Pam Peeke, MD (host):
Hi, I am Dr. Pam Peak, and this is episode 559 of the Bold And the Brave, her Podcast. Now today I’m joined by a fellow American College of Sports Medicine Fitness professional who’s gonna be enlightening us about something I can guarantee you know bupkis about. Alright, we’re gonna be talking about muscle power versus muscle strength. See, I told you, you know nothing about this. Nothing, nothing. And this is so, so important for you. You gotta know. You gotta know. So who are we gonna be talking to today? Our expert is George Yusef.
Host:
Now he’s an exercise physiologist on the sports rehabilitation and performance team at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. I wanna give them a shout-out for doing a fantastic job of getting you all ready for this podcast. You got quite a little team over there, so Rachel and her team rock on. Now he got his bachelor’s degree in exercise science at Adelphi University. And here’s the thing—you know, he walks the talk or soccer’s the talk. Um, he also played collegiate soccer, and that’s how this whole thing started because—didn’t soccer about muscle power? I’m just saying we’re gonna get there. And then he went on to pursue his master’s degree at Adelphi University. Um, and boy oh boy has he had a lot of time and fun working with the American College of Sports Medicine, where he became a Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist through them. Now I just wanna let you know—the American College of Sports Medicine is the premier body for this. If you get anything from them, if you are certified by run to this person, because it is by far the hardest certification to get. And I’ve just gotta tell you, hats off to you, George, on that one. So rock on now. George, you were quoted in a really cool article that all of us physicians read. It’s in Medscape, which is considered hallowed ground. I almost fell off my chair—I was so happy someone was finally talking about muscle power. Now everyone out here in the her-podcast land knows for a fact that I ran and rave about muscle strength all the time. I’m a resistance-trained athlete and I know the statistics on what happens if you do not have muscle strength, especially as you age—say after fifty years old or more. In your seventh decade you’re gonna drop some of that lean body mass just by virtue of age, and that happens to Olympians. So get ready. So George, what got you interested in this whole issue of muscle power?
George Yusef, MS:
Hi, I’m, uh, thank you for having me. Um, really appreciate it. Well, I first really got involved with muscle power when I was at college, so Adelphi University—really through my undergraduates and my graduate studies. Um, I was really interested in a personal way on how I could make myself the best soccer player I can be. That was always my aim—somehow I could get a little advantage over my opponents in any way. Even the smallest little advantage can mean the difference in a lot of competitive sports. So I was really trying to give myself the best edge I could. Then I kind of got to muscle power and we were a lot of training with our strength-and-conditioning coach—kind of the Olympic lifts, very complicated movements—which were very beneficial and led to a lot of success for our team. But then also working with different clients through the whole spectrum—different clients were younger athletes that wanted to be similar to me, very good at their sport, and also individuals either retired or later on in life who also wanted to learn about muscle power as well as strength and how to really boost longevity and health.
Host:
Alright, let’s define muscle power. We know strength is—can you lift a certain weight, right? So if I ask you to lift a 25-pound bag of dog food, can you do it? Can you lift your groceries? That type of thing. But what’s muscle power then?
George Yusef, MS:
Good question. Um, so muscle power—the difference that sets strength and power apart is the inclusion of a time aspect. The equation for muscle power is force times velocity. So essentially, how quickly can you create that force and move that force? When we think about strength, we want to move a high amount of force; we’re not too concerned about the time. However, when it comes to power, the force, the time, the velocity of the movement is what’s really important.
Host:
Alright—why is it so important? In the Medscape article they quoted a Mayo Clinic Proceedings study that compared upper-limb measurements of muscle power and strength in a large sample of the same individuals—and they found that muscle power significantly outperforms strength in predicting natural-causes mortality. Now people might say, “Wait a minute—you’ve been telling me I need strength to lift heavy bags.” Now you’re adding another element. So tell us more about what that study showed.
George Yusef, MS:
Yes—power is a stronger predictor of longevity than strength. Strength is very important; to build that strength we need a foundation—a strong foundation of strength—in order to progress to power. But that study was very important; it brought it to life. One of the major risks as we age is falls risk—one fall can be debilitating. So we need a degree of strength to avoid falling and keep good posture. But power brings in velocity—how quickly we can produce that force. If we lose our balance, how quickly can we recapture force to prevent a fall?
Host:
The number-one prerogative of the human body is survival. If someone’s running after you, you don’t convene a committee—you run like hell. If hot coffee spills on you, you hop out of your chair in nanoseconds to attend to burns. Muscle power gives meaning behind why you care about it—when you’re trying to survive, you move quickly. Getting up off the floor to chase a grandchild—you need power. Does that make sense?
George Yusef, MS:
Absolutely—that’s a key point. The confusion is thinking power is just for athletes. But power declines more rapidly with age than strength. To survive, you need speed—velocity—from a neurological standpoint: sending impulses quickly to muscle to contract.
Host:
What happens over time? When does that decline begin?
George Yusef, MS:
Inevitably, power declines. Recent studies show it can start as early as thirty years old; in women it’s greater. Even if muscle mass stays stable, muscle quality—power and strength output—declines.
Host:
I’m a body-composition nutcase. People get complacent if they still have the same muscle mass, but quality matters. Muscle power and strength peak between twenty-five and thirty-five; bone peaks then too. Then you have a gradual decrease—but power is lost first, not strength. That’s scary.
George Yusef, MS:
It is scary—it’s due to neurological components, rate of force development, and muscle contraction efficiency declining with age.
Host:
So we need to train for power. I tried kettlebell deadlifts at sub-two-second up-phase—that was a heart-pounder. Is high-intensity interval training actually training muscle power?
George Yusef, MS:
Yes—HIIT includes power. If you move a load with velocity and allow adequate rest between sets, you train power.
Host:
How much power can you recover with training, given decline begins at thirty?
George Yusef, MS:
It’s absolutely recoverable—twelve weeks of training show dramatic improvements, using simple movements with purposeful concentric velocity, like glute bridges, then adding jumps.
Host:
I do weighted glute bridges—faster on the up will help.
George Yusef, MS:
Exactly—focus on quality, form, and velocity in the concentric phase. Add rest, maintain quality. That trains power.
Host:
What about neuromuscular activation and brain health—how does power support the brain?
George Yusef, MS:
Muscle power training enhances neurological pathways—impulses travel more efficiently from brain to muscle, improving rate of force development and muscle power.
Host:
Power also recruits fast-twitch fibers, boosting force production.
George Yusef, MS:
Right.
Host:
How do people train for power in daily life?
George Yusef, MS:
Start with safe, low-risk moves—glute bridges with velocity, then step-ups, jumps, progressing complexity while focusing on form and speed. Use stairs with purpose, carry groceries from the floor efficiently—incorporate velocity into activities of daily living to improve efficiency and quality of life.
Host:
Does strength predict power?
George Yusef, MS:
They’re related but distinct. You need a base of strength to be powerful, but power adds a time element. Someone can be stronger but slower; power wins survival duels.
Host:
Should novices think about power immediately or build strength first?
George Yusef, MS:
Build a foundation of strength, then incorporate power early in a session with lighter loads and velocity, then move into traditional strength work.
Host:
Power shows up everywhere—escaping a spider in your rose garden, sprinting through an airport terminal—it saves your life and improves longevity. What motivational nugget can you share?
George Yusef, MS:
It’s never too late to start. Consistent training—just twelve weeks—can improve power. Beyond muscle, it boosts mental health, social engagement, and quality of life.
Host:
Power predicts both lifespan and health span. Thank you, George Yusef, MS, Exercise Physiologist at the American College of Sports Medicine, and thanks to Solaray for sponsoring. Remember: life is amazing, awful, ordinary; breathe in the amazing, hold through the awful, and exhale during the ordinary—it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Thanks for listening.
Hi, I am Dr. Pam Peak, and this is episode 559 of the Bold And the Brave, her Podcast. Now today I’m joined by a fellow American College of Sports Medicine Fitness professional who’s gonna be enlightening us about something I can guarantee you know bupkis about. Alright, we’re gonna be talking about muscle power versus muscle strength. See, I told you, you know nothing about this. Nothing, nothing. And this is so, so important for you. You gotta know. You gotta know. So who are we gonna be talking to today? Our expert is George Yusef.
Host:
Now he’s an exercise physiologist on the sports rehabilitation and performance team at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. I wanna give them a shout-out for doing a fantastic job of getting you all ready for this podcast. You got quite a little team over there, so Rachel and her team rock on. Now he got his bachelor’s degree in exercise science at Adelphi University. And here’s the thing—you know, he walks the talk or soccer’s the talk. Um, he also played collegiate soccer, and that’s how this whole thing started because—didn’t soccer about muscle power? I’m just saying we’re gonna get there. And then he went on to pursue his master’s degree at Adelphi University. Um, and boy oh boy has he had a lot of time and fun working with the American College of Sports Medicine, where he became a Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist through them. Now I just wanna let you know—the American College of Sports Medicine is the premier body for this. If you get anything from them, if you are certified by run to this person, because it is by far the hardest certification to get. And I’ve just gotta tell you, hats off to you, George, on that one. So rock on now. George, you were quoted in a really cool article that all of us physicians read. It’s in Medscape, which is considered hallowed ground. I almost fell off my chair—I was so happy someone was finally talking about muscle power. Now everyone out here in the her-podcast land knows for a fact that I ran and rave about muscle strength all the time. I’m a resistance-trained athlete and I know the statistics on what happens if you do not have muscle strength, especially as you age—say after fifty years old or more. In your seventh decade you’re gonna drop some of that lean body mass just by virtue of age, and that happens to Olympians. So get ready. So George, what got you interested in this whole issue of muscle power?
George Yusef, MS:
Hi, I’m, uh, thank you for having me. Um, really appreciate it. Well, I first really got involved with muscle power when I was at college, so Adelphi University—really through my undergraduates and my graduate studies. Um, I was really interested in a personal way on how I could make myself the best soccer player I can be. That was always my aim—somehow I could get a little advantage over my opponents in any way. Even the smallest little advantage can mean the difference in a lot of competitive sports. So I was really trying to give myself the best edge I could. Then I kind of got to muscle power and we were a lot of training with our strength-and-conditioning coach—kind of the Olympic lifts, very complicated movements—which were very beneficial and led to a lot of success for our team. But then also working with different clients through the whole spectrum—different clients were younger athletes that wanted to be similar to me, very good at their sport, and also individuals either retired or later on in life who also wanted to learn about muscle power as well as strength and how to really boost longevity and health.
Host:
Alright, let’s define muscle power. We know strength is—can you lift a certain weight, right? So if I ask you to lift a 25-pound bag of dog food, can you do it? Can you lift your groceries? That type of thing. But what’s muscle power then?
George Yusef, MS:
Good question. Um, so muscle power—the difference that sets strength and power apart is the inclusion of a time aspect. The equation for muscle power is force times velocity. So essentially, how quickly can you create that force and move that force? When we think about strength, we want to move a high amount of force; we’re not too concerned about the time. However, when it comes to power, the force, the time, the velocity of the movement is what’s really important.
Host:
Alright—why is it so important? In the Medscape article they quoted a Mayo Clinic Proceedings study that compared upper-limb measurements of muscle power and strength in a large sample of the same individuals—and they found that muscle power significantly outperforms strength in predicting natural-causes mortality. Now people might say, “Wait a minute—you’ve been telling me I need strength to lift heavy bags.” Now you’re adding another element. So tell us more about what that study showed.
George Yusef, MS:
Yes—power is a stronger predictor of longevity than strength. Strength is very important; to build that strength we need a foundation—a strong foundation of strength—in order to progress to power. But that study was very important; it brought it to life. One of the major risks as we age is falls risk—one fall can be debilitating. So we need a degree of strength to avoid falling and keep good posture. But power brings in velocity—how quickly we can produce that force. If we lose our balance, how quickly can we recapture force to prevent a fall?
Host:
The number-one prerogative of the human body is survival. If someone’s running after you, you don’t convene a committee—you run like hell. If hot coffee spills on you, you hop out of your chair in nanoseconds to attend to burns. Muscle power gives meaning behind why you care about it—when you’re trying to survive, you move quickly. Getting up off the floor to chase a grandchild—you need power. Does that make sense?
George Yusef, MS:
Absolutely—that’s a key point. The confusion is thinking power is just for athletes. But power declines more rapidly with age than strength. To survive, you need speed—velocity—from a neurological standpoint: sending impulses quickly to muscle to contract.
Host:
What happens over time? When does that decline begin?
George Yusef, MS:
Inevitably, power declines. Recent studies show it can start as early as thirty years old; in women it’s greater. Even if muscle mass stays stable, muscle quality—power and strength output—declines.
Host:
I’m a body-composition nutcase. People get complacent if they still have the same muscle mass, but quality matters. Muscle power and strength peak between twenty-five and thirty-five; bone peaks then too. Then you have a gradual decrease—but power is lost first, not strength. That’s scary.
George Yusef, MS:
It is scary—it’s due to neurological components, rate of force development, and muscle contraction efficiency declining with age.
Host:
So we need to train for power. I tried kettlebell deadlifts at sub-two-second up-phase—that was a heart-pounder. Is high-intensity interval training actually training muscle power?
George Yusef, MS:
Yes—HIIT includes power. If you move a load with velocity and allow adequate rest between sets, you train power.
Host:
How much power can you recover with training, given decline begins at thirty?
George Yusef, MS:
It’s absolutely recoverable—twelve weeks of training show dramatic improvements, using simple movements with purposeful concentric velocity, like glute bridges, then adding jumps.
Host:
I do weighted glute bridges—faster on the up will help.
George Yusef, MS:
Exactly—focus on quality, form, and velocity in the concentric phase. Add rest, maintain quality. That trains power.
Host:
What about neuromuscular activation and brain health—how does power support the brain?
George Yusef, MS:
Muscle power training enhances neurological pathways—impulses travel more efficiently from brain to muscle, improving rate of force development and muscle power.
Host:
Power also recruits fast-twitch fibers, boosting force production.
George Yusef, MS:
Right.
Host:
How do people train for power in daily life?
George Yusef, MS:
Start with safe, low-risk moves—glute bridges with velocity, then step-ups, jumps, progressing complexity while focusing on form and speed. Use stairs with purpose, carry groceries from the floor efficiently—incorporate velocity into activities of daily living to improve efficiency and quality of life.
Host:
Does strength predict power?
George Yusef, MS:
They’re related but distinct. You need a base of strength to be powerful, but power adds a time element. Someone can be stronger but slower; power wins survival duels.
Host:
Should novices think about power immediately or build strength first?
George Yusef, MS:
Build a foundation of strength, then incorporate power early in a session with lighter loads and velocity, then move into traditional strength work.
Host:
Power shows up everywhere—escaping a spider in your rose garden, sprinting through an airport terminal—it saves your life and improves longevity. What motivational nugget can you share?
George Yusef, MS:
It’s never too late to start. Consistent training—just twelve weeks—can improve power. Beyond muscle, it boosts mental health, social engagement, and quality of life.
Host:
Power predicts both lifespan and health span. Thank you, George Yusef, MS, Exercise Physiologist at the American College of Sports Medicine, and thanks to Solaray for sponsoring. Remember: life is amazing, awful, ordinary; breathe in the amazing, hold through the awful, and exhale during the ordinary—it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Thanks for listening.
