The terms strength and power seek to quantify the ability to exert force. However, there is rarely consistency in the way these terms are used. All sports involve acceleration (change in velocity per unit time) of the body or an object (tennis racket, bat, baseball) as well. Because there are variations in an athlete’s ability to exert force at different speeds, strength data obtained from isometric and low-speed exertion tests have limited value in predicting performance in sports that involve acceleration at high speed. Therefore, a more accurate definition of strength involves the maximal force that a muscle group can generate at a specified velocity. The term power is more commonly used when measuring the ability to exert force at high speeds, such as an offensive lineman's push, a martial artist's kick, a high jumper’s takeoff, or a boxer's punch.
There are many biomechanical factors involved in the manifestation of human strength and power, including neural control, muscle length, muscle cross-sectional area, muscle fiber arrangement, joint angle, muscle contraction velocity, and joint angular velocity. The athlete’s neuromuscular system must be methodically trained to generate maximal force from a given amount of muscle tissue. One of the basic objectives of our power training regimens is to increase impulse production by generating greater force at any given time or improving the rate of force production. Methods such as plyometric training involve a rapid eccentric muscle action that stimulates the stretch reflex and storage of elastic energy, which increase the force produced during the subsequent concentric action. This trains a muscle to reach maximal force in the shortest possible time.
BMTs’ strength and power training regimens are carefully designed to promote muscle balance. Muscle balance not only implies equal strength, but also a proper ratio of strength, power, or muscular endurance of one muscle or muscle group relative to another muscle or muscle group. If these biomechanical properties are not adequately addressed in training they can be the mechanism of technical inefficiency and injury in sport.
BMTs’ long-term resistance training programs induce significant adaptive responses that result in enhanced size, strength, and power of trained musculature. Our exercise regimens naturally manipulate the endocrine system by elevating anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone, while reducing the chronic catabolic responses of hormones such as cortisol. The engineered specificity of these resistance training programs dictates the hormonal response, enhances the rapid development of target tissues, and accounts for subsequent gains in strength and power.
