Power to body weight ratio

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by Kat, Apr 14, 2002.

  1. Kat

    Kat Valued Member

    Hey
    I feel this is very important for athelictic people/MA particularly if there are of small build or aren't interested in training for large body mass.(I feel Body mass often plays large factor in most confrontations)Given that my whole take on MA evolves around the small overcoming the big,I was wondering how much importance you place on the training of the power ratio?What sort of training do you think maximises an indivuals potienial?

    Just a general chat about power in relationto body weight?
    any opinions welcome
     
  2. LilBunnyRabbit

    LilBunnyRabbit Old One

    That depends on the body type, you can get massive people who have a lot of muscle mass, but very little actual strength for their size. You can also get tiny, wiry little people who seem to pack superman like strength into a tiny frame. The best sort of training to maximise an individual's potential, in my opinion, is to simply train them for whatever they are suited to. Speed, power, agility, or even just technique. Generally though if you train someone for speed and technique, the power comes along, whereas if you train someone for power they'll often put a lot of effort into their technique, causing them to tense up and so actually lose potential power when they throw techniques.
     
  3. pesilat

    pesilat Active Member

    Here's my take on this:

    Power and strength, though, are two entirely different things and not really related.

    Power = Force * Velocity
    Force = Mass * Acceleration
    Acceleration = the change in Velocity / the Time it took
    Velocity = the distance travelled / the Time it took

    Most people who are stronger, have more mass ... and therefore can generate more force with less speed and therefore can generate more power with less speed. However, this doesn't mean that someone with less mass can't generate the same amount of power ... they just have to generate more velocity to accomplish it.

    Mass is hard to change ... and has a point of diminishing return because if you work too hard to increase your mass and you neglect your speed development, then you can end up with less power.

    Also, the older you get, the harder it is to maintain functional mass (there are exceptions ... but this is generally the case).

    Personally, I think it's better to develop the generation of acceleration ... the best way to do this is to become more relaxed. "Strength" usually implies "tension" (in common usage ... though this isn't always the case). Ideally, we should focus on both the development of acceleration and the development of "functional" strength (i.e.: not overly tense).
     

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