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Explosive Gains with Explosive Movements
Waking up sore is a great and obviously not so great feeling! Great in the sense that it's reassurance and physical evidence of your hard work but it also sucks because you will probably be walking around like you got a yeast infection for the rest of the day. (sorry for the visual but it's true)
Despite the inevitable outcome of minimal to no gains, I still see countless guys following the same mundane 3 X 8 lifting schedules and ladies head straight for the elyptical to only hope for the soreness and gains they dream of. If it hasn't worked for you in the last 2 years what makes you think it's gonna work tomorrow. It's time to spice sh*t up. This is where Explosive Movements come into the equation.
What is an Explosive movement?
Don't be intimidated by the word Explosive at all,
Despite the inevitable outcome of minimal to no gains, I still see countless guys following the same mundane 3 X 8 lifting schedules and ladies head straight for the elyptical to only hope for the soreness and gains they dream of. If it hasn't worked for you in the last 2 years what makes you think it's gonna work tomorrow. It's time to spice sh*t up. This is where Explosive Movements come into the equation.
What is an Explosive movement?
Don't be intimidated by the word Explosive at all,
( T.O. a product of Explosive Movements)
some may even know this movement as a power or reactive movement. It is usually a light weighted or strictly body weighted exercise that requires to be performed at maximum intensity and speed. These movements follow an eccentric (or downward) movement followed by a quick and intense concentric (upward) movement.
Benefits of Explosive Movements.
1.) Increase in strength: Alright you bench/squat-aholics, if your like most gym rats you probably already know some of these movements but refuse to incoroporate them into your workouts because your workout is the best right? Wrong fool. By utilizing Explosive training you increase neuromuscular efficiency, rate of force production, and it provides focused strengthening of tendons and ligaments.
- Also you work strength gains past your limited range of motion.
Ex. Your bench press works your strength up to the point where your arms are locked and fully extended. By utilizing an explosive movement like a bench press medicine ball throw, you train your muscles to utilize it's strength past it's set range, which is necessary to propell the ball into the air. So now your body doesn't slow down at full extension when your doing your bench press but can accelearte all the way up at a stronger and quicker speed. Get it? Good!
2.) Increase in Cardiorespiratory work (heart rate/fat loss) : Explosive movements are not only for the guys trying to get Cock Diesel (Cock Diesel = A state of maximum muscle gain where you receive the verbal response of Oh Damn!) Explosive movements are an ideal technique for individuals who are looking for goals of maximum fat loss. So ladies this is a movement you can definitley incorporate into your workouts to reach a myriad of different goals including toning and fat loss. The requirement of high intensity and maximum speed all translates into higher demand of heart rate which equals more calories burned which then equals toned body.
Explosive movements = increased required energy = increased heart rate = higher calories burned = lean body
Some of my Favorite Explosive movements
Chest:
- Explosive hand clap pushups/ladies can perform this on their knees
- Flat bench medicine ball throws.
Legs:
- Box jumps (make sure to stand up once on top of box)
- Single leg box jumps
- Vertical jumps
- Split leg box jumps
Back:
- Explosive pullups (try releasing the grip at the top for a split second then regripping on the way down)
Abs:
- Medicine Ball slams
- Sledge Hammer swings (If your gym has one like at Hocevar Performance)
- Dead weight slams (Again if your gym has one like at Hocevar Performance)
Application of Explosive movements
- For individuals seeking strength gains, an ideal opportunity to incoporate Explosive movements would be following a strength set of 4-6 reps in an exercise that works simliar muscle groups. So either immediatley or after a 15-20 sec break of your strength set exercise.
- For individuals seeking fat loss and toning goals, you can do the same after a strength set exercise of a similar muscle group or mix into a superset of a completley different muscle group.
- A key note is to remember that since you are using lightweight, you will often hit higher reps if you are performing these movements alone. If you are performing them after a strength set, aime for 5-6 reps of the explosive movement.
Ex. Sample workout
Strength gains
1a.) Bench press 5 reps
1b.) Explosive push up 5-6 reps
2a.) DB squat 5-8 reps
2b.) Box jumps 5-8 reps
3a.) BB lunges 5-8 reps
3b.) Single leg box jumps 5-8 reps
Fat Loss
1a.) Pushup 10 reps
1b.) Box jumps 10 reps
2a.) Rows 15 reps
2b.) Vertical jumps 10 reps
Albert's Advice
For a focus on fat loss, try utilizing the Explosive leg movements into your workouts. The larger the muscle group being worked, the more energy and calories are being spent. I also like to design it into the beginning of workouts because it will get your heart rate up early.
- Box jump advice: Squat down as fast you think you will explode up on to the box, it will help you develop the necessary momentum to get on the box. Always try to land softly, which will work your deceleration muscles, mainly the quadriceps as opposed to the gluteus maximus used for explosion.
Benefits of Explosive Movements.
1.) Increase in strength: Alright you bench/squat-aholics, if your like most gym rats you probably already know some of these movements but refuse to incoroporate them into your workouts because your workout is the best right? Wrong fool. By utilizing Explosive training you increase neuromuscular efficiency, rate of force production, and it provides focused strengthening of tendons and ligaments.
- Also you work strength gains past your limited range of motion.
Ex. Your bench press works your strength up to the point where your arms are locked and fully extended. By utilizing an explosive movement like a bench press medicine ball throw, you train your muscles to utilize it's strength past it's set range, which is necessary to propell the ball into the air. So now your body doesn't slow down at full extension when your doing your bench press but can accelearte all the way up at a stronger and quicker speed. Get it? Good!
2.) Increase in Cardiorespiratory work (heart rate/fat loss) : Explosive movements are not only for the guys trying to get Cock Diesel (Cock Diesel = A state of maximum muscle gain where you receive the verbal response of Oh Damn!) Explosive movements are an ideal technique for individuals who are looking for goals of maximum fat loss. So ladies this is a movement you can definitley incorporate into your workouts to reach a myriad of different goals including toning and fat loss. The requirement of high intensity and maximum speed all translates into higher demand of heart rate which equals more calories burned which then equals toned body.
Explosive movements = increased required energy = increased heart rate = higher calories burned = lean body
Some of my Favorite Explosive movements
Chest:
- Explosive hand clap pushups/ladies can perform this on their knees
- Flat bench medicine ball throws.
Legs:
- Box jumps (make sure to stand up once on top of box)
- Single leg box jumps
- Vertical jumps
- Split leg box jumps
Back:
- Explosive pullups (try releasing the grip at the top for a split second then regripping on the way down)
Abs:
- Medicine Ball slams
- Sledge Hammer swings (If your gym has one like at Hocevar Performance)
- Dead weight slams (Again if your gym has one like at Hocevar Performance)
Application of Explosive movements
- For individuals seeking strength gains, an ideal opportunity to incoporate Explosive movements would be following a strength set of 4-6 reps in an exercise that works simliar muscle groups. So either immediatley or after a 15-20 sec break of your strength set exercise.
- For individuals seeking fat loss and toning goals, you can do the same after a strength set exercise of a similar muscle group or mix into a superset of a completley different muscle group.
- A key note is to remember that since you are using lightweight, you will often hit higher reps if you are performing these movements alone. If you are performing them after a strength set, aime for 5-6 reps of the explosive movement.
Ex. Sample workout
Strength gains
1a.) Bench press 5 reps
1b.) Explosive push up 5-6 reps
2a.) DB squat 5-8 reps
2b.) Box jumps 5-8 reps
3a.) BB lunges 5-8 reps
3b.) Single leg box jumps 5-8 reps
Fat Loss
1a.) Pushup 10 reps
1b.) Box jumps 10 reps
2a.) Rows 15 reps
2b.) Vertical jumps 10 reps
Albert's Advice
For a focus on fat loss, try utilizing the Explosive leg movements into your workouts. The larger the muscle group being worked, the more energy and calories are being spent. I also like to design it into the beginning of workouts because it will get your heart rate up early.
- Box jump advice: Squat down as fast you think you will explode up on to the box, it will help you develop the necessary momentum to get on the box. Always try to land softly, which will work your deceleration muscles, mainly the quadriceps as opposed to the gluteus maximus used for explosion.
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