“Explosive strength” and “speed” training is the best way to improve athleticism. “Force” is what changes or tends to change the state of rest or motion in matter. “Work” is equivalent to a force expressed through a displacement with no limitation on time. “Torque” is the effectiveness of a force to produce rotation of an object about an axis. “Power” is the rate at which work is performed or the rate of the transformation of metabolic potential energy. In order to become faster, stronger, leaner, and more coordinated the most effective training is explosive strength and speed work performed in a manner over time. It produces results by providing a structured program of neurological stress placed on an athlete’s body.

So what does this mean? Whatever the stimuli is, an athlete’s body will adapt to it. Training is a scientific process. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”, or in ways we like to look at it, athletes will not maximize their potential without training explosive for the duration of their lives.

The energy sources involved during explosive training can and will benefit all athletes no matter which sport they play or profession they choose. Everybody has the potential to train explosive and benefit from it. Whether an endurance athlete or power athlete, explosive training will enhance their efficiency in producing force. The energy systems that our training implements involve the body’s ability to produce adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate to create metabolic power. Events, exercises or movements that last about 10 seconds or fewer train the ATP/CP energy system. Force, work, torque, power and endurance are the terms we use to assess sports and exercise performance. The athlete’s body is capable of power output from lower intensity durations to higher intensity durations. If athletes focus on increasing their ability to produce force quickly, they will become more effective at short and longer duration training and competition.

The connection between mind and movement controls an athlete’s body. When we want to sprint, we sprint, jump, we jump, etc.  But what makes us go fast? The central nervous system controls mechanical movements and force. When we train explosive, we tap into this neurological process and train our central nervous system to fire demands quickly. One of the most effective ways to tap into this is by using the contrast method while training. The contrast of heavy to light load on the body enhances the central nervous system over time by improving the amount of motor unit recruitment an athlete is capable of. This is proven at the olympic and professional levels. Younger athletes need to understand, if the pros are doing it, so should they.

One example of contrast training would be a front squat for 3 reps at 100% body weight. Then descend into the bottom of the squats under control and fire up as quickly as possible. After the squats, go directly into 6 box jumps. On these front squats, you will activate the same motor units and muscle activation as the box jumps. If you consistently perform this type of training, you’ll see that it really works. The heavier we are able to lift and the quicker we are able to move, the more athletic we become.