The Case for Sophisticated Power Measurement
In a fresh article on the Freelap USA blog, olympic coach Carl Valle makes a great argument for the need to monitor performance during training and also to do this in a valid and accurate way.
Force comparison between barbell and kBox flywheel squat using force plates and SmartCoach.When it comes to our kBox some people ask how to measure their work, which is a valid question. The answer is the SmartCoach system, which Carl also lists as a top 10 feedback system. The problem is that people I meet often want to relate the results “to my barbell squat in kg”. This is a different thing. My usual response is: “How can you compare if you don’t measure your barbell lift?”
Knowing the load on the barbells doesn’t tell your power output. It depends on the speed and the distance the load travels, and you have to measure this as well to compare. I hope more coaches and athletes pick up this from Carl and start to look at their training in a more sophisticated way, using all the benefits that new technology offers.
I’m also glad to read Carls fine remarks about the kBox, which in his words delivers “an unholy amount of force to the lower body” and that the kBox is the future closed-chain replacement of the Nordic Hamstring Curl. We think so too.
/Fredrik Correa, M.D.
