Hypertrophy vs Strength vs Power

Mar 22, 2021

 by Blair Rockoff

When it comes to weight lifting, there are many areas of focus depending on your goals. For the vast majority of the population, working on strength and muscle building is the key to long-term functional movement. Additionally, for many, and especially those participating in specific sports, increasing power output will be another focus to improve athletic performance. Here's how you can advance through these three areas of strength training:
- Strength: when we talk about strength, we're referring to training focsed on increasing the load placed on the body, or lifiting maximally. This requires mind-body connection and supports both functional daily movement as well as athletic performance goals.
- Muscle: when we talk about muscle building (also known as hypertrophy), we're referring to training that forces muscle growth through higher levels of volume and intensity. When individuals are looking to make changes to their body composition or physique they are often focusing on this type of training - lifting weights in the 8-12 rep range at an 8/10 intensity level.
- Power: this refers to the ability to produce force at a fast rate. This type of training often requires strength movements along with speed training (think medicine ball tosses, hops and jumps) and can improve athletic performance as well as relfexes and coordination for everyday living.