The Paradigm Shift in Training: Why Power Output Matters More Than Reps
Power is a fundamental training aspect and allows us to infer how well an exercise is done, as well as target the exercise more precisely for different training outcomes as different muscle fiber types and muscular activation patterns change depending on power.
SwiftMo Power is an AI enabled app that opens an entire new paradigm to strength training by measuring power and providing real time guidance for various exercises as well as alerting a contact should it detect a person training has collapse or some other impediment.
Training with power
Power is a fundamental training aspect and allows us to infer how well an exercise is done, as well as target the exercise more precisely for different training outcomes as different muscle fiber types and muscular activation patterns change depending on power. Training with power is far more insightful than counting reps.
But what is power? In a practical sense, power is the speed at which something happens. In the context of strength training exercises, it's not just the ability to lift a certain weight a certain distance, but to do so in a shorter or longer time. This little aspect has huge physiological implications because muscles and the neuromuscular system work very differently depending on load and power.
Power is measured in Watts and is a measure of energy (Joules) transfer over time
Force is typically measured in Newtons, which here on the surface of planet earth equates to about 9.81 N per kilogram. Displacement (distance) is hard to infer, but can be done with AI that has been trained on a vast data set and subsequently calibrated to an individual to within 5% accuracy, normal accuracy with SwiftMo Power about 2%.
SwiftMo Power clearly alerts you when your training is missing it's purpose.
The way people train strength is fraught with variance and is not specific, nor consistent. For each rep there is variance in:
- Range of movement,
- variance in velocity (speed) of the movement,
- variance in velocity through various part of the movement,
- variance in the duration of the recovery period,
- variance in motor pattern and movement.
Each of these points has drastic implications regarding training effect. For example training for high power will directly correlate to neuromuscular recruitment and primarily targets the nervous system and building up a high degree of muscular fatigue isn't required: Where as training for hypertrophy (big muscles) will focus more on inducing muscle damage and subsequent regrowth via training these muscles past the point they can sustain high power.
To compare day to day and set to set it is fundamental to measure these variables to see actual improvement as opposed to a false result occuring because reps were not completed fully, or done at a different pace.
SwiftMo Power provides AI-driven guidance and exercise parameters for better workouts
Parameterisation
SwiftMo Power has an evaluation set for each exercise that enables each exercise to be tuned to an individual's goals and limitations. For example, exercises like the squat are limited greatly by an individual's technique and flexibility and these safety factors have to be held in first regard.
Guidance
SwiftMo Power uses several AI algorithms and traditional algorithms to provide guidance to an athlete such as balance, signaling common errors.
Safety
SwiftMo Power provides a basic safety feature where it will send an alert message via SMS to a number of your choosing should it detect a collapse or immobility. This allows people who are training alone at home to have an extra layer of precaution when they exercise, enabling them to train with more confidence.
The limitations of SwiftMo Power
Pre-trained corrections
Corrections and tips provided by the AI system are the result of experts experience in the Sport and Exercise science training the AI. This means that SwiftMo Power will only correct for errors that it has been trained to recognize, where as a human PT will likely to recognize an error, even if they have never seen it before.
Hardware limitations
Hardware limitation will affect the accuracy and reliability of the app, as weaker hardware will run the AI and physics calculations at a slower rate. This is fine for slow movements like typical concentric movements in a gym. While values are smoothed it still means that fast movements like plyometrics can contain significant error.
SwiftMo Power is not a replacement for a PT, merely an extra tool to help people training and personal trainers do so to a better standard.