Power vs Strength

can someone explain the difference between power vs. strength and some examples of exercises that reflect this difference. thanks

Power = Work/Time

So simply put power is the ability to produce force quickly

Another way to put it is: Power = Strength x Speed.

Let’s take the squat for example. There are 2 guys, one whose 1 RM is 1000 lbs and another with an 800 lb 1 RM. The first guy is definitely stronger.

It gets trickier on the power part. Let’s say the first guy’s peak power comes from a 500 pound squat accelerated at 10 mph, while the second guy is able to accelerate 400 pounds at 15 mph. The second guy is more powerful. (OK, I don’t know how fast the normal squat is, but I did this for the sake of giving an example)

As you can see in the equation, the two are interdependent. Knowing this, training for power can give you strength and vice versa.

However, if you train to specialize in strength, you’ll end up more like the first guy, while specializing in power will make you like the second guy. Both specializations have different neurological and muscular impacts on people, which is why the stronger guy may not necessarily be the more powerful one.