MAM Podcast S01EP14: Power Training For Adults and “Should We Stretch?”
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Question # 1 – Many of my clients are over 50 and 60. What are the best power exercises for them? Can you please break them down into upper and lower body as many of them have restrictions.
- As we age we lose power twice as fast as we lose strength
- Power is all relative
- What is a true plyometric?
- Lower body favorable exercises for older clients
- Anything faster than walking!
- Ladder drills – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZNrxYDbpoM
- Brain games
- Skipping – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChT8WHQNLM0
- Jump roping or pogos – https://youtu.be/EexK-lFozXg
- BOUNCE!
- What’s a warm up for an athlete may be a power exercise for an adult client
- Squat drops
- Low amplitude side to side bound
- Box jumps
- Tissue changes as we age paper – https://www.fasciaresearch.de/publications/Schleip_TrainingPrinciplesFascial.pdf
- Power and hip extension in gait = less falls!
- Most advanced: kettlebell swing is just a broad jump in place without the pounding on your joints
- We don’t hop, hurdle, bound linearly or Olympic lift with adults due to the risk of injury
- We keep things mostly vertical and linear, horizontal and later will add difficulty
- “I don’t care how high you can jump, I care about how well you land. Once you can land well, then I care how high you can jump!”
- “How fast would you drive a Ferrari if it didn’t have any brakes? Build the brakes first.” – Coach Dos
- Medicine ball throws is jumping for you upper body:
- Chest pass
- Side toss – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmyCzDza2NQ
- Slams – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNyWF-P5WYM
- Shot puts
- Catching the ball is the absorption/eccentric part and important
- How to build your own medicine ball wall
- Soft Medicine balls from Perform Better are very low risk and quiet
- We don’t do any plyo push ups due to the risk and lack of mobility of most peoples wrist extension and shoulders
- Keiser and band power drills are okay and you can get creative but medicine ball is the
Question # 2 – Should I stretch or not? And if so, when?
- I feel so much better after I stretching = more stretch tolerance
- Stretching helps us get into better position
- After not moving all day, stretching is a nice way to get into your body and get into end ranges
- Think of your muscles as a bow and arrow, the further you can pull back the bow with control and stiffness the more strength and power you will get from the bow/muscles
- Load in those positions after stretching to hit “save” on the document
- Make stretching part of the process to create windows of opportunity to move better and get into better positions
- Stretching doesn’t affect power if you warm up, strength train properly and work on motor control and patterns… if anything it helps you get into better jumping positions and improves absorption
- There are certain studies that are “Statically relevant, but practically irrelevant”
- Mobilizing and stretching shoulders, hips and ankles are where you will spend most of your time with most people
- Thought experiment – even IF the stretching/power study was true, we know stretching reduces the likelihood of injury. If you know that stretching makes you healthier and decreases injury, but it decreases your power slightly, is the trade off worth it to you? Your client? Your athlete?
Book Club recommendation:
- Kevin: Force: The biomechanics of training by Dan Cleather
- Brendon: The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh, Dick Hill, et al.
Where you can find us next:
- Lots Upcoming Level 2 CFSC events! Philly, Chicago, NYC, Boston
- Perform Better Summits – Chicago then Providence
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