Which type of training is most often used for the development of explosive strength?

If a particular level of sport (high school vs. college vs. pro) is strongly influenced by power output, then we should know how to optimally train it – not only in the short-term, but also for the long haul! Generally speaking, there can be benefits from each of the following:

1. Resistance training: According to a research analysis by Chris Beardsley, higher repetition lifting speed training is more advantageous than lifting with lower repetition speeds for the sake of power development.

2. Ballistic resistance training: Ballistic resistance training is the act of performing traditional resistance training movements, such as squats and bench presses, at high velocity, and often shortened ranges of motion.

3. Olympic weightlifting: There is a lot of similarity between Olympic weightlifting and ballistic lifting, although Olympic lifting seems to cover a broader spectrum of the power to speed spectrum.

4. Plyometrics: Plyometric training, in a broad definition, is a jumping exercise that puts a premium on force absorption and release.

Remember the answer to how well a method works with a given population should always have context. Knowing that an exercise “works” for getting powerful is just the starting point.  

As athletes increase in ability level and training age, what “works” narrows and decision making on which movements to use becomes more selective. The 100m Olympic champion is not using a tremendous amount of exercises outside of sprinting. That guy on YouTube who could get his nose over the rim to dunk isn’t doing a whole lot of training outside of playing basketball and dunking.  

Very high level athletes can get away with this, while lower and moderate level athletes must utilize a greater spectrum of strength and special strength methods to force their nervous systems to higher outputs.  

Where heavy strength training may help an athlete increase their specific power in early training years, it may not have good transfer later on.  

Just remember the most dangerous words in physical preparation are: “We’ve always done it this way.” So here are four other methods to try…

Resistance training

This is simple enough: you get what you train for.  

• Motor-learning expert Frans Bosch has made the statement that regular training against heavy loads will decrease rate of force production.
• On the other hand, we also know there are a good amount of case studies from reputable track and field coaches showing that elite athletes routinely lift heavy loads in squats or Olympic movements days, or even hours before a major competition, and the result being a gold medal.  

So what gives? Research says lift fast for rate of force development, but practice shows that, in advanced and strong athletes, heavy lifting can boost performance to its highest levels.  

My takeaway of the matter is this: In terms of long-term training adaptation, regularly moving fast will train us to be fast. Even those athletes who lifted very heavy prior to a gold medal trained fast the vast majority of the time.

Heavy lifting is a nitrous-oxide-like training dose that will boost an athlete’s nervous system to optimize what they already have… or in other words, it helps with potentiation. Using heavy lifting as a means to achieving power, absent of the proper speed building channels, is a sport performance nightmare on the short- and long-term level.

Realize, however, that not every athlete harnesses potentiation the same way. Some athletes will not gain increased neural drive that can be wired into their sport, while others will.

When it comes to dosages, results will always be split because not every athlete responds the same! Some athletes respond well to low volume/high intensity, while others require moderate to high volumes and low to medium intensities, etc.

In terms of heavy resistance training, and optimal time of the year to apply this work, we can only infer from the effects of the practice. Since we know heavy strength training offers a benefit from a perspective of motor recruitment, it would make sense to utilize this work to increase the availability of the motor pool prior to phases of training with a greater power emphasis.

The problem with using heavy weight training, however, is that over time it “stiffens” the nervous system, which decreases motor learning, coordination, and fast rate of force development. Some coaches, such as Nelio Moura have written that this occurs after 7 weeks of sustained maximal strength work.  

The tried and true method of having a period of heavy lifting, say 2×3 week blocks followed up by a few months of plyometric emphasized work, is generally a great strategy.  

What is a training technique used to develop explosive power?

What is the most widely used form of strength training?

What is explosive endurance?

What is explosive strength a level PE?