Strength, Speed & Power

These are closely linked, but all a bit different.

There are 3 types of strength:

Static

• When you exert a force against an immovable object, muscles stay the same length
• Useful in activities such as arm wrestling and rugby scrums

Explosive

• When you exert a force in short, fast movement
• Useful in the javelin and high jump

Dynamic

• When you apply a force repeatedly over a long period of time
• Useful for press-ups and cycling
• For speed, you need fast reaction times-the time it takes you to respond to something (a starter’s gun, or a pass in football), and fast movement times-the time it takes you to carry out a movement (a shot on goal, or 100m sprint)
• Power is strength and speed combined.