Speed Is a Skill: Power Training After 30
Argan Athlete | Performance Blog
Most adults assume that speed and explosiveness naturally decline with age—and they do, but not for the reason most people think. Power doesn’t disappear because you get older. It disappears because you stop training it.
At Argan Athlete, we treat power as a skill—something that can be developed, preserved, and rebuilt, even after your 30s, 40s, or beyond.
This post explains why you lose power faster than strength, what the research says about retraining it, and how we apply that science to help clients move with speed, coordination, and control at any age.
Why Power Declines Faster Than Strength
Strength is your ability to produce force.
Power is your ability to produce that force quickly.
The equation is simple:
Power = Force × Velocity
As you age, the nervous system begins to favor endurance and stability. Type II muscle fibers—those responsible for speed and explosiveness—are lost more rapidly than Type I fibers. Motor unit recruitment becomes slower and less synchronized. The result: slower reaction times, decreased jump height, and reduced ground contact force in running or cutting movements.
Research shows:
Power output begins to decline in the early 30s, with the rate of decline accelerating into the 40s and 50s. (Bean et al., 2003)
Rate of force development (RFD), a key marker of power, decreases more than maximal strength. (Skelton et al., 1994)
These changes are neuromuscular, not just muscular—meaning they’re trainable with the right stimulus.
In other words, if you’re losing speed, it’s not inevitable. It’s a result of de-training.
Why This Matters
Most clients don't notice they’ve lost power—until it starts affecting performance:
Slower change of direction
Reduced jump or sprint capacity
Decreased acceleration out of a cut or pivot
Loss of reactive balance, especially under fatigue
More importantly, power loss can subtly increase injury risk. Slower reaction times and reduced force absorption can lead to poor joint control under dynamic loads—especially at the ankle, knee, and hip.
For the aging athlete, power training isn't optional. It’s protective.
Power Training Is Not Just for Athletes
We train clients of all ages and backgrounds in power. That includes:
Runners in their 30s–50s dealing with repeat overuse injuries
Pickleball or tennis athletes who need fast lateral reactions
Busy professionals who want to maintain strength and responsiveness as they age
Lifters who’ve built strength but feel slow or unathletic
Post-rehab clients who need to bridge the gap between physical therapy and real-world sport
Our focus isn’t on pushing limits recklessly. It’s on restoring coordination, elasticity, and rate of force development—in a controlled, progressive way.
How We Rebuild Power at Argan Athlete
We don’t start with box jumps or sprints. We build a foundation, then layer on intensity and velocity.
Step 1: Prerequisite Strength and Positioning
Before training for speed, we evaluate:
Single-leg control
Trunk stiffness and rotational timing
Tendon tolerance
Deceleration mechanics
Joint stiffness and rhythm in landing
We correct asymmetries and faulty loading strategies before adding velocity.
Step 2: Reintroduce Low-Amplitude Plyometrics
We begin with simple drills like:
Pogo hops
Skater steps
Low hurdle jumps
Wall drills for vertical and horizontal force vectors
These retrain the stretch-shortening cycle—the elastic recoil system responsible for reactive strength.
Step 3: Add Load and Contrast
Once control and elasticity return, we integrate:
Kettlebell swings (hip-dominant power with low impact)
Med ball rotational throws (transverse plane power)
Jump squats at 30–40% of 1RM (power-zone training)
Sled pushes for acceleration and horizontal force
Contrast training: pairing heavy lifts with explosive work to stimulate neural potentiation
All programming is based on rate of perceived effort, ground contact time, and power intent, not just weight lifted.
Step 4: Sport-Specific Integration
For those returning to sport, we incorporate:
Acceleration and deceleration drills
Lateral hops and cuts
Open-chain reactive work (e.g. light band or partner perturbation drills)
Fatigue-based reactive control to mimic game-day environments
How Often Should You Train Power?
For most adults, 2–3 days per week of intentional power work—blended into a strength or conditioning session—is enough to maintain or rebuild power. Each session might include:
One elastic/reactive drill
One med ball or plyometric movement
One ballistic or speed-strength lift
The focus is always on quality over quantity. We stop sets when output drops.
Final Thoughts
Losing power doesn’t have to be part of aging. It’s a skill that can be trained and restored—just like flexibility, strength, or endurance.
At Argan Athlete, we help high-performers reclaim their explosiveness with precision. Whether you’re looking to return to sport, lift more efficiently, or simply feel fast again, we’ll build a path that respects your age, your goals, and your body’s real capacity for performance.
Ready to move fast again? Let’s build that skill—together.
