In addition to wanting to know about and see your speed, specifically your 40 yard dash time, (see my previous post regarding how to improve your speed and 40 time) they will also want to see (and will ask your high school coach about) if you are an explosive athlete.  Typically the physical test coaches use to determine how explosive you are is the vertical leap.  How do you improve your “athletic explosiveness” and thereby improving your vertical leap test results? How do you show the recruiters that you have remarkable explosion… Purple Cow jumping ability?

Generally speaking a program that incorporates dynamic strength training (power clean, push press, snatch, etc) and plyometrics will give you the best results. The workout program that I have shared in the post  A Weekly – (not weakly) Workout is a dynamic strength training program.

Plyometrics, or “plyos” for short, are a type of exercise designed to produce fast and powerful movements. They are generally used by athletes to improve performance in sports, especially those that involve speed, quickness and power. Here are video of some great plyometric drill you can do, shared from the Central College Strength and Conditioning web site.  Clicking these links will show examples of these plyometric drills:

• Altitude Drop 
• Box Jump 
• Continuous Hop 
• Depth Jump 
• Double Leg Stair Hop – One at a Time 
• Double Leg Stair Hop – Three at a Time 
• Double Leg Stair Hop – Two at a Time 
• Hurdle Hop (Continuous) 
• Hurdle Hop with Bounce 
• Hurdle Hop with Catch 
• Single Leg Box Jump 
• Single Leg Mini Hurdle Hop with Catch 
• Single Leg Plyo Step-Up 
• Single Leg Stair Hop – One at a Time 
• Single Leg Stair Hop – Two at a Time

Here are a couple of samples:

Hudle Hop – Continuous

Depth Jump

Some additional training guidelines and suggestions regarding plyometrics can be found at this site: Plyometrics – Exercises and Program Planning

If you are currently not doing these things (dynamic strength training and plyometrics) as part of your workout program, ask your coach for a program you can do on your own OR you might try to begin training using the information I have provided on this site.  You can also consult other information that is available on the web, such as this jump training program which incorporates dynamic strength training and plyometrics.

Train to be an explosive athlete!

You Can Do More – your brain is lying to you…. don’t believe it!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

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