Explosive Training

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AMatherShapiro
AMatherShapiro Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
Trying to pick my speed up before next season. My buddy who is a personal trainer is too busy to give me a hand and I have no desire to pay for someone to show me how to exercise. Anyone know any good training techniques for explosive speed and agility?

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  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
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    You want explosives training?
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
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    Anyone know any good training techniques for explosive speed and agility?

    Prowler, Sprint Intervals, Olympic Lifts
  • FireBrand80
    FireBrand80 Posts: 378 Member
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    Anyone know any good training techniques for explosive speed and agility?

    Prowler, Sprint Intervals, Olympic Lifts

    This. Problem is, olympic lifts/variations aren't really something you want to teach yourself.

    You can probably learn power cleans and hang cleans on your own. I really wouldn't go much further than that.
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
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    Eh the kid isn't even serious about his own fitness, I doubt he'll do any of the exercises i listed.
    I have no desire to pay for someone to show me how to exercise.
    why not, afraid you might learn something?
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    For most low level athletes peak strength is a significant limiting factor to explosive power. You can squat your way to a relatively impressive 100m and vertical jump. But there is a limit to the value of peak strength as you reach the extremes, as extreme peak strength is slow strength which can be counterproductive to a speed/explosion athlete.

    But plyometrics like jump squats and bounding, and things like hill sprints will increase your explosion and speed. Combined with heavy squats you'll likely find the results you're looking for.
  • AMatherShapiro
    AMatherShapiro Posts: 8
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    Eh the kid isn't even serious about his own fitness, I doubt he'll do any of the exercises i listed.
    I have no desire to pay for someone to show me how to exercise.
    why not, afraid you might learn something?

    You're right. When your friend can't help you out, the first thing to do is go spend money. A student budget doesn't really allow me to throw money around like it is going out of style. I'm looking for a list of exercises that can be used for a specific type of training.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    Are you talking about plyometrics? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics

    Doesn't have to be done using massively heavy weights. For instance, you could do push ups but push fast enough to leave the ground eg when doing clap press ups. Same for clap pull ups and clap horizontal rows...

    Now seems like a timely moment to post this video (yet again!): http://youtu.be/hnaZQpeVaYY :-D
  • shar140
    shar140 Posts: 1,158 Member
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    Training for what kind of sport/activity? Speed in just one direction (like track & field sprints), or do you need to make quick starts/stops and change direction too? Or is it even sprints vs. distance/endurance? Need some more information here on what you are looking for.

    You'll want a good, solid foundation of muscular strength, agility, and balance before you start any plyos (for whatever my opinion is worth).
  • AMatherShapiro
    AMatherShapiro Posts: 8
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    I'm not even too sure what I'm looking for, to be honest.
    My coach told me that I need to bring my speed up. I need exercises that will help me go from standing, or a sprinter's stance, still to a max. speed as quickly as possible.
    Training for what kind of sport/activity? Speed in just one direction (like track & field sprints), or do you need to make quick starts/stops and change direction too? Or is it even sprints vs. distance/endurance? Need some more information here on what you are looking for.

    You'll want a good, solid foundation of muscular strength, agility, and balance before you start any plyos (for whatever my opinion is worth).

    Lots of starts and stops and direction changes. I'm playing in division 1 in the Canadian Professional Paintball League next year. Paintball is essentially all burst of speed and agility.
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
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    You'll need stronger glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quads for that explosion of speed.

    Doing things like sprint for 1 minuet up a hill, mild jog down also help.
  • theresmynapkin
    theresmynapkin Posts: 183 Member
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    Eh the kid isn't even serious about his own fitness, I doubt he'll do any of the exercises i listed.
    I have no desire to pay for someone to show me how to exercise.
    why not, afraid you might learn something?

    You're right. When your friend can't help you out, the first thing to do is go spend money. A student budget doesn't really allow me to throw money around like it is going out of style. I'm looking for a list of exercises that can be used for a specific type of training.

    Agree. As a student we have to budget everything. I even have my mom and fiance helping me out financially and I still need to budget everything. Not all of us have extra money to buy exercise info when we can find similar info for free.
  • betrayalunknown
    betrayalunknown Posts: 63
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    Do bursts of sprints on the Stairmaster. Nothing too crazy, but going up at 105-110 steps per minute for ten straight minutes generally makes the feel like I'm getting a great workout.

    Afterthat, I average between 89 and 100 steps per minute for another 35 minutes.

    In one word, the Stairmaster is surely "explosive."
  • Punktorian
    Punktorian Posts: 224 Member
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    Box jumps, find anything the right height and jump to it. You can also grab a folding chain and begin them seated. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZDEhTxYPYU
    Box squats will also help a ton. From what you are saying you probably do not need to use a very low box but experiment and find the right height that will have the best carry over. There is plenty of free information on how to box squat properly, if you sit back and do them right they will build your posterior chain and explosive strength.
  • shar140
    shar140 Posts: 1,158 Member
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    Knowing what sport you're doing gives me a better idea of what kind of training you'll want to be doing. You're right, it'll be all about bursts of speed and agility and changing direction.

    I can't access youtube at work, but there is a good video to show you how to do a T drill - just google "T drills with Jen Sinkler" and it should come up. It's for speed and changing direction. Jen is/was a rugby player on the US National team (I'm a rugby player, so it's also a lot of quick bursts of speed and changing direction on the fly). I also googled an "M drill" and it looks like it might be helpful as well. It's not exactly the same as we do - we also weave through cones for agility training in the middle. I also don't know if you ever even need to run backwards.

    Another one I can think of off the top of my head, is to start laying on your back, then you get up as quickly as possible and sprint to a specific point (we usually use cones for this as well). Or in your case, maybe start in a crouched position like you would be on the field?

    Then there are also high knees, butt kickers, frankensteins, grapevines (karaokes), etc. I'm not sure what they would be called where you are, though. Skips for height, skips for distance, burpees. Hops over cones (front/back and side to side). Jump squats, star jumps (but burpees would be similar to both).

    None of these require any equipment other than cones or some other type of markers (I've used water bottles before) and an open, flat area.

    Plyometrics might also be useful, but your sport is more about speed/acceleration & agility, and not so much about power (you don't really need to push/pull anything other than your own body and a paintball gun), I would think. But I've only done it a couple times, so I'm by no means an expert!

    Sprinting up hills is also a good idea, as Plates559 mentioned.

    Hope this helps!

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