Being a more powerful athlete means you’ll be able to hit harder, run faster, jump higher, and have an advantage over your opponents. To get there, you’ll need to train specifically for power by using lighter loads and explosive movements. Implement some of the ideas in this article and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a better athlete.
In This Article We Will Discuss:
The Difference Between Strength and Power
How to Train for Power and Explosiveness to get faster and jump higher.
Exercises you can use to improve your explosiveness and power.
How to implement and use Velocity/Power training
How to measure power output and progress
Becoming a more powerful athlete requires careful attention to the types of training methods you’re using. Lifting heavy weights all the time does NOT necessarily lead to improved explosiveness. The boxer who doesn’t even bench press might hit a lot harder than the guy who bench presses 500lbs.
Note: I am not a doctor, so you should consult yours before undertaking or performing any exercises or workout programs. Sorry, had to get that out of the way.
What is Power?
If you want to be more explosive and powerful, jump higher and/or get faster.. You have to understand the difference between Strength and Power
Strength = The maximal force you can apply against a load…i.e., how much weight you can move/lift.
Power = The ability to exert maximal force in the shortest time possible. Power is determined by how fast you can exert maximum force. Power = Work/Time
So, If me and you can both bench press 250lbs, you could say we’re equally strong. But, If I can lift it in 2 seconds and it takes you 4 seconds, that would make me the more powerful athlete (on the bench press, anyways).
Tip: Check out my Instagram. I’m currently training my nephew, who is looking to play D1 college football. A lot of his training gets posted on there and can give you some new ideas to play around with.
There are specific training methods you can use to improve your speed and jumping ability. You can accomplish this by using exercises that force the body to generate force rapidly, improving what is known as rate of force production.
Plyometrics
The single best training method to improve jumping ability, speed and overall explosiveness is plyometrics. Studies show that 6 weeks of plyometric training can improve agility and jumping ability in athletes.
Plyometric exercises take advantage of the stretch shortening cycle. This involves exercises in which a muscle is rapidly stretched and shortened.
Exercises like the depth jump (below), in which you jump from one platform, rapidly absorb the energy of the landing and then exert force by jumping back up, train the body to absorb and generate force rapidly.
Plyometric exercises work by increasing the speed and force of muscle contractions.
These agility hurdles are excellent tools for plyometric training. Check ’em out for under $50:
Speed Strength Training
Lifting with lighter loads and faster reps is another way to train for power and explosiveness. Powerlifters, and training methods such as Westside Barbell understand and utilize this form of training to great effect.
Whether you’re lifting a heavy load slowly, or a lighter load with speed, you’re still generating force. Speed strength training specifically trains the body to improve rate of force production, the ability to generate high power outputs faster.
Power Shrugs: focus on being explosive through the hips, Knees and Ankles.
Maximal Strength Training
There is always a place for strength training when it comes to getting faster, jumping higher and becoming more explosive.
At the end of the day, you may be limited by the amount of force you can generate. In order to jump, sprint or perform any explosive movement, you must generate maximal force.
Improving your max squat or bench press will likely lead to your plyometric training being more fruitful. The ability to generate more absolute force by getting stronger is an essential component to becoming more explosive. It lays the foundation for increased explosive abilities.
Can Squats Make You Jump Higher?
This is a common question that gets asked when people are looking to improve their jumping abilities.
The answer is that yes, getting stronger on the squat can improve your jumping ability. Increasing the amount of force you can generate can certainly make you a more powerful athlete.
However, using squats alone is not a good strategy. You should use heavy lifting along with other forms of training like plyometrics and speed-strength movements to get the biggest improvements.
Olympic Lifts
The olympic lifts (Power clean, snatch) train the body to generate maximal force in a very short time. Specifically, you’re training the legs and hips to be as explosive as possible to move heavy loads with speed.
Jumping in particular is very reliant on explosive hips. If you observe the movement of the body during a power clean or snatch vs. jumping, you’ll see it’s actually very similar.
How to Jump Higher and Be More Explosive.
To put it all together, you should use a variety of different training methods to become a more explosive athlete. Here’s a quick list of how you can get there, with some advanced tips:
1. Use Creatine
A 2016 Study showed that supplementing with Creatine resulted in greater improvements in both jumping and sprinting. This makes logical sense, since Creatine is well known to improve power output and explosive performance.
My suggestion is to get your Creatine from Bulk Supplements. It’s cheaper, you get more, and it’s pure creatine monohydrate, with no filler ingredients.
2. Get Stronger
Don’t ignore strength training. If your goal is to be more explosive, jump higher or be a faster and more dynamic athlete, you don’t need to be lifting like a bodybuilder. You should be focusing on lower rep ranges (3-5) and keeping the volume relatively low.
Try 3 sets of 3-5 on the squat 1 – 2 times per week, and try to add weight each week.
3. Use Plyometrics (Carefully)
Plyometric exercises are great for improving explosive abilities. They can also be hard on the body. Start out by aiming on the lower end for volume and build up to doing more sets and reps over time.
Here are a few that you can try:
Box Jumps
Depth Jumps
Shin Hops
Later Skater Jumps
4. Don’t Over-do It
You never want to train more than what you can recover from. Plyometrics and other dynamic forms of training put a lot of stress on tissues like tendons and ligaments.
Allow your body to recover between sessions. 2 plyometric workouts per week is enough to get some good results, along with 2 strength training days for the lower body.
5. Use Speed Strength Movements.
Focus some of your lifting on speed strength movements. For these workouts, you should focus on using less weight and lifting with speed. Here are a few exercises you can use to good effect.
Box Squats
Pause squats (pause at the bottom, then explode up)
Jump Squats (with light weight)
Jumping Lunges
Power shrugs, speed deadlifts
Olympic lifts
6. Focus on Each Rep. Emphasize Quality
When performing power/explosive movements in your training, you really need to focus on each rep, making sure every repetition is performed as explosively as possible while maintaining good form.
You want to train the body to recruit maximum force from as many muscle fibers as possible, as fast as possible. It is for this reason that lighter loads are optimal, allowing you to really explode through the resistance.
Make each rep it’s own, and focus on technique and generating as much force as you can.
7. Don’t Chase Fatigue. Chase Performance
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to be wiped out from every training session. Keep in mind that you’re trying to become more explosive. Training until you’re completely fatigued will result in performing slower, ineffective repetitions. That is NOT what you want to do.
Focus on performing quality, powerful reps, and build up volume over time. This way, you can actually recover and adapt to the training, instead of driving yourself into the ground.
How To Measure Improved Power
As with any type of training, you always want to have some measure of progress. You want to know that your efforts are resulting in adaptations that benefit you as an athlete. Here are some specific ways you can measure for improved power and explosiveness.
Broad Jump. Measure how far you can jump, then retest every 4 weeks or so.
Vertical Jump: Same idea… measure your vertical jump, or max box jump height and measure for improvement.
Med ball throws: From a seated position, hold a medicine ball (10-20lbs) to your chest, then using only the upper body, explosively throw the ball as far as possible. Measure the distance.
Use Olymic lifts: Snatch/Clean. Measure by how much weight you can successfully move.
Conclusion
A lot of people want to be more explosive athletes. What athlete wouldn’t? Armed with the right training techniques, a strong desire and a willingness to always be learning, you can get there a lot faster than you think.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you found this helpful.
Check out some of my other articles on strength and conditioning:
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
These 10 Fitness tips can help take your workout game to the next level. Get stronger, Improve faster, and crush new goals .
Note: This article contains affiliate links to products I believe in and use. They come at no additional cost to you.
Progress = Motivation
It’s undeniable that progress is the driving force that keeps us motivated to push ourselves forward.
There’s nothing better than seeing hard work result in real changes to our body and our abilities.
It’s critical, then, to make sure you’re doing the right things to keep progress rolling forward.
Sooner or later, we all reach a point where changes need to be made. We plateau, and many lose motivation or become complacent and just go through the motions, repeating the same routine for months or years with little results to show for it.
Here are 10 things you can do to take your workouts, your fitness and your life to the next level. You might just find something that can restart your motivation and get you moving forward to that best version of yourself, where you belong!
Tip #1: Keep a Workout Journal
Keeping a workout Journal will allow you to:
Track Progress over time
See what was working for you in the past when you run into problems in the present
“Compete” against yourself using past performances in any type of workout
Analyze exactly what you’re doing, and how much you’re doing, compared to the results you’re getting.
Great coaches and trainers will always have their clients keep a workout journal. Having access to past workouts can be invaluable.
There are plenty of free apps you can use. I use “Day One Journal.” It’s free and easy to use. It also allows you to place “tags” on all your workouts, so you can easily reference them when you need to.
Advanced
You can dive a lot deeper into this, if you’re a more serious athlete.. You could be tracking things like your resting heart rate each morning and/or your heart rate variability. You could also have some specific workout “tests” you can repeat to measure progress.
Tip #2: Use a Heart Rate Monitor
Example of a Training Session with a HR monitor
Using a heart rate monitor can change the way you work out completely.
You can be specific about what you’re trying to accomplish in your workout by using different heart rate zones for different outcomes.
For example, training for 30 minutes with your heart rate between 110-120 would be a low intensity cardio session, stimulating recovery.
30 minutes with the heart rate between 130-150 would be stimulating cardiac output.. training the heart to pump more blood per beat and enlarging the left ventricle, improving aerobic fitness.Â
Training for 30 minutes with a HR at 155-170 would be training for aerobic power, and would be a much higher intensity session.
I highly recommend the Polar H10 heart rate monitor. Polar really can’t be beat in this department, and this model is both affordable and accurate. It’s also full of great features.
If you’re more advanced, a heart rate monitor can be even more useful. You can track how long it takes your heart rate to recover after intense activity, with the goal of increasing your one minute heart rate recovery over time. You can also keep track of your resting heart rate by testing it first thing in the morning. A low resting heart rate is the surest sign of improving aerobic fitness.
Tip #3: Have a Clear Goal
If you ask people in the gym what their goals are, you’d get all kinds of answers.
From experience as a trainer I can tell you, most people don’t really know exactly what they’re trying to accomplish. They say things like “I just want to gain muscle and lose weight,” or, “I want to get in shape.”
These are not clear, definite goals. A goal should be something like; “I want to lose 15lbs in the next 8 weeks,” or, “I want to gain 5lbs of muscle and be at 10% body fat by May 1st.”
Goals should be: SMART
Specific – What exactly do you want to accomplish?
Measurable – Don’t just say “lose weight.” Say, I’m going to lose 10lbs.
Achievable – You aren’t going to add 100lbs to your bench press in 30 days. Remember, Progress = Motivation.. Set yourself up to achieve small goals that are attainable, and they will add up to big changes.
Relevant – If you’re training for a marathon, your goals should be relevant to that.. too many people have conflicting goals like, I want to get bigger, lose weight, get stronger, get leaner and run faster.
Timely – Goals should have a time-frame. If you want to add 50lbs to your bench press, say: “I’ll add 50lbs to my bench press in 6 months by doing _______.”
Have clear goals, and be able to express how you’re going to accomplish the goal. If you don’t know how, then that is why trainers have jobs, and there is plenty of information out there as well. It’s your goal, and your responsibility to go after it!
Tip #4: Use High Intensity Training Carefully
Too many people are obsessed with HIIT workouts.  And it’s true, HIIT can be a highly effective way to achieve a range of fitness goals. But HIIT training comes at a cost, as it takes considerable energy for your body to recover from a constant beat-down of high intensity effort.
A study by Les Mills Lab concluded that 40 minutes of HIIT training per week was optimal for most people, with added training being detrimental to fitness and performance.
High intensity training, or HIIT, should be utilized no more than twice per week. Even elite athletes rarely go above 3 days per week, and even then it is only for short training cycles.
your bodies simply cannot recover enough to adapt to that much high intensity effort, and so short term gains in performance will soon turn to a massive recovery debt, and your workouts and your well-being will suffer the consequences.
Fitness is best improved by using a variety of different intensities and methods. Keep the HIIT to 1-2 days per week and utilize other methods, low and moderate intensity training on the other days.
There are several ways you can help speed boost your workout recovery. I’ll list a few here from my article: 10 Ways to Boost Workout Recovery:
Recovery Workouts: lower intensity workouts to stimulate blood flow and recovery the day after a high intensity workout.
Compression clothing: Compression can reduce muscle damage and soreness. Check out 2XU Compression Pants if you want real compression.
Pre Workout Protein and Carbs: Pre workout nutrition is often overlooked and has a big impact on recovery.
Massage/Relaxation
Massages and any other form of deep relaxation can be very beneficial.. as they help nudge the body into a parasympathetic recovery state. Studies have shown that massage can reduce Delayed onset muscle soreness by 30%.
Take care of yourself. Focus as much on recovery as you do on working out and training, and you will reap much greater rewards from your efforts and stay in the game a lot longer.
#6 Switch Up Your Training Every 6-10 Weeks
After 6-10 weeks of focusing on one aspect of your training (strength, endurance, size, etc..) your progress is sure to slow down and eventually come to a halt.
For this reason, smart athletes Periodize their training. This means they place more focus in one area for a period of time (usually 6-8 weeks), and then switch their focus. This allows for constant progress.
This doesn’t mean that you completely disregard other areas of fitness. You simply place less emphasis on them so you can focus a little more in another area. If you’re going to try to get stronger for 6-8 weeks, you can add an extra day or two of strength training, and do a little less cardio/endurance work during that time.
Periodizing your training will give you the best chance at continuous progress and is the best long term strategy to follow for optimal gains in fitness.
#7 Use The Right Supplements
If you walk into any supplement store, you are bombarded with literally thousands of different supplements all claiming to have incredible results.
It’s really important to understand that these supplement companies are not bound by the FDA, and can make all sorts of claims that aren’t necessarily true at all.
Keep it simple. There are supplements backed by a ton of research showing they work, and exactly how they work and what they DO.
Once you understand this, all you have to do is choose the right ones to help you with your goals. If your only goal is losing weight, creatine probably isn’t going to benefit you, regardless of what the label claims.
Supplements That Actually Work
Creatine
-Increase Power/Power Endurance -Increase Strength -Increase size -Use for heavy/max lifting, short sprinting, HIIT
L-Citrulline
-Increase Nitric Oxide -Vasodilator – Improved blood flow -Gives a “pump” when lifting -Use for higher volume lifting, strength/size, HIIT
Antioxidant Supplements
-Tart Cherry, Turmeric, other similar products -Reduce Inflammation -Using frequently can hinder the body’s natural ability to control inflammation from your training.
Caffeine
-You know it works! -Decreased perceived exertion/makes exercise feel easier -Can train longer without feeling fatigue -Increases motivation to work harder -Regular use/tolerance diminishes effectiveness
Beta-Alanine
-Decreases perceived exertion -Can work at higher intensities for longer/delays fatigue -Use for longer sessions, endurance training, HIIT
BCAA’s
-Branched Chain Amino Acids -Reduce muscle wasting during prolonged training -Use during training if you havn’t eaten a pre-training meal or are training in a fasted state. -Use for longer duration sessions to spare muscle tissue
Use supplements that are complimentary to your Goals and proven to work.
I prefer to buy my supplements from Bulk Supplements. It’s cheaper, you get more, and it’s the supplement in pure form, with no added fillers.
#8 Always Perform a Warm up
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in the gym is going straight into a workout without warming up.Â
The likelihood of getting injured can be reduced by performing a dynamic warm up; raising body temperature, increasing elasticity of the muscles and pushing blood into the joints.. creating a “cushion” and readying the body for more intense work.Â
Research has shown that performing a warm up can improve performance. Warming up properly can make you stronger and more powerful during your workout.
A Proper Warm-Up:
5-10 minutes of light cardiovascular activity, slowly building up to higher intensities
dynamic stretching (not static stretching where you hold for 30 seconds), and mobility work.
Lower intensity movements similar to what you plan on doing in your workout, gradually building up to working sets. If you’re going to be bench pressing, start out with some light presses, warm up the shoulders, etc..
Making sure you warm up will result in less injuries, and will lead to better performances in your workouts.
Research also shows that warming up may reduce the amount of soreness you experience after your workout. Keep your body healthy… use the warm up as a way to focus on the upcoming session and get your mind focused and your body ready to push new limits.
#9 Always Perform a Cool Down
There is less research pointing to the benefits of a cool down versus warming up.
Studies have shown some conflicting results with respect to using a cool down as a means to faster recovery from training. However, there are absolutely some very good reasons to incorporate a cool-down into your training sessions.
According to one study in the Journal of Sports Medicine, an active cool down may help prevent immune system depression and promote faster recovery from intense training sessions.
How to Cool-Down Properly
Perform light cardiovascular activity for 5 minutes, gradually reducing your heart rate as low as possible.
Perform some light stretching, focus on relaxing
Foam rolling is a good idea, if you have the time and the means
Assume a recovery position, anything where you feel relaxed.
Focus on driving the heart rate down as close to resting as possible. Spend 3-5 minutes in this position.
A good cool-down can help speed up the process of the body going into a parasympathetic recovery mode. Walking out of the gym amped up with your heart rate rate still in the training zone isn’t a great idea.
#10 Never Neglect Your Aerobic Fitness.. Your Life May Depend on it.
Regardless of what your goals are, having at least a base level of aerobic fitness is paramount to your overall health and longevity. There are very direct links to aerobic fitness and mortality risks.
A massive study of more than 122,000 people foundthat the higher your level of cardio-respiratory fitness, the less chance you have of dying from all causes.
The importance of this study cannot be overstated. Aerobic fitness reduces mortality risks across the board, with NO upper limit observed. The better your aerobic fitness, the less chance you have of dying, period!
This doesn’t mean you have to turn yourself into an endurance athlete. Training the aerobic system is simple and can be done with 3-5 sessions per week of low-moderate intensity cardiovascular sessions.
You can incorporate some extra cardio into almost any training program. Check out my article related to this Here.
Conclusion
I hope this was helpful for you. If you take your workouts and your goals seriously, there is no doubt that incorporating some, or all of the 10 ideas in this list can be of great benefit to you. They certainly have been for me, and I’ve been doing this for a long time!
Continue to improve and find that best version of yourself!
Let me know what you think with a comment, or email me at Contact@supastrong.net
Thanks for being here!!!
Mike (Supastrong)
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
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