The Power of Resistance

We all know a major obstacle for many Spinning® folks is fear to add more resistance to the flywheel. Sure, they can turn over 110 RPM. But how much power are they really putting out? These folks wonder why their bodies don’t change much or why they can’t seem to get lean.

This resistance obstacle applies to many endurance athletes and everyday exercisers alike. Yoga, stretch-type classes, elliptical machines and inner/outer thigh machines are good as a supplement, but should be included within a broader fitness routine in order to truly discover a higher level of power.

You can take pills and go on a diet, but these will most likely be other ways for you to spend money on something that probably will not have a return. How about implementing a strength-training plan that is solid, has science behind it and works for the long term?

Strength and conditioning programming is now a widely acceptable form of training that has gone well beyond the sports world. Kettle bells, compound movements, Olympic lifts, squats and plyometric work are now poking into health clubs. It’s time. Heck, it’s been time for a long time!

Power is the name of the game. If you just focus on power, while keeping it simple, then you will most likely address the areas of your training program that need help. Regardless if you want to lose weight, get more lean, become an elite athlete, move faster (in life, sports, whatever), stimulate metabolism or simply get healthier, you have to do programming that addresses power.

What is power anyway? Power is moving a load over a distance with time as a variable. Let’s dive into this definition more as you learn some secret weapons for your training.

If you want to get strong, lift heavier loads. Duh, right? But not many people do that. Heavier loads (increased weight) are the answer. Take it one step further and add a compound movement, such as a heavy loaded front squat, and you will get a double bang for your buck. Why do a leg extension or a leg curl when you can do a squat? A squat is one of the most fundamental ways to start.

Most of you regularly ride or run, right? You know that the faster you go, the more calories you will burn. If a cyclist does a 40K time trial twice, on the same road with the exact same conditions, and he covers that distance in 58 minutes during the first ride and in 52 minutes during the second ride, then he very likely produced a greater power output during the second time trial. This is because he moved his mass (i.e., the weight of himself plus his bike) across the same distance, but in a faster period of time.

Many fitness folks, members and trainers alike, completely miss the last power component: time. Running for 45 minutes on a treadmill at 4.5 MPH is not as effective as 20 minutes or less of high-intensity intervals for burning calories or increasing total power output. Try it: You’ll see results in both calories burned and total power output (usually measured in METs or watts).

Brian MacKenzie, one of the country’s cutting-edge endurance coaches, says that “doing a lot of long, slow duration, like cycling, running and similar forms of exercising, is tough to sustain both for lifestyle and for athletic performance and health.” He has coached numerous distance runners and has significantly reduced their training volume by adding more strength and conditioning. “The body will eventually break down without power work. Many distance athletes retire early or slow down because of body breakdown.”

Imagine getting more done in less time! It amazes many of us strength and conditioning coaches that the masses do what the masses do. Many exercisers engage in mind-numbing, monotonous, same-modality ideals about how to lose weight or get more fit. Let me give you my Strength and Conditioning 101 prescription that is a good structure to adhere to as you begin your quest for weight loss or improved fitness: 

1. Work your way up to at least three to four strength/power training sessions weekly. Use heavy loads, aka weight. Do compound movements: squat, deadlift, overhead press, push-press, thrusters, weighted lunges.
2. Work with speed. Rest as little as possible between exercises. Be efficient. Your heart rate will go up, but isn’t that the idea? I heard a well-respected strength coach tell someone that “fat people walk, now run!” As a cyclist, I got better when I started running and running with speed. I’m not talking marathons here. I am talking 400-meter efforts, sometimes with a weighted vest, or even a tabata workout (a high-intensity interval training regimen with 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for eight rounds). Move faster, be stronger, have more power and you’ll get leaner!
3. Ditch the unnecessary. Lateral raises, bicep curls, tricep presses and inner/outer thigh machines have their place, but try to stick to the fundamental, proven and safe lifts mentioned above to get the results I've discussed.
4. H.I.I.T., or High Intensity Interval Training, should get marked off at least three days a week, more if you have sport-specific aspirations. Start with as little as 15 seconds at “red line” and build. The stronger and more powerful you become, the longer you can sustain a higher level of intensity.
5. Vary. Do not do the same routine more than twice per month! Be functional. Be athletic. Train all pathways. Teach your body to recruit all major muscles at varying intensities, loads and in different orders. You can take three basic exercises, like squats, push-ups and sit-ups, and think of numerous workouts that will not only make you stronger, but also keep you varied.

Remember that to increase your percentage of lean body mass and decrease your percentage of body fat, you need the right dose of strength and conditioning. This should include training for power!