Power, the ability to generate force quickly, is crucial in both health and fitness. Without it, you’ll struggle with many athletic activities. Whether it's driving a golf ball 300 yards, setting a new personal record in the power clean, or dunking a basketball, power plays a key role. To improve power, you need to train it, but first, it's important to know your starting point.
While Olympic weightlifters are among the most powerful athletes, raw power doesn’t always translate into excelling at specific skills like throwing a 100-mph fastball or perfecting a tennis serve. These movements require power combined with finely tuned motor skills, which aren’t developed by training power alone. Although body composition impacts your power potential, you still need focused power training to improve.
If your goal is to assess your power in a particular activity, choose a test related to that skill, like measuring how much weight you can snatch or how fast you can throw a ball. However, for a more general measure of power, the following tests can give you a good benchmark.
Sit-to-Stand Test
This simple test is a staple in physical therapy, as research shows it can effectively measure lower body power. To perform it, sit in a chair, cross your arms over your chest, and stand up completely before sitting back down. Repeat this sequence five times as quickly as possible, and measure your time. The normal ranges are:
Young adults (20–59 years): 8–12 seconds
Older adults (60–79 years): 12–15 seconds
Elderly adults (80+ years): 15+ seconds
For a more detailed analysis, you can calculate your power output using a specific formula, but the general timing benchmarks give a quick snapshot of your power level.
Stationary Cycling
A popular power test in sports performance is the Wingate Anaerobic Test, usually done on a stationary bike with a power meter. After a warm-up, you’ll sprint at maximum effort for 30 seconds while the resistance stays constant. The goal is to generate as much power as possible during this time.
Peak power: Highest output during the sprint
Mean power: Average output over the 30 seconds
Fatigue index: How much power drops during the sprint
Stationary bikes at most gyms track watts, so you can easily monitor improvements.
Jump Tests
Jump tests are common for measuring lower body power. You can measure vertical jump height or broad jump distance, with the most common test being a countermovement jump. Here are average vertical jump heights:
Untrained males: 16–20 inches (40–50 cm)
Untrained females: 12–16 inches (30–40 cm)
Trained males: 24–28 inches (60–70 cm)
Trained females: 20–24 inches (50–60 cm)
Upper Body Power
For the upper body, rowing ergometers are often used to measure power output, and exercises like the snatch and power clean can track progress. In rehabilitation settings, a seated shotput throw measures side-to-side comparisons of power.
To improve power, focus on quick, explosive movements. For best results, train with weights around 70% of your 1-rep max, allowing longer rest breaks between sets for recovery. By measuring your power regularly, you can track improvements and build a foundation for better overall performance and longevity.
For a deeper dive, check out my Medium article on the topic (free article link)
References
Garhammer J. Power production by Olympic weightlifters. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1980 Spring;12(1):54-60. PMID: 7392903.
Takai Y, Ohta M, Akagi R, Kanehisa H, Kawakami Y, Fukunaga T. Sit-to-stand test to evaluate knee extensor muscle size and strength in the elderly: a novel approach. J Physiol Anthropol. 2009;28(3):123-8. doi: 10.2114/jpa2.28.123. PMID: 19483373.
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