muscle mass, says Pack. 'Incorporating strength training will help combat that', she says.
It can strengthen your bones. Resistance and weight-bearing exercises will put a load on your body, making your muscles and bones stronger, Pack says. Strength training is crucial when it comes to preventing osteoporosis down the line, since you also lose bone density as you age.
It can reduce your risk of chronic conditions. Consistent strength training can help lower your risk of developing type two diabetes and heart disease, Reed says.
Power training
'Power training is training your muscles to be quick and explosive', says Pack. Whereas strength training is about moving heavy weights slowly and with control, power training is about moving lighter weights, more quickly. It trains movements involving 'rapid acceleration and deceleration,' Reed says.
Power training may involve plyometric exercises like box and depth jumps, Olympic lifting movements like clean and jerks and snatches, medicine ball throws, kettlebell swings, and sprints. Power can also be trained in a HIIT class. This type of training incorporates about one to five reps and three to four sets to train speed, Pack adds.
Power training basics:
- Involves explosive movements like box jumps, clean and jerks, snatches, medicine ball throws, kettlebell swings, and sprints
- Move lighter weights at a faster pace
- Do one to five reps for three to four sets with two minutes of rest in between
Power training benefits
It helps you move faster and react quicker as you move about life. So, if you trip over something - maybe a pile of clothes in your home - you’re more likely to quickly catch yourself and jump out of the way, Pack says.
It can improve endurance. Whether you’re doing medicine wall ball throws, a HIIT class, or kettlebell swings, power training can help train your muscles to work harder for longer, Pack notes.
It can help older people increase their quality of life. 'Maintaining power and the ability to get up fast and go do something or react quickly if you need to, is so important as we age,' says Reed. According to 2022 research in the European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, power training improved muscle power and performance more than strength training did for a group of adults averaging 65 years and older. Power also improved physical function more than strength did in those in a group of people who were at least 60 years old, per a 2022 study in JAMA Network.
BTW, 'lots of traditional strength exercises can be turned into power movements too, by changing the tempo of the work,' Reed points out. For instance, if you’re doing a back squat with a heavy barbell, you can make it a strength training move by lowering into the squat for two counts, and coming back up for another two counts. But to make it a power training move, you could lighten your weight and lower for two counts, then go up on one count to incorporate speed work.
Whether you should train for strength or power
A well-rounded exercise program has elements of both strength and power - even if it’s as simple as adding one or two power training exercises like box jumps or kettlebell swings into your strength training workouts, Reed says. She recommends working elements of both types of training into your program, but leading more toward one rather than the other based on your goals:
You should focus on power training if...
You enjoy power-based moves more than traditional strength training exercises
Your goal is to be fast and agile in everyday movements and sports
You have an upcoming race combining cardio and strength that involves these quick-hit movements, like Hyrox or CrossFit
You should focus on strength training if...
You just want to grow stronger (maybe you’re finally approved to workout post-injury or you want to build core strength after having kids)
Your goal is to move functionally with strength in the long-term (it may have a lower impact on your joints as you age, Pack says)
You want to train hypertrophy, or grow your muscles (lift 65 to 85% of your one-rep max for six to eight reps, and three to six sets)
However, 'the most valuable, most beneficial exercise training that anyone can do is the one that they'll stick with consistently over time', says Reed. So, when it comes to strength versus power training, pick the one you’re more likely to do over and over to gain the most benefits in the long-term.
How to incorporate strength and power training into your routine
If you’re a fitness newbie, Pack recommends starting out with at least two days of strength and one or two days of power training. But if you’re more advanced and train five or six days a week, check out the below recs:
If you want to train strength and power equally, or lean more into power training:
Make sure at least three days are focused on strength, and the other days prioritize power, Pack says.
Your schedule could look like:
Day 1: Lower-body strength
Day 2: Upper-body power
Day 3: Full-body strength
Day 4: Lower-body power
Day 5: Upper-body strength
If you want to train strength more than power:
Alternate four strength days with one (upper- or lower-body) power day, based on your focus.
Your schedule could look like:
Day 1: Lower-body strength
Day 2: Upper-body strength
Day 3: Lower-body strength
Day 4: Lower-body OR upper-body power
Day 5: Upper-body strength
When training strength, do six to 12 reps for two to six sets with two to four minutes of rest time in between. For power, do one to five reps for three to four sets, keeping the rest period at about two minutes.
And don’t forget to also incorporate aerobic training for cardiovascular health, if you can. Try to get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic training (like brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic training (like walking or jogging) - or do a mix of both, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
When in doubt, dip your toe into strength or power training if you’re new to either practice. Try one or two days of training, and if you’re sore, you can back off - or simply add one or two power exercises to your strength workouts, Reed says. Your body knows you best.
Cut through the noise and get practical, expert advice, home workouts, easy nutrition and more direct to your inbox. Sign up to the WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWSLETTER
You Might Also Like
