What does strength training, training for power and training for hypertrophy have to do with training athletes? Dr. Mike Israetel (PhD in Sports Physiology) gives us his take on the matter.

“The race car analogy for power training:

1.) Muscle mass is like the body and frame of the car. Muscle mass is the second most important underlying factor for power generation, because it directly causes force production. In a similar way, the frame and body of a car are some of the most important elements for producing a good racer, because of how limiting a frame can be.
If you’re very small and not remotely muscular, there’s only so much “juice” your nervous system is going to be able to squeeze out of your lagging muscularity. Just the same, tweaking the air intake, gear system, and computer on a Honda Civic (my personal car btw hehe) WILL make your car faster, but just by a tiny bit. No tweaks will take a civic and make it a formula car. Likewise, you’re only gonna be so strong if you don’t have enough muscle. A big engine on a tiny frame can cause lots of stress and other problems for the car.

2.) Strength is like the engine of the car. Strength is the single most important determinant of power production in athletes. As a matter of fact, some very good research shows that strength training improves power MORE THAN POWER TRAINING for athletes that are not already VERY strong (2x bodyweight + squatters, etc…). If you want to go fast and you already have a race car body, you need a BIG and productive engine to generate lots of power… you can only go so fast with a tuned-up race car that has a 4 cylinder engine.

3.) Power training is like the tuning of a car. Power training works best for people who are already strong, and makes them just a bit better. Training with lighter weights and high velocities does enhance power, but having a strength foundation is a MUST. When you have a true race car, tweaking with the computer system will get you just a bit better for your races, but no amount of tweaking is gonna win you the race if your body or engine are not up to task.

Here’s the kicker: MANY ATHLETES DON’T KNOW THIS!!!
So many athletes are trained in the power movements that don’t have the muscle and strength to make much of a difference! If you watch high school throwers do power cleans and box jumps but neglect deep squats and bench presses, you’re watching a bastardization of the training process.”

Thursday

15 Minutes of Dynamic Flexibility

1 Minute Max Air Squats
2 Minutes Max Double Unders
3 Minutes Max Ring Rows
4 Minutes Max Wall Balls 30/20 20/14 16/10
5 Minutes Max Burpees
6 Minutes Max Calorie Row

15 Minutes of Mobility for The Lower Extremity

Friday

Supplemental Strength
5 x 1 Overhead Squats
5 x 1 Back Squats

Strength

Superset
Bench Press
8 x 3
Front Squat
8 x 3
Every 4 Minutes

Workout of The Day

12 Minute AMRAP
9 Dips
9 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
9 Front Squats 155/105 135/85 115/65

Supplemental Endurance
5000 Meter Row