3 EXPLOSIVE JUMPS VARIATIONS TO BUILD A BIGGER BADDER 1ST STEP!

We're going to get strait to the point with this one. We believe that jump training has the single greatest benefit in improving your 1st step & overall acceleration. With this in mind, we have 5 different jump drills we use primarily (at different times and for different reasons) to help our athletes build explosive 1st step quickness and better acceleration power. So without further wait here they are:

BROAD JUMP

We believe the broad jump is superior to the more popular vertical jump. The reason is because of the horizontal movement of the muscles during the jump. When we test for "overall" power, the vertical jump is a great test. But when we are trying to build a bigger 1st step we believe that the broad jump reigns. Along with the horizontal displacement, we like how the upper body leads the exercise. As is the case in acceleration running, the upper body should always lead the rest of the body. This drill allows us to accomplish this in a short amount of time, and we teach it that way. We usually do sets of 1-3 jumps with complete rest between sets.

EXPLOSIVE STEP-UP

This movement is a great addition to any program as it really helps drive home the issue of triple extension & triple flexion. Your bottom leg starts in a triple extension fashion. By driving your bottom leg up as if you were skipping, you can really dive home the issue of knee flexion. In addition, the bottom leg (which is starting in triple flexion) can be dynamically driven into triple extension. This is essentially what takes place during the start phase of sprinting. We have a rule here when it comes to acceleration and that is: teach all the mechanics in a upright position and make sure they are close to perfect before doing them in a 45 degree angle position. This drill is a great one usually done for 2-3 sets of 8 each.

Here is one of our athletes showing a sample set;
EXPLOSIVE STEP-UPS



SPLIT SQUAT JUMP & SPLIT SQUAT LOW BOX JUMP

This one may be my absolute favorite. The athlete begins in a upright position to work on form and landing mechanics. Then by slightly crouching, explodes vertically producing as much force as possible & drawing the toes up (dorsi-flexion), then landing softly and safely. This drill can actually be progressed in that the athlete can lad with the opposite foot forward. We love this one because when accelerating an athlete should feel pressure under both feet. All too often athletes dont feel pressure in their back leg and thus cannot get enough spring in their step. Well this drill actually allows us to teach the body what it feels like to begin with a staggered stance and apply pressure with your feet at two separate levels. We do this from both a static and propulsive state again teaching the body how to handle the demands of stepping with power. Rep ranges vary based on the progression and the maturity of the individual.


Here is sample Split Squat jump sequence (from the ground).
Split Squat Jump




So there you have it! Give these variations a try in your development of explosive power and see the results!
Until next time - GET STRONG BE EXPLOSIVE!

KEY 2