Two Different 5-Week Power Training Programs

Whether you’re getting ready for the season or just looking for an interesting way to change up a stale weight room routine, a study published on the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research presents two different power training programs for your consideration.

Not every gym is going to have a flexible barbell. They’re designed to provide high resistance during the lift while maximizing acceleration through the range of motion. College football players used this device loaded with 125 pounds of plates for all exercises.

Another group of players participated in a weight training program that combined speed lifts with plyometric exercises. These subjects used 45% to 65% of their one rep max for all exercises.

Both groups trained using split routines 4 days a week. Compared to testing before the training program began, 5 weeks in the combined training group helped subjects achieve an average 2.59 inch improvement in vertical jump height, 32.12 inches farther medicine ball throw and 3.7 watts more power climbing stairs.

After the same 5 weeks, subjects in the flexible barbell group increased their vertical jump height an average of 2.67 inches, threw the medicine ball around 40.9 inches farther, increased their long jump by 2.32 inches and boosted stair climbing power by 7.8 watts.