Strength vs. Power

[Matt]

Just for the hell of it, and cos Ive been shooting vodka...I'll take a stab at answering...

I think I am pretty good at generating power. I have a damn good right cross. So I think in a punching context that is a combination of a bit of strength, a lot of speed, and damn good technique. Extrapolate that out as you will.

I do not think I am particularly strong though. I am not someone that could take a wheelbarrow full of bricks, and push it four miles uphill into a headwind. I know someone like that - he is a chiropractor actually, and seriously as strong as an ox. I am not sure that - to use the punching analogy - he could generate my power....but I damn sure don't have his strength. I also happen to live in a place where like 70 year old guys ride really highly-geared pedicabs for a living. These scrawny old dudes will put a fridge on those things, then ride 20 mile in stop start traffic to deliver them...crazy amount of strength from people who could damn sure not generate a whole lot of power.....

I guess then I associate strength with endurance and power with short bursts....

 

[Jared]

I find this guide to training for competitive rock climbing illuminating:

1. Strength - The ability for the muscle to stay contracted under a maximum load.
   
2. Power - The ability to generate the contraction of strength

Strength is static and power is dynamic.
...
[Strength] can be trained using isolation movements, focusing on a specific set of muscles, while power is best trained using compound movements, possibly numerous muscle groups with movements involving more than one joint.
...
Power is a combination of timing and strength. The timing of when to contract different muscles is something learned through practice and training. Generally as you work a boulder problem you are not getting much stronger but you are getting more powerful, learning how to use the strength at the right time.

He also distinguishes between power (seconds), power-endurance (a few minutes), and straight endurance (minutes to hours).

 

[highball]

Originally Posted by Jared

I find this guide to training for competitive rock climbing illuminating:



He also distinguishes between power (seconds), power-endurance (a few minutes), and straight endurance (minutes to hours).

Thanks for the link, I'll have dig deeper but it looks like there's some good info there. Most of my understanding of strength vs. power also comes from rock climbing, so I might be wildly of base here. But as far as I understand (basically elaborating on what Jared posted):

Strength - the ability of a muscle's individual fibers to contract under load. In addition to what Jared posted I've heard/read that strength is specifically about the load capacity of muscle fibers themselves, and is not directly related to the actual action or duration of muscle contraction.

Power - synonymous with muscle fiber recruitment. Basically how many muscle fibers can the body's nervous system tell to contract at once and in unison. This affects both the ability to move something heavy through a range of motion, and the speed at which that motion can be made.​

As above strength = static, power = dynamic

Furthermore it seems that strength gains and hypertrophy are related in that strength increases can produce hypertrophy (though hypertrophy can occur without strength gain), but power is unrelated to hypertrophy. Anyone with a bio or medical background care to weigh in on whether or not this is accurate?

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by BWB

When lifting/working out, what is the difference? I had a brief conversation with a trainer at the gym. I am going to start seeing a pro about twice a week. He asked if I was after strength or power. I did not know what to say.

what does that have to do with anything?

 

[MonkeyFresh]

Originally Posted by why

That's work.

Power is work/time.

Thanks, I'm rusty from High school AP physics

Originally Posted by why

Maybe not the formulas, but the concepts definitely should. Conjugate training theory, the Russians, plyometrics, etc.

+1

Interesting thoughts highball

 

[BWB]

Originally Posted by Douglas

what does that have to do with anything?

I would like to answer his question in an informed manner.