How to Develop Explosive Power
by Melinda Burris

This article focuses on explosive power and explains why it is so important in certain sports including hurdling and sprints. To put it simply, explosive strength refers to how quickly you can exert your physical strength.

Training to increase your explosive power involves heavy loading resistance training (HLRT). NCAA Division 1 Strength Coach Joel Smith points out that this type of training calls for “shorter high-speed movements for a few repetitions with long rest periods between.” ¹ The exercises required to build a person’s explosive power consist of movements that call for the athlete to exert their maximum level of strength rapidly to build power to the point that he or she is eventually able to move large amounts of weight quickly.

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Coach Smith defines explosive power as “the ability to recruit a lot of motor units (or at least a large percentage of available motor units) into movement and do so rapidly.” The key is the ability to harness your power output and use it to accomplish quick movements such as clearing hurdles or getting off the starting block in sprints.

Coach Smith argues that achieving a high power output is fundamental to an athlete’s ability to compete at an advanced level. In fact, he (and other experts in sports training) contends that your level of power output is directly linked to the highest level of your chosen sport you will be able to participate in competitively.¹ So, if you wish to take that next step and compete at a higher level, it is imperative that you add exercises that increase your power output to your regular training routine.

The Vertical Jump

The vertical jump has long held as the standard by which power output was measured. However, Coach Smith maintains that while the ability to do a high vertical jump can certainly be an indicator of explosive power, it is not the only means by which power should be measured. Smith reasons this is because the ability to do a high vertical jump depends on a range of other factors besides power output.

For example, some athletes may have a body build and strong, well-structured feet that make it easier for them to do a high vertical jump but at the same time, these athletes may lack the explosive power necessary in other areas to make the move into the higher echelons of competitive sports. Drawing on his experience, Coach Smith shares, “I’ve had athletes that were a full 6-8 inches ahead of their peers in their vertical jump but were not significantly more “powerful”.¹ Smith goes on to explain that in some cases the opposite has proven true: some athletes who could do a high vertical jump “were sometimes even weaker in other measures such as power clean to bodyweight ratio.”¹

Athletic Abilities That Point to a High Level of Power

Smith recommends analyzing the athlete’s ability to do the following exercises to arrive at a more comprehensive estimation of their explosive power output:

• The initial 10-20 meters of the 10, 20, and 40-yard dash will give the trainer and coach an idea of the athlete’s power. After 20 meters, Smith notes, it is “technique and elasticity” that the athlete must rely on to be victorious.
• Although Smith is on record stating the vertical jump is not in and of itself an indicator of an athlete’s full power, he still considers the ability to complete a high vertical jump as a positive indicator of potential.
• The standing long jump is an excellent measure of upper body power as well as strength. Smith notes that track and field athletes who throw tend to do well in completing this exercise due to their more developed upper body strength and power.¹
• Smith also points to the ability to throw the shot put for good distance as an indicator of both “coordinative and sequential power.”¹
• According to Smith, well-trained Olympic athletes demonstrate their power with their lifting outputs. In contrast, poorly trained Olympic athletes will not be able to properly control or apply their power in weightlifting. So, for those who have not been trained properly, a better means of judging their power level would be to have them throw a heavy medicine ball.¹

The Need to Train in Stages

Exercise physiologist and fitness consultant Elizabeth Quinn points out that scientific studies have indicated that the best way to increase your power output and speed of movement to achieve optimum explosive power requires approaching strength training in stages. Quinn observes that when beginning training to increase your explosive power, you should initially concentrate on improving your level of maximum strength as this provides a solid foundation for the second stage of training which should focus on building power and increasing your level of speed so that you can turn the strength and power you have developed into the explosive power intense competition demands.²

Quinn further points to evidence that it is best to incorporate a mix of light and heavy explosive power exercises into your workouts as better results have been documented when the training regimen consists of both types of exercise rather than just one.

Training That Can Increase Your Explosive Power Output

Coach Smith notes that when working with student-athletes participating in sports like hurdles and other track events where explosive power output is necessary to compete and win, coaches and trainers should understand the correct exercises required to build power output and approach training with an appreciation of not only the short term benefits but also with an eye to how proper power training can affect future prospects for the athlete and the possibility of continuing in the sport, taking their performance to the next level of competition.

Smith has identified the following exercises as effective for developing explosive power:

• Resistance training:Coach Smith points to research showing that weightlifting with increased repetitions is more effective than lifting with fewer repetitions.¹
• Ballistic resistance training:Examples of ballistic resistance training include traditional exercises including squats and bench presses, but as Smith notes, to build explosive power, such exercises must be performed “at high velocity…and often shortened ranges of motion.”¹ This emphasizes that to develop explosive power, you must develop strength, coordination, and speed.
• Plyometrics:Smith defines plyometric training as “a jumping exercise that puts a premium on force absorption and release.”¹ Quinn takes this a step further by stating that plyometric/ballistic movements are the final stage in explosive power training.²

Quinn advises caution when undertaking explosive power training because you are taking on a heavier load and if you do not phase these types of movements into your workout gradually, you can put yourself at risk of overdoing it and having long recovery times or worse, you could suffer injury. To avoid this, she recommends increasing your weightlift load and the speed with which you do your repetitions gradually over several weeks and multiple workouts.²

References:

1.     Smith, J. (20 June 2019). 4 Scientifically Proven Ways to Develop Explosive Power.

2. Quinn, E. (31 October 2019). How to Increase Explosive Strength: Benefits, Exercises, and Tips.

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