Fifty is the New Fifty
I went to a group exercise class the other day — you probably know the one. It’s quite successful, has a color in the name, and checks all the boxes you’d expect: loud, bouncy music, an energetic trainer with a headset, a warm-up (sort of), a weightlifting segment, an aerobic segment, and a cool down (again, sort of).
In theory, all of this is governed by heart rate zones. You wear a monitor, and your numbers show up on a screen in the cardio room — but not in the weight room, which makes up a big chunk of the workout. Curious, isn’t it?
Strength vs. Power
Traditional strength training relies on slow, controlled movements. Add acceleration and momentum, and those same movements transform into power exercises — a completely different animal.
Take the overhead dumbbell press as an example.
Strength version: You pick up 15-pound dumbbells and perform four sets of eight reps, one set every minute on the minute (EMOM). With strict form and controlled tempo, the first three sets are tough but manageable. On the final set, fatigue sets in. You grind through reps six and seven, and on rep eight the weight stalls halfway up. That’s muscular and mechanical failure — and in this context, it’s success. You’ve reached the goal.
Power version: Now the trainer cues you to grab 20-pound dumbbells. Knowing strict form won’t cut it, you dip at the knees and hips, using momentum to “push” the weight overhead. This transforms the exercise into a push press.
The Barbell vs. Dumbbell Problem
Here’s the catch: the push press is designed as a barbell movement, not a dumbbell one.
With a barbell, the weight rests across your chest in the front rack position. Your shoulders act as a platform, not the sole support. When you dip and drive, your whole body initiates the movement before the shoulders engage.
With dumbbells, that support disappears. The load and its momentum are borne entirely by the shoulders — one of the most fragile joints in the body.
Best case? Cumulative wear and tear. Worst case? A rotator cuff tear that sidelines you for six months. And if you’re over fifty, the consequences are even more serious.
Why Power Training Gets Risky
Power is essential for functional health and vitality, but it’s also volatile. Risks multiply depending on:
The quality of programming
The trainer’s knowledge and experience
The athlete’s ability to execute safely
Olympic lifters drop weights for a reason. It looks loud and dramatic, but it’s safer than trying to control heavy loads during the eccentric phase. That downward momentum places enormous stress on muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
For competitive lifters, “cheating” the weight with momentum is part of the sport. For the rest of us, it’s a recipe for injury.
A Safer Alternative
What if you could train for power without the volatility of free weights, eccentric overload, or dangerous sticking points?
That’s where FitSpan comes in.
It uses the power of water resistance in the concentric phase — with no eccentric load.
Every rep adapts to your individual acceleration, making it fully customized.
This approach is called Adaptive Isokinetic training.
The result? Peak power, every set, every rep, every time.
Final Thoughts
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. FitSpan programming addresses strength, power, endurance, range of motion, and functional application. The variability comes from the load/speed equation — and you, the user.
Even small changes in how you accelerate the load create new neuromuscular adaptations, just like in real life. That’s what makes FitSpan unique: it adapts to you, not the other way around.
-This post was authored by FitSpan’s own Medical Exercise Specialist and Chief Fitness Officer, Andy Baxter.