Why POWER is So Important

In countless gyms, garages and hotel rooms across the
world, diligent CrossFitters race against the clock every
day to shave a few extra seconds from their workout
times. They do this as a competition, with themselves,
their friends or other CrossFitters posting results to
CrossFit.com or an affiliate’s site. They are also doing it
because CrossFit tells them faster times mean they are
fitter.
Why go faster? Because going faster both requires
and produces higher levels of fitness. It’s also true that
you are producing more power in the process. Power is
calculated as force multiplied by distance and divided by
time. It’s simple: maximize your load and the distance
you move that load while minimizing the time it takes
you to do so. Power and fitness are intimately linked.

If you doubt this, try a simple experiment. Do 20 air
squats in a minute (at a pace of one every three seconds)
and notice the effect this has on your muscles and respi-
ratory rate. Recover fully, then do 20 air squats in 20
seconds (one every second). Notice the effect again. The
same work performed in a third of the time is dramati-
cally more potent.
This is generally true: increasing the average power of
any workout makes it both harder and more effective.

In fact, intensity (power) is the independent variable
most strongly correlated with optimizing the results of
a workout, taking precedence over volume, duration,
target heart rate, etc. CrossFit’s success is largely due
to our maximization of intensity and power. We do
this by using combinations of functional movements in
relatively short workouts. (For a thorough definition of
functional movements, see the CrossFit Journal article
Foundations by Greg Glassman, April 1, 2002.)
The main downside to increased power and intensity
is discomfort. The greater the intensity, the greater the
discomfort. CrossFit can virtually guarantee you’ll get
fitter than you’ve ever been, but you’ll work harder and
have to manage the pain of intensity. Indeed, much of
fitness is nothing other than the tolerance of discomfort.

(TO READ THIS WHOLE ARTICLE GO TO THE CROSSFIT JOURNAL AND LOOK UP "The Importance of Power,
and the Irrelevance of Measuring Power")