Why Power Training for Seniors

 All strength exercises involve some degree of resistance. The intensity of that resistance determines which form of strength will be developed. Light resistance and high repetitions will best develop endurance strength. Medium resistance and repetitions will develop stamina strength. High resistance and low repetitions will develop power strength.

Of the three forms of strength, power is the most neglected by seniors.

High resistance strength training (HRST) or what I call power training is essential if the senior is to prevent the loss of muscle and bone mass, which can lead to sarcopenia (the excessive loss of muscle mass) and osteopenia (the loss of bone mass). Power training is the exercise that develops the major skeletal muscles. 

Power training is essential if the senior is to prevent the loss of muscle and bone mass, which can lead to sarcopenia (the excessive loss of muscle mass) and osteopenia (the loss of bone mass). Power training is the exercise that develops muscle mass in the major skeletal muscles.  

Power Exercise

Power is to exert maximum force over a very short period of time usually for only a few seconds. In sports, both weight lifting and power lifting rely on muscular power. Power training builds tensile mass of the muscle. The effects of power training apply primarily to the adaptation to the fast-twitch muscle fibers. These muscle fibers grow larger and the contractile power increases.

Power exercise not only builds muscle mass, but also builds bone mass. There is a strong correlation between sarcopenia (the loss of muscle mass) and osteopenia (the loss of bone mass). Osteoporosis, the extreme form of osteopenia, is most prevalent in post-menopausal women, but men can also be afflicted in their senior years.

What is Human Isokinetics

Isokinetics is a relatively recent term for when an isotonic action encounters varying levels of resistance. Isokinetic exercises usually refer to the new exercise apparatuses that provide alternating resistance against the muscle action. For instance, electronic controlled stationary bicycles may alternate the resistance to simulate hill climbing. Similarly, riding a bicycle on a hilly course would result in an isokinetic workout with the hills supplying the varying resistance.  

In Human Isokinetics (HI) the apparatus that provides the resistance are the other muscles in the body.

Isotonic, isometric and isotensive exercises will all increase strength. Isometric exercise primarily increases strength at the specific point of static contraction whereas isotonic exercise increases strength for the full range of the muscular movement. 

Building strength and muscle mass can be achieved by all forms of high-resistance exercise. In isotonics, the crucial element is amount of resistance that opposes the movement. The greater the resistance, the greater the force needed to overcome the resistance. When all of our strength is needed to overcome the resistance of the load, the effort is maximal, which I call powerMax. The closer the effort is to powerMax, the greater the gains in muscle mass and in strength.

With isometric contractions, the muscle contracts without movement. A push-up is an isotonic exercise, but if you hold the position then it becomes an isometric exercise where the exerciser’s own body supplies the resistance. Pushing against a door frame is an isometric exercise where the door frame supplies the resistance. When a body builder presses his palms together to accentuate his chest muscles it is isometric exercise where the resistance is supplied by each palm.  

A contraction can occur without any external resistance. This is an isotensive contraction where the muscle contracts or flexes without any resistance. With a static isotensive contraction, there are no changes in the length of the muscle. An isotensive contraction is when a bodybuilder contracts biceps to show off its size. An isotensive contraction can be both dynamic and static. It becomes dynamic when an isotensive contraction is combined with movement.  

Human Isokinetics employs all three forms of muscle contractions with progressive resistance from minimal to maximal exertion.