Power training provides special benefits for muscles and function

Julie Silver, M.D.

Strength training is a popular term for exercises that build muscle by harnessing resistance against an opposing force. Strength training is sometimes called resistance training, progressive resistance training, or weight training. The resistance can come from your body, or from free weights, elasticized bands, or specialized machines. No matter what kind of resistance you use, putting more than the usual amount of load on your muscles makes them stronger. Because the muscles being exercised are attached to underlying bone, these exercises strengthen bones as well.

Strength training isn’t just for those in search of buff bodies or bulked-up muscles. It also boosts the strength needed for daily tasks. Just about any activity becomes easier with stronger muscles. So does any sport you enjoy.



As we age, muscle power ebbs even more swiftly than strength does. So exercises that can produce gains in power become especially important later in life. That’s why some investigators in the field of physical medicine are now combining the swift or high-velocity moves of power training with more deliberate and slow strength-training exercises to reap the benefits of both activities.

Putting it into practice:

Here are three of the three dozen exercises presented in Strength and Power Training, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, for which I was the faculty editor. They can be done at home or on the road, and require no special equipment.

Chair stand

Exercises the muscles of the abdomen, hips, front thighs, and buttocksChair stand

Position a chair so that its back is resting against a wall. Place a small pillow upright at the back of the chair. Sit at the front of the chair, knees bent, feet flat on the floor and slightly apart. Lean back on the pillow in a half-reclining position with your arms crossed and your hands on your shoulders. Keeping your back and shoulders straight, raise your upper body forward until you are sitting upright. Stand up slowly, using your hands as little as possible. Slowly sit back down. Aim for eight to 12 repetitions. Rest for a minute or so and repeat the set.

Power move: Change the move slightly for the last set by rising from the chair quickly. Sit down again at a normal pace.



Exercises the muscles of the back, back thighs, and buttocks
Lie on your back on a towel or mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands next to your hips with palms flat on the floor. Keep your back straight as you lift your buttocks as high as you can off the mat, using your hands for balance only. Pause. Lower your buttocks without touching the mat, then lift again. Do eight to 12 repetitions. Rest and repeat the set.


Triceps dip

Exercises the muscles of the back upper arms, chest, and shoulders

Triceps dipPut a chair with armrests up against a wall. Sit in the chair and put your feet together flat on the floor. Lean forward a bit while keeping your shoulders and back straight. Bend your elbows and place your hands on the armrests of the chair, so they are in line with your torso. Pressing downward on your hands, try to lift yourself up a few inches by straightening out your arms. Raise your upper body and thighs, but keep your feet in contact with the floor. Pause. Slowly release until you’re sitting back down again. Aim for eight to 12 repetitions. Rest and repeat the set. Variation: If you don’t have a chair with armrests, sit on the stairs. Put your palms down on the stair above the one you are seated on. Press downward on the heels of your hands, lifting your body a few inches as you straighten your arms. Pause. Slowly release your body until you are sitting back down again. Aim for eight to 12 repetitions. Rest and repeat the set.

Power move: During the last set, lift your body quickly. Slowly release until you are seated again.


  1. Achraf

    The fastest way to build muscle is just about eating the right foods and being very dedicated to the particular exercises you are following. To put it bluntly, the harder you work out, the faster you’ll get those muscles big and bulky. There are always a few little tips and techniques that can aid your progress in any endeavor though, so read on to find out the fastest way to build muscle.

  2. luke brown


  3. jano

    this is awesome!

  4. Mike

    Thanks for the article. The health benefits of weight training are really astounding. Most people think cardio has more health benefits than resistance training but this is not correct. A lot of the research actually suggests resistance training reverses the effects of aging by increasing bone strength, insulin sensitivity, HGH production, RMR and muscle mass. All this from only 20-30 mins twice a week. I usually combine powerlifting with more tradional bodybuilding work.

  5. Dentist in Northridge CA

    Getting and staying fit can be a challenge. For many of us, it’s hard just to get up off the couch. So what’s the secret of people who have managed to make exercise a way of life?

    • Erin Lutz

      I think like anything in life, the “secret” is to set small goals for yourself, that are manageable and set you on the path to accomplishing big things (making exercise a way of life). In our busy lives, it’s so easy to say “I don’t have the time,” but we make time for the things that are truly important. Regular exercisers reap great mental and physical health benefits. It’s important to figure out the “what’s in it for me” — as in, what motivates you. Is it being around to see your children graduate from college or get married, is it not being a burden to your spouse or children as you grow older, is it having more energy in your daily life, or disease prevention, etc. We work with people ages 7 to 70+ giving them a specific blue print for a healthy lifestyle, but the secret to success comes from within!

      Erin Lutz

    • Pat Miller

      There has to be a consistent time for exercise. I was born in 1929. I retired in 1964. Ever since I retired I have made it a priority to work out Mon-Fri at the local community center. I’m up at 5:30am, do leg stretches in bed, do 25 bent knee push ups. Have a light bkfst. Leave home @ 6:30. I meet my buddies at 6:45, we have coffee (green tea) shake some dice, do a little “trash talk” & then I’m off to the gym. I start out with 30-35 minutes of fast walk & then up to the work out room where I use a variety of strength training machines. I’m there until about 9:30, shower & leave for home. I’m always home by 10:00am. In the summer I will ride bike or walk on Sat.& Sun. I also play golf (from a cart)

  6. Jill Fox

    Dr. Silver this is a great article, we stress to our clients to join the kids in their activities. We offer companies who rent inflatable bounces, slides, and obstacle courses. The favorite for resistance strength training is the Bungee Run. This is great for adults as well as teens. Two runners compete while strapped to a bungee cord, when they reach a certain length toward the end zone the bungee reaches the end and the resistance begins. This all takes place on an inflatable ‘run’ so nobody gets hurt trying to outrun the bungee. It is fun to participate and funny to watch.