Building Explosive Power through Drop Squats

A key component to building explosive power is teaching all your muscle groups to work together—cooperating and firing at the proper time to ensure maximum transfer of energy to it’s final destination, whether that be a punch, a kick, a successful vault or jump. Here is an excellent exercise you may want to incorporate into your training regime.

Drop Squat with Jump. 

You will want to practice the Drop Squat with a light 35lbs or 45lbs bar (or lighter depending on your strength), until you get the feel for it before adding the jump.

1. Begin by placing a bar or kettle bell in front of you on the floor. 
2. Take a wide stance (6" wider than shoulder width), and squat down sitting on your heels keeping your back as straight as possible with your head up. 
3. Grasp the bar using a wide grip, or the kettle bell on the outside of the handle. 
4. Now clean the bar, or lift the kettle bell, to the shoulders just under your chin. Be sure to drive from your heels up through your hips, keeping your back as straight as possible and head up.
5. From this position, do not press the weight overhead but maintain it at your standing shoulder level as you drop your body down to a squat position sitting on your heels, back straight, head up and weight now overhead. It is extremely important you do not press the weight overhead, rather drop your body down. 
6. From this position you will stand back up, keeping the weight overhead. 
7. Once standing, lower the weight back to the floor and repeat.

Adding the Jump

1. Once you have mastered the technique, place a box (6–8” high x 40” long x 24” deep) just in front of the bar/kettle bell. 
2. Perform the Drop Squat, however this time explode out of the bottom position after the drop, jumping onto the box. Remember to drive from your heels up through the hips maintaining a straight back with head up all the while keeping the weight overhead. 
3. Step off the box and repeat. Start with just five or six repetitions. You may add weight to the bar, use a heavier kettle bell, or use a higher box as you get stronger. 
4. Three or four sets with a 1½- to 2-minute rest in between will be adequate. 

Be aware that any physical activity brings with it the risk of injury. If in doubt, find a competent trainer well versed in this technique to assist you. Perform at your own risk.

Compound It!

By far the most effective way to train for any desired physical result—including increased bone density—is to incorporate compound, multi-joint, progressive resistance exercises. 

If you are after rapid, sustainable weight loss, weight gain, speed and power—or just raw strength—these kinds of exercises must be incorporated into your training regime. Although a properly designed nutritional plan is responsible for approximately 80% of your results as far as weight loss or gain is concerned, you still need to exercise properly to realize that last 20% of your goal. Now, 20% may not sound like much, but make no mistake: without training your results will be less than desirable leading to frustration and possibly giving up.

So what is a compound exercise? 

A compound exercise is one which involves more than one muscle group and utilizes a range of motion through several joints. A great example would be the squat, which works nearly every muscle group and moves through practically every joint in the body.

Why do compound exercises work so well? 

In regard to weight loss, utilizing multi-joint compound exercises demands a lot of energy when the program is designed and performed properly. That translates to burning up lots of calories in a short period of time. As a matter of fact, studies have shown 30 to 40 minutes of progressive compound resistance training burns up calories equal to running a 5K race. And it doesn’t stop there. Your metabolism will return to normal within a couple of hours after a 5K run however, this is not the case after 40 minutes of compound resistance training. Your metabolism may stay elevated for as many as 19 hours post-training, even while resting. I realize that the preferred fuel while training is carbohydrate, but with a properly designed nutritional program, any carbohydrate which is available for energy will be used up while training leaving a good 19 hours of fat burning.

Proper progressive compound resistance training places new stress loads on your body. This effect stimulates the endocrine system to produce more HGH (Human Growth Hormone), make available more usable testosterone and increase IGF1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1). This translates into new muscle and a recipe for fat burning 24 hours per day. Keep in mind, Ladies, you don’t have enough testosterone to get bulky huge muscles so no need to worry. What you will experience is a beautifully toned and shaped physique, with an increase in bone mass, which becomes ever so important as we grow older.

There are many advantages to incorporating progressive compound resistance training, such as minimizing speed-reaction time in sport and building explosive power. I should also mention the sense of confidence and well being as you realize your goals and set higher ones. The design, exercise selection and implementation will determine the result.

If you are not familiar with progressive compound resistance training be sure to seek out a professional trainer who is well versed in compound exercise programs and discuss your requirements with them. They will be able to advise you on how to set up an effective program ensuring your safety and results.

I will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Just leave a comment or email me.

Marshall