If you want to have great explosive strength, training hard is not enough. For this reason, we have prepared some tips to improve explosive strength that will help you get the most out of your workouts, so that you can orient them towards this type of strength in particular.
Top tips to improve explosive strength
Following tips to improve explosive strength is very important, as developing this type of strength requires training aimed at achieving it .
In this sense, the basis of all your workouts should be explosiveness, seeking to improve more and more power and reaction speed . It should be mentioned that, if you are not clear about the concept of explosive force, it must be said that it refers to reacting with the maximum force in the shortest possible time.
This type of strength is only achieved by applying certain training techniques , in which we will delve into each of the six tips to improve explosive strength.
1. Limit your sets of weights
Since your goal is not to increase muscle mass, but to increase power in movements, it is not necessary or advisable to perform sets that are too long . As a general recommendation, you have to avoid performing more than five repetitions for each series.
In addition, the loads that you are going to handle cannot be greater than 80% of the weight that you can lift to achieve a single maximum repetition. Regarding the number of series, it is recommended that you do between three and six for each exercise.
Keep in mind that this type of training is not designed to quickly stimulate muscle fibers, so you will get a low increase in muscle mass. However , muscle timing, coordination, and use will significantly improve , thereby allowing you to improve your explosive strength.
2. Practice plyometrics
Plyometric exercises are excellent if your interest is to improve explosive strength, as they are characterized by developing strength and speed at the same time . What you have to do is chain flexion movements with extension movements.
Therefore, you will have to select plyometric exercises that allow you to train speed and power, with which you will develop each muscle group, so you will be able to improve the effectiveness of the muscle fibers worked .
A good option is to implement them during the rest time between the rest of the exercises. However, keep in mind that plyometrics can be harmful if you perform them with incorrect technique or with a low frequency. Therefore, be sure to be very careful with them.
3. Also train the core
When people perform plyometrics exercises, they may forget the importance of core training. Therefore, a good idea is to perform jump push-ups , since it counts as a plyometric exercise, but it will also help you train the trunk.
If you want to add more complexity to the exercise, you can slap at the end of the jump, which will mobilize a greater number of fast-twitch fibers. Therefore, you will be working all the muscle groups with a single exercise.
Keep in mind that this exercise is very demanding when it is done looking to improve explosive strength, so you should not do it more than once a week. Likewise, it is not recommended to do it for more than four consecutive weeks.
4. Don't forget to train your lower body.
The lower body, specifically the quadriceps and calf muscles, are often very neglected during workouts. When you want to maximize explosive strength, it is essential to train them .
In this sense, jumping with a jump rope can be a great way to train these muscles. At the beginning horizontal jumps are recommended , as they have a lower level of difficulty. When you need to increase the difficulty to continue progressing, you can perform vertical jumps by lifting your knees.
Also, it is important that before doing this exercise you do a simple warm-up , since if the muscles are not warm when you do exercises like this, you may suffer some kind of injury.
5. Always train with maximum intensity
One of the most important characteristics of training to gain explosiveness is intensity. If you want to increase your explosive strength, you must perform all the exercises with the highest possible intensity .
Since this can be very tiring, it is advisable to have a five minute break between each set so that you are always able to complete the planned number of reps.
6. Train between once and twice a week
Exercises aimed at maximizing explosive strength are very hard, so they should not be done too often to avoid overtraining. It is for this reason that it is recommended to perform them only between one and two times a week .
On the other hand, they should not be done consecutively for more than six weeks (or four in the case of the most demanding exercises).
References
- MUSCULATION: IMPROVE EXPLOSIVITY. (2015, July 13). Domyos by Decathlon. https://www.domyos.es/consejos/musculacion-mejorar-explosividad-a_165862
- HealthKeeper team. (2019, February 25). Explosive strength training: the best exercises – AXA . AXA Health Keeper. https://www.axahealthkeeper.com/blog/entrenamiento-de-fuerza-explosiva-los-mejores-ejercicios/
