Explosiveness. It’s usually a great word when used in the arena of athletics. There are many ways to train it, but not all of them are as easy to learn and practical (especially if working with groups). I’m really a big fan of the Olympic lifts (Snatch, Clean, Jerk) and all their permutations, but some good coaching, a quality bar, and some bumber plates are needed to ensure safe and adequate performance as well as a quality training effect. The training effect, is afterall, the main goal when training for a functional improvement or body composition goal.
The positions shown above (from left to right: Snatch, Clean, and finish of the Jerk), clearly depict some very explosive and flexible athletes; these are not position than many average athletes or clients (if you’re a personal trainer) can assume.
Next to Olympic lifts with a barbell, we have the myriad of variations of the lifts with implements such as dumbells and kettlebells, which I really love. The kettlebell might be the ultimate “gym in a pocket” as Pavel Tsatsouline, creator of the Russian Kettlebell Challenge certification likes to say. Because of the unique handle, a kettlebell can be swung through the legs much easier than a dumbell and obviously easier than a barbell! The kettlebell swing, when performed properly (it is not as easy as it may look), may be the best athletic enhancement drill on the planet if you had to choose one! Here is a video of Mark Snow, my RKC certifcation partner performing a basic swing from the side.
So what is one to do if you don’t have the equipment mentioned above, nor the proper coaching to use the various implements? Enter the medicine Ball!
Medicine Balls: A Versatile Tool For Teaching Explosiveness!
Some of the best exercises to teach full-body explosiveness are the many variations of medicine ball throws. Of these, the throws that involve explosive hip-extension with a stable trunk (core) are the most valuable to perform. These can be done by both athletes and non-athletes alike to train the all-important bio-motor abilitites of speed-strength or “explosive strength.” In other words, they help train how quickly one can generate a high level of force in a minimum amount of time.
Rate of Force Development Graph: More Force in Less Time is Good!
These skills are essential for all individual and team sports that have a high energy demand from the anaerobic (i.e. without oxygen) energy systems but can even be vital for endurnace athletes, who tend to avoid this type of training. With better ability to develop force quickly, also known as “rate of force development,” endurance athletes can train their muscles and nervous system to be more efficient when they train or compete, thus learning how to apply more force with each cyclical movement (i.e. running, swimming, cycling, etc..) of whatever endurance activity is being performed. Over time, these adaptations can lead to faster times with a lower energy output.
Here is a video of some of my favorite explosive med ball throws that can be performed by a wide variety of people, even non-athletic ones. Plus throwing stuff is just plain fun! Special thanks to Patrick Ward of Optimum Sport Performance for being my med ball chucker!
So as you can see, there are many ways to train this elusive yet vital quality of explosiveness. As with all training, the focus should be on proper progressions so these exercises might not be be the place to start for many. But over time, even a senior citizen can learn to do a kettlebell swing or a med ball throw. So be smart and chuck away!
Move Well, Move Often!
Keats
