7 Best 'Power Training' Exercises To Build Muscle Power

One of the best ways to improve athletic performance is by performing "power training." As the name suggests, power training is a technique that maximizes your muscular power and combines speed and strength. To help you get started, we've rounded up some of the best power training exercises to build muscle power and burn fat in the process.

Before we dive in, let's discuss muscular power. "Muscular power is different from strength," stresses Domenic Angelino, CPT from the International Personal Trainer Academy (IPTA). "Think of strength like the total amount of force you produce during a rep. Think of power [as] the rate [at which] you [can] produce force during a rep. So, if you move more quickly while producing the same amount of force, your power goes up. If you move at the same speed but produce more force at that speed, your power also goes up."

Power training revolves around developing explosiveness, or moving your body with speed. It typically involves jumping, such as strong hip drives or squat jumps, as you would do in a push press or power clean, explains Amanda Capritto, a certified personal trainer and functional training specialist with PTPioneer.com. "Because of the requirement for velocity, power training is often performed with lower weights than one might use while strength training in the traditional sense," Capritto adds.

Now, let's explore the best power training exercises to build muscle power.

Jump Squats

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart and arms at your sides.
2. Bend your knees and press your hips back as you lower into a squat.
3. Engage your core and bring your arms slightly back.
4. Press through your heels to explosively jump up, bringing your arms overhead.
5. Land gently in a squat position.

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Ball Slams

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
2. Hold a slam ball at chest level in front of you.
3. Raise the ball overhead.
4. Engage your core as you slam the ball down to the ground.

Box Jumps

1. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart, facing a plyometric box.
2. Slightly bend your knees and descend into a partial squat, bringing your arms back
3. Push through your feet and bring your arms forward as you jump onto the box.
4. Land softly with your feet flat and knees bent.
5. Stand tall and step back down to the floor.

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Kettlebell Swings

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Position a kettlebell on the floor a few inches before your feet.
3. Press your hips back and bend your knees to grab the kettlebell.
4. Engage your core and swing the weight back between your legs.
5. Press your hips forward as you swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height.
6. Use control as the kettlebell swings back down between your legs.

Plyo Pushups

1. Assume a standard pushup position with your body in a straight line.
2. Bend both elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Explosively press through your hands to lift your body up, maintaining a tight core.
4. Land softly.

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Jumping Lunges

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Take a big step forward with one foot to assume a split stance.
3. Descend into a lunge.
4. Maintain a tall chest and tight core.
5. Push through your feet to jump up explosively, switching legs while in the air.
6. Use control to land softly, bending your knees as you do so.

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Tuck Jumps

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
2. Slightly bend your knees and keep your arms at your sides.
3. Engage your core and maintain a tall chest.
4. Bend your knees, press your hips back, and bring your arms back as you descend into a partial squat.
5. Explode upward, bringing your knees up to your chest as you jump.
6. Land in a slight squat position.

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