© National Strength and Conditioning Association Volume 27, Number 6, pages 24-32 Keywords: bench press; throw; plyometric; periodization; strength Methods to Increase the Effectiveness of Maximal Power Training for the Upper Body Daniel Baker,MHS,CSCS;Robert U.Newton, PhD,CSCS Edith Cowan Universityjoondalup,Western Australia, Australia power, methods for developing upper- (PPS; see 2. 4. 5, 8, 9, U, 25, 26) or summary body power appear to be less explored. other software or testing modalities. Maximal upper body pressing/pushing The load-power curve or profile (Fig- Power training recommendations power is of importance to both American ures I and 2) that is generated for each and rugby football players, as well as box- have typically involved Olympic individual from this testing can aid in ers and martial artists, to enhance the abil- prescribing training (2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11). Weightlifting and plyometric ex- ity to push away or strike opponents. The For example, an individual whose load- purpose of this article is to outline some power curve is characterized by high ercise prescriptions, paying scant practical methods that have been imple- power outputs with light resistances but mented in our program to develop maxi- also exhibits pronounced reductions in attention to upper body maximal- mal upper-body pressing power in rugby power output with heavier resistances power demands. This article at- league players. Astute coaches will be able would be prescribed more maximal to determine the relevance and application power—oriented and heavy-resistance tempts to redress this situation by fo- of these concepts and methods to the strength training. broader area of athlete preparation for cusing upon strategies and specific otber sports. Maximal strength has been shown to be techniques that can be implemented highly correlated to Pmax in botb the For the purpose of this paper, maximal upper (2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11) and lower body to enhance the effectiveness of power (Pmax) is defined as the maximal (10) for both elite and less experienced upper body maximal-power training. power output for the entire concentric athletes, because the relationship between range of muvement/contraction [peak an individual's change in Pmax and power refers to the highest instanta- change in maximal strength as a result of cursory glance at many resistance neous power output for a 1 -msec period training is much higher in less experi- training programs or recommen- within a movement) (2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11). enced athletes than it is in elite athletes A dations aimed at increasing mus- Upper-body pressing Pmax is usually (5). However, as maximum strength is the cular power typically reveals a high pro- determined by measuring power output physical quality that most appears to un- portion of weightlifting (e.g., power during the lifting of a number of differ- derpin Pmax, it is advisable tbat athletes cleans, pulls) or plyometric exercises (e.g., ent barbell resistances in a designated who wish to attain high Pmax levels devel- jumping, bounding) {1, 20, 21). While exercise (e.g., bench press [BP] or bench op and maintain very bigh levels of these methods ot training often produce throws [BT] in a Smith machine) using strength in muscle groups important in tremendous increases in lower-body the Plyometric Power System software the sport in both agonist and antagonist December 2005 • Strength and Conditioning Journal muscle groups. The strength of the antag- onists should not be neglected for athletes Bench throw power output (W) 1 who require rapid limb movements, as re- BNLBSL BicL search has shown that strengthening of antagonists increases both limb speed and 650 accuracy of movement due to favorable al- p • terations in the neural firing pattern (22). • 600 It has been shown tbat some power train- w ing practices described below are only ef- r 550 • A fective for stronger, more experienced 0 A u A atbletes (14, 28), Once a good strength t P A and muscle conditioning base has been es- 500 • tablished, the following practices will be t A most useful. 1 n • 450 • W Method 1:lncludeFull a t 400 Acceleration Exercises as I Power Exercises It is important to differentiate exercises as 350 40 kg SO kg SO kg TO kg BO kg being used primarily for the development Barbell load of strength (or hypertrophy, depending on sets, repetitions, rest periods, etc.) or power. What differentiates these classifi- Figure 1. Load-power curves (average concentric power) for rugby league players cations of strength or power exercises is participating in the professional National Rugby League (NL), college-aged state leagues (SL),or city based leagues (CL) (2). whether the performance of the exercise entails acceleration throughout the range of movement, resulting in faster move- ment speeds and, hence, higher power Bench throw power outpjt outputs (23, 25-27). Power exercises are 900 SPI yer X199B those exercises that entail acceleration for a PI yef X 2Q02 HG •up 1998 the full range of movement witb resultant 850 HG •up 2002 bigh lifting velocities and power outputs. 0 SOO Strengtb exercises are tbose exercises that w entail heavy resistances and bigh force outputs but also pronounced periods of 750 0 deceleration, resulting in lower lifting ve- u t 700 - * locities and reduced power outputs (25). p Performing an exercise in which accelera- u tion can occur throughout the entire 650 • range of movement (such as a B F in a • 600 • Smith machine, IFigure 3], medicine ball W * • A tbrows, or power pushups) allows for \ A 550 higher lifting speeds and power outputs t m s • (23, 25, 26). If athletes attempt to lift 500 A light resistances explosively in traditional exercises, such as BP and squats, large de- celeration phases occur in the second half 40 kg 50 kg 60 Kg 70 Kg 80 kg of the movement, resulting in lower Barbell resistance power outputs as compared to power ver- sions of BT and jump squats {25, 27). Figure 2. Change in the upper-body bench throw load-power curve (average con- Thus a heavy resistance BP is considered centric power) across a 4-year period in a group of 12 professional rugby a strengtb exercise, whereas the BT is league players,as wellasforan individual who made considerable progress considered a power exercise. (player X).The change in 1 repetition maximum bench press appears to un- derpin the change in bench throw maximal power during this time (11). December 2005 • Strength and Conditioning Journal Table 1 sistance (power bands) on the ends of the Zones of Intensity for Strength and Power Training barbell to increase resistance throughout the range of motion. In this case the ath- Type and/orGoal of Training of Each Intensity Zone lete pushes upward in the bench press and stretches the large rubber bands at- Strength Power tached to each end of the barbell. The Zone l:<50% General neural and technical General muscle and technical greater [he range of motion, the more the (<25%1RM) bands stretch, and therefore the greater Zone 2:50-75% Ballistic speed training the elastic resistance. Similar to the Hypertrophy training (25-37.5 %1RM) chains example, using rubber tubing al- Zone 3:75-90% Basic power training lows the athlete to explode upwards and Basic strength training (37.5-45% IRM) continue to apply high force much later into the movement. Zone 4:90-100% Maximal powertraining Maximal strength training (45-55% IRM} Another strategy is tbe use of functional Note; For strength, percentage of maximum refers to 1 repetition maximum (IRM) (100%). For isometric (FI) training (23). An Fi exercise power, 100% - Pmax (maximal power) resistance (circa 45-55% 1RM if exact Pmax resistance not known). Equivalent percentage ranges based upon 1RM are included in parentheses for cases in can be performed for the top half of a which exact Pmax resistance is not known {mocf ified from reference 2). movement in a power rack or Smith ma- chine, altering the force characteristics considerably (23). Other methods ofalter- Training ro maximize- upper-body press- However, there are a number of strate- ing the kinetic profile include partial repe- ing/pushing power should entail both gies that the strength coach can imple- titions in the top half or maximal force heavy resistance, slower speed exercises ment to alter the force profile or lifting zone of the lift {24). Weighted adjustable for strength development and exercises speeds of strength exercises to make hooks (periscope type design) that are that entail higher velocities and acceler- them more suitable to rapid-force de- constructed to fall off the barbell when the ation tor the entire range oi movement velopment. base of the apparatus contacts the floor for power development (e.g.. BTs, medi- during the lowest portion of the BP can cine ball chest passes, plyometric For example, the performance of the BP aiso alter barbell kinetics within a repeti- pushups, and other throwing exercises, can be modified by adding chains to the tion. I heir use allows for heavier eccentric and ballistic pressing/pushing exercises) end of the barbell to alter the kinetics of and lighter concentric phases, conceivably (1, 2). This approach should restilt in the exercise so that the acceleration phase resulting in enhanced concentric lifting the musculature contracting both force- can be extended further into the range of velocities. The use of chains, power bands, fully and rapidly. movement. When the barbell is lowered FI, partials, hooks, and other devices to to the chest, the chains are furled on the alter the resistance/force production (and Method 2: Alter the Kinetics floor and only provide mniimal resistance acceleration) throughout the barbell tra- of Some Strength Exercises (Figure 4).