5 Best Explosive Exercises Every Athlete Must Do

Explosive exercises are ones that increase speed, power, and strength to boost athletic performance.

To gain an edge in your chosen activity or simply improve your athleticism, you can utilize various movement patterns, tempos, and rep ranges to boost your speed, power, or both.

When an athlete needs to exert maximum effort for a brief period of time, explosive power drills are frequently employed. Building the necessary strength to eventually lift large weights quickly is the aim of explosive exercise training.

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Best Explosive Exercises for Athletes

For an athlete to attain their maximum potential, power and explosive strength must be evaluated, comprehended, and developed. Increase in movement speed, which impacts explosive strength, is beneficial for athletes, irrespective of their skill level or sport.

Here’s a list of the five best explosive exercises every athlete must do:

1) Frog Squat Jump

This explosive exercise trains the body to quickly and forcefully transition from a slow eccentric contraction to a complete concentric contraction. That's necessary for the body to generate a lot of force quickly.

Instructions:

• Holding a dumbbell with both hands at one end, keep your back straight.
• As you descend, let your arms drop and become relaxed. Slowly squat back while keeping your lower back flat and preventing your knees from moving forward.
• The dumbbell should come into contact with the ground behind you and as soon as you feel it. Rise up straight and quickly.
• Repeat 8-10 times.

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2) Explosive Push-up

Explosive pushups, also known as plyometric push-ups, are a fun explosive exercise to boost upper body strength.

Instructions:

• Start in a normal push-up posture, with your feet together and hands directly beneath the shoulders.
• Bending your elbows while maintaining them parallel to the body can help you lower yourself.
• Bring your chest almost to the floor, and push up quickly with both arms.
• Clap your hands as your body rises off the ground. Return to the push-up position.
• Repeat 10-15 times.

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3) Wall Ball

Wall balls are an excellent workout for working the entire body, as they're a speed, strength, and explosive exercise. Focusing intently on the upward action of throwing the medicine ball high up on the wall and making sure it's as powerful as possible are the keys to getting the most out of this workout.

Instructions:

• Standing in front of a wall, hold the medicine ball in front of your chest.
• Push your hips back as if you were sitting in a chair by pulling your shoulders back, contracting your abs as you do so.
• Throw the ball towards the wall while pushing yourself back up to standing height so that the ball lands at a distance of around ten feet.
• Return to a squat stance as you descend, abd catch the ball in front of your chest. Repeat.

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4) Plate Jump

With this explosive exercise, you'll be able to jump higher than you might otherwise be able to. The weights pull the body up and forward when you swing them vigorously forward. To avoid falling forward, the body must move at the same speed as the weights.

Instructions:

• With a 10-pound plate in hand, stand straight.
• Bend your torso downward in a countermovement as you swing the plates rearward.
• As you start the jump, swing the plates firmly forward and upward.
• The plates must be raised all the way to head level or higher. The plates could be thrown in front of you, and you could let the weight move you.
• Perform three sets of 12-15 jumps.

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5) Dumbbell Swing Into Jump

The dumbbell swing and pull through are combined in this explosive exercise. Before a strong hip extension, the posterior chain is stretched greatly.

Instructions:

• Holding a dumbbell similar to the frog squat, step out farther than shoulder width.
• Dropping your head, extend as far back as you can, and swing the dumbbell between your legs. Throwing the hips up and forward initiates the jump, leaving the weight behind.
• Like the plate leap, the dumbbell should tug on the body as it accelerates. The weight of the dumbbell pushing on the body quickens the last phase of the jump.
• Perform three sets of 12 leaps.

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Takeaway

There are some risks associated with explosive training. So it's crucial to begin with light weights and calm, controlled motions to lower the risk of injury. Over several weeks and numerous training sessions, you should gradually increase the weight you use and the speed at which you lift it.