How To Turn Your Strength Into Power-Part 1

-December 21st, 2011-

As the NLL season approaches, players should be focusing on turning the strength they have gained into power. Increasing power production is what will make the biggest impact on a players performance during a game. Speed and quickness are directly related to your ability to produce power.

The best way to increase power immediately before your lacrosse season starts is by using a method called Complex Training. This will be the 1st of a 4 part series highlighting Complex Training, a series that was previously featured on InsideLacrosse.com.

Complex Training is a superset where you perform a high-intensity strength exercise and follow it with a similar plyometric exercise. My favorite pairing is Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats (RFESS) paired with Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat Jumps. The basis behind this training revolves around Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP).

The principle of PAP is that muscle force will be enhanced as a result of its contractile history. Performing a RFESS with heavy load will lead to an enhancement in muscle force, which will then increase the force output during the RFESS Jump. Basically, your brain will recruit muscle to be more powerful than normal because you just contracted your fast twitch muscle fibers during the strength exercise.

This method of training is very challenging and demanding on the Central Nervous System, and should only be used in a 3-4 week training block directly before the season starts. Give it a try, and you will be extremely explosive when the season starts.

P.S. Here’s the full article posted on Inside Lacrosse. To see how it fits into a complete training program just enter your email on the right of this page. It is Phase 3 of Dan Dawson’s 2011 Preseason Program!

Tags: complex training, dan dawson, Inside Lacrosse, lacrosse exercises, power training