Explosive power is very important in training, it can not only be used to develop the ultimate strength, but also can be used to improve the special physical fitness of some sports.

Of course, many sports involve jumping, such as ball games and gymnastics. Jumping routines, or extra-long workouts, are great for improving the GPP of athletes in these events.

Explosive power can be developed using reverse or contrasting methods in sports such as power lifting, including the use of a Weight Releaser (pictured below, an assistive device), elastic bands, chains, and Bounding boxes, squats, deep jumps, and one-foot or two-foot Bounding. These exercises are used to develop explosive strength in the legs and hips.

Your workouts have to take into account the needs of your sport. For us powerlifts, squats, deadlifts, bench presses. We develop explosive power in two ways. The first is to use barbells and accessories such as a stretch band, chain, Weight Releaser, or a combination of two or three. The second is a jump.

Jumps and/or extra-long workouts can develop maximum speed bursts because of less resistance and shorter movement times. This is achieved by a sudden centrifugal stretch of muscles and connective tissue followed by active effort.

Of course, the faster the centrifugal phase, the higher the kinetic energy, the faster the centripetal phase. How is it possible to create this process with a barbell?

You can develop explosive force with moderate resistance and maximum speed, which is called the dynamic method. Two simple exercises that use the power method are the box squat, dumbbell or barbell floor bench press.

In both movements, many muscles are relaxed after the centrifugal phase is over. Next, make an explosive force centripetal action. This can increase the Rate of force deveploment (RFD).

We also found that centripetal force alone increased RFD. If you use a lot of weight, the barbell will move slowly, but using a dynamic method to overcome the heavy weight will result in the fastest RFD.

At the Western Barbell Club, we often practice centripetal squats, bench presses, and forward bends without centrifugal phases. I believe American weightlifters could benefit a lot from adopting this approach. They can move heavy things very fast, but they can’t move world-class weight.

Here’s a comparison.

We use 80% barbells for 1RM and 20% Weight Releaser for 1RM. For example, if you want the action apex load to be 400 LBS, the barbell Weight should be 320 LBS and the Weight Releaser should be 80 LBS.

A Weight Releaser works even better if you use a chain instead. At the end of the centrifugal stage, the load is reduced by 20%, which makes the first half of the centripetal stage lighter, helping to create explosive force.

A more advanced method is to use a stretch belt, a medium – pound stretch belt to speed up the fall stage. When you add acceleration, you increase the kinetic energy. Lightweight elastic bands coupled with lightweight barbells (40-60% of 1RM) can create an ultra-high-speed centrifugal stage that provides resistance during both the fall and rise stages.

The third method is the box squat.

Use the box for every power squat training day. Learn the proper box squats first, the Western style box squats. Box squats create a resting phase before the centripetal phase, where some muscle groups are relaxed. This produces a higher RFD than other squats.

Note to track and field runners: Sprinting at top speed puts five to six times your body weight on your lower extremities, often leading to stress fractures. You don’t get stress fractures doing box squats, and no one uses five or six times their body weight doing box squats anyway.

The more advanced method is to put two sets of elastic bands on the bell rod. After the first move, put the bar back down. Have your training partner quickly remove one set of elastic straps and do it again.

Another method is to use the elastic band in reverse. Wrap a high-pound stretch band around the top of a strength rack or Monolift (Automatic Squat Rack). Next, place the barbell on the elastic band. At the lowest point of operation, the load should be reduced by 20%.

For example, if you can squat 750 pounds, the elastic band should provide 150 pounds of support at first. Then gradually increase the load. Use 1RM for 50-60% weight training to improve explosive power. If you can squat 750 pounds, do 10 sets of 2 reps using 375 to 450 pounds, with short intervals of no more than 60 seconds.

This method is also suitable for floor bench press, bench press, high turn, high pull, barbell or dumbbell neck front or back by lifting or lifting.

Using elastic belt, it is easy to produce the ultra high speed centrifugal stage. To improve the explosive force of the upper body, you can use jump-stretch elastic belt, accelerate the centrifugal stage speed in the Ballistic bench press. Fall the barbell as fast as possible to stop it before touching the chest. The faster you can change direction and enter the centripetal phase, the better.

So how to improve the explosive power of hard pulling? Use reverse elastic belt. Wrap the elastic band around the top of the rack to provide 0-135 pounds of support during the initial action. Next, stand on a counter to keep the barbell from hitting the floor.

Lift and lower the barbell on the safety pin until it is 9 inches above the floor. Switch directions and pull the barbell with explosive force. It’s kind of like a somersault. When using a reverse elastic belt, it is easier to create explosive force at the beginning of the movement. This method can increase the explosive force and ultimate strength.

At a recent seminar, I was asked why box squats are better than high flips. Very simple. Box squats have centrifugal stages, high flips do not.

The centrifugal stage can use the force provided by the stretch reflection. In the same way, the majority of somersaults are better than true high somersaults. But keep in mind that if you do a squat and a somersault at the same speed, the squat works better because it uses more weight.

Because absolute power training is faster and uses less load, usually body weight (such as jumping), it is better for improving power. In the United States, when we think of explosive power, the first thing we think of is weight lifting.

But in Europe, jump training and extra length training are more common. The explosive force is stronger when lighter loads are used. I recommend that every athlete, except those under 165 pounds, increase their explosive power by simply jumping on the box.

When practicing jumps, the first thing to avoid is overtraining. The key is to be specific to the sport you’re playing. You must make detailed weekly, monthly and yearly plans. Most importantly, you must choose targeted jumps.

First practice basic jumps. Quickly squat, bend your knees, bend your hips, activate the stretch reflex, and jump onto boxes of different heights. We have two jump training days each week: Wednesday is medium height jump, 12 to 24 jumps in total, box height 70% of the limit; Sunday is the extreme height jump.

For example, if you can jump up to a 30-inch box, you can use a 21-inch box on a medium-height jump day. If you can jump up to a 40-inch box, use a 28-inch box.

John Stafford practiced only jumping onto boxes and, at his peak, was able to jump 44 inches at 285 pounds.

My friend Jud Logan, a former Olympian and U.S. record holder in the hammer throw, usually did five sets of five with a 44 or 48 inch box, and his best time was five jumps on a 54 inch box at 285 pounds. His hammer throw improved the most when his jump height steadily increased. That’s because the faster you jump, the higher you jump.

In the beginning, muscles produce a force equal to your body weight. Next, the force exceeds your body weight, and you jump and accelerate up to maximum altitude, where your speed drops to zero.

If you always have a slow start, try this workout. Kneel on the mat and relax your hips. Jump quickly and land on your feet.

Once practiced, place the barbell on your back and do the same. Next, kneel with the bar in front of your knees, and do a high flip. Finally, make a power grab as you take off. This will greatly speed up your reverse motion.

My favorite targeted jump, the hard pull and squat, goes like this: Kneel on a 10-inch low box, relax, and then jump onto a 20-inch box. After you warm up, hold something heavy or wear a sandbag vest.

I had never been strong enough in the front of my thighs, but this did amazing things for the front of my thighs, even though I was 55 at the time. 18 jumps per training session is preferred.

Jud Logan suggested I schedule extreme height jumps on Sunday, the day before squats and hard pull extreme effort day, to avoid Delayed onset of Muscle soreness (DOMS). That’s a good arrangement. After all, Jud learned this in the former East Germany.

The main points of jumping training are summarized as follows:

1. Perfect jumping techniques

2. Be specific

3. Schedule your workouts in advance

4. Land in the middle of the box

5. Complete each move at top speed