Power and Explosiveness

Being able to produce a large force is useful. Many tasks also require applying force while moving quickly, or reaching a useful force level within a short time.

Mechanical power is the rate of doing work, measured in watts. For force acting in the direction of movement, instantaneous power equals force multiplied by velocity. A slow, heavy movement and a lighter, faster movement can therefore involve different combinations of force and speed.¹

Rate of force development (RFD) describes how rapidly force rises. It matters when time is limited, but it is not the same measurement as power. A person can rapidly build force against an immovable object without producing external movement of that object.²

A jump height or throwing distance can be a useful performance outcome without being a direct measurement of whole-body power. Start by deciding which task you actually want to improve.

Muscle force capacity, neural activation and coordination all influence rapid movement. Early force production depends partly on how quickly the nervous system activates the involved muscles. Improvement is not simply a promise to synchronize every motor unit or turn all muscle fibres into one type.²

The stretch-shortening cycle

Many jumps involve a loading movement followed by a propulsive action. Muscle–tendon structures interact during this sequence: tendons can store and return elastic energy, while active muscle force and neural control also contribute. The movement is more complex than a muscle behaving like an ordinary spring.³

For example, the downward movement before a vertical jump helps prepare the upward action. Joint motion does not mean every muscle fibre lengthens and shortens in exactly the same way throughout the movement.

The shortest possible contact is not automatically best for every jump. Research shows that jump height and contact time can adapt differently under different training conditions.⁴ A landing held under control also serves a different purpose from an immediate rebound.

What training can improve

Plyometric training can improve jumping and other physical-performance outcomes, although effects vary with the population, program and test.⁵ Improvement in a planned jump or direction-change drill does not by itself demonstrate better decision-making during unpredictable sport.⁶

Plyometrics and Olympic-style weightlifting are important options. They are part of a wider set of methods.

The 2026 ACSM position stand supports resistance exercise for improving physical function and power, with load and movement intent matched to the outcome. A complex lift is not required for every person to practise faster movement.⁷

A small, controlled jump and a high drop followed by an immediate rebound create very different demands. The useful question is whether this person is ready for this version of the task.

The often-repeated requirement to squat 1.5 times body weight before any plyometric training is not an evidence-supported universal entry rule. NSCA youth guidance explicitly rejects applying that requirement to age-appropriate plyometrics. Appropriate strength and control still matter, especially as the exercise becomes more demanding.⁸

1. Understand the taskCan you explain the intended take-off, throw, lifting action or landing?
2. Manage the starting versionCan you control a suitable range and support position before adding speed or complexity?
3. Consider symptoms and historyDo current symptoms, recent injury or rehabilitation instructions affect the choice?
4. Check the environmentIs the surface stable, the equipment suitable and the movement area clear?

Start with a version that allows practice without guessing at the limits. Where an injury or health condition changes the task, use the relevant individualized guidance.

Prepare through progressively relevant movement

A warm-up can move from easy activity to familiar movement patterns and a few gradually faster rehearsals. Research supports appropriate dynamic preparation before explosive performance; it does not establish one routine or a blanket ban on every form of stretching.⁹

Jump training can progress through height, direction, repetition, external load and the demand to rebound quickly. These are separate variables; changing several together can produce a large jump in difficulty.

Useful landing observations

• Use a stable, clear surface with suitable grip.
• Allow the hips, knees and ankles to absorb the landing as the task requires.
• Look for control of the trunk and lower limbs rather than forcing identical joint angles on everyone.
• Reset when balance or the intended landing pattern changes substantially.

A cue such as “land quietly” can help direct attention in some drills, but sound alone does not measure impact or establish safety. Likewise, one visible knee movement cannot diagnose an injury risk for an individual.

Box height is not jump height

Getting onto a higher box can involve lifting the feet and tucking the knees more, rather than raising the body’s centre of mass farther. Choose a stable box you can clear and land on with the intended control. A higher box is not automatically evidence of greater power.¹⁰

When using a box, step down or use an appropriate exit rather than automatically turning the descent into another jump. Do not select the height to create a difficult clearance challenge.

Drop landings and rebound jumps are different

A drop landing asks you to step from a height and absorb the landing. A depth or drop jump commonly asks for a rebound after contact; terminology varies. State whether the landing should be held or followed by another jump. Neither is a necessary beginner starting drill.¹¹

A medicine-ball throw allows the implement to leave the hands. That release makes it different from a press in which you must bring the load to a controlled stop. It is a ballistic action; whether it also involves a substantial stretch-shortening cycle depends on the version.¹²

A manageable chest-pass example

Choose a ball that can be accelerated with control and is designed for the intended use. From a stable position, press it forward into a clear throwing area or toward a suitable wall. Reset between throws. A seated or standing version changes how much the lower body contributes.

Use appropriate space and understand whether the ball rebounds. Do not stand in its return path or assume every medicine ball is suitable for wall throws, slams or repeated catching.

Plyometric push-ups add a flight and landing demand for the upper body. They are an option for someone prepared for that task, not a required progression from every ordinary push-up. Clap variations and elevated drop push-ups add further demands.

Competitive weightlifting uses the snatch and the clean and jerk. In the snatch, the bar moves from the platform to overhead in one lift. In the clean and jerk, the clean brings it to the shoulders before the jerk moves it overhead.¹³

Acceleration, moving into position and stabilization are coordinated parts of the skill.

NSCA guidance describes how full lifts and derivatives can be selected according to ability, coaching and training purpose. Pulling derivatives can reduce the technical demands associated with a catch, although they still require learning and an appropriate load.¹⁴

Useful transfer does not mean universal superiority

Comparative research supports weightlifting-based training as one way to improve physical performance, with many outcomes similar to those achieved through plyometric training. The best choice also depends on the skill being practised and the comparison program.¹⁵

Another review found no clear sprint-performance advantage over the training comparators studied. Learning to accelerate a bar is not a substitute for practising sprinting, jumping or the sport’s decisions.¹⁶

These lifts combine positions, acceleration and timing. A qualified weightlifting coach can help choose a starting variation, identify one useful correction at a time and teach appropriate equipment handling.

The following is an illustrative learning approach, not a complete technical curriculum. The order may change with the person and the chosen lift.

1. Explore the required positionsUse an unloaded or suitably light implement to understand the starting, holding and receiving positions relevant to the chosen variation.
2. Practise a short, clear actionWork on a selected pull, drive or receiving drill before combining every part of the full lift.
3. Connect the actionsUse a suitable derivative and simple feedback about balance, bar path or timing. Keep repetitions low enough to retain attention.
4. Increase demand only when it fitsAdd load, range or complexity when the movement is repeatable and the new demand serves the goal.

A light bar still has a real weight

A standard barbell may already be too heavy for a particular learner or drill. Select appropriate teaching equipment. Learning does not require starting from the floor, receiving a deep squat or fixing a load overhead on the first day.

The receiving position must fit the person

If an overhead or front-rack position is uncomfortable or unavailable, reconsider the variation. Pulls or another power exercise can be useful while the movement limitation is assessed. Do not force an overhead position through aggressive stretching merely to preserve one exercise.

Use suitable equipment and a clear lifting area. Any release or dropping of a loaded bar requires an appropriate platform, plates, space and instruction; it is not a universal exit strategy for every gym setup.

Power practice often benefits from brief sets and enough recovery to reproduce the intended movement. The aim of a high-quality attempt differs from trying to sustain an exhausting circuit.

Choose the load for the exercise

The load associated with the highest measured power differs across exercises. Acute research on jump squats, squats and power cleans does not establish one percentage for every movement. Nor does the load producing the highest power in one test automatically identify the best long-term training program.¹⁷

Write which lift a percentage refers to if you use one. A percentage of a clean maximum is not interchangeable with a percentage of a squat maximum, and neither describes the demand of an unweighted jump completely.

Start with a manageable amount

For a suitable familiar exercise, two or three sets of a few repetitions can be an introductory structure. The examples below use small numbers to demonstrate clear practice; they are not minimum doses or prescriptions for every person.

Rest until you can repeat the intended action. For some demanding sets that may mean several minutes. Extend the rest, reduce the demand or finish the exercise when output or control clearly deteriorates. Reaching muscular failure is not the purpose of a fast-output set.

Contact counts need context

Count jumps, but also describe the exercise, height, direction, effort and other jumping during the week. Drop-jump research shows why height or repetition count alone cannot fully describe individual training demand. Ten gentle hops and ten demanding rebound jumps are not equivalent doses.¹⁸

Adding repetitions, increasing box height and moving to one-leg landings all at once makes the new demand harder to interpret. Progression should be a decision, not an automatic escalation.

These examples assume the chosen movements are already manageable and that relevant symptoms or restrictions have been addressed. They show how to organize practice, not a guaranteed route to a particular jump height or lifting result.

Template A: an introduction to faster movement

Choose two suitable, nonconsecutive days. Begin with easy movement and gradual rehearsals. Select one lower-body option; add a throwing option only when suitable equipment and space are available.

Use the same selected activities on the second day while learning what fits. Allow generous rest. Shorten the practice or choose a supported alternative if control, confidence or symptoms change.

This practice can precede some familiar strength work, with the rest of the session adjusted to keep the total manageable. There is no need to add a clean, snatch, depth jump or explosive push-up to make the session count.

Template B: coached sport or weightlifting practice

For a person already proficient in the relevant movements, select a primary power exercise and, if useful, a small amount of another task.

These counts illustrate organization. Loading, exercise selection and total weekly work should reflect the athlete’s sport practice, competitions, experience and response. An experienced trainee does not need every method in every week.

Complexity can help organize training, but it is not proof of a more effective stimulus.

Heavy exercise followed by an explosive task

A heavy movement can sometimes improve a later voluntary performance, termed post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE). This differs from post-activation potentiation (PAP), which refers to an enhanced electrically evoked muscle-twitch response. The terms do not describe the same measurement or necessarily the same mechanism.¹⁹

The effect depends on the person, conditioning exercise, dose and recovery. Fatigue can outweigh any benefit. A heavy squat followed immediately by a jump therefore does not guarantee a higher jump, and a temporary improvement does not prove superior long-term adaptation.

Clusters distribute rest within the work

A cluster arrangement inserts short rests between smaller groups of repetitions. For example, four familiar repetitions might be organized as two pairs separated by a planned pause. The load and rest should still allow the intended action.

A 2026 review found no clear overall strength or power advantage for advanced methods over traditional resistance training in the populations studied. Such methods can still be useful ways to organize training; maintaining repetition speed within a session does not guarantee greater eventual gains.²⁰

Velocity feedback needs a clear measurement

Velocity-based training uses measured movement speed to inform decisions about load or set duration. Device validity and reliability vary, and bar speed is not the same as body or whole-system power. Use a consistent device, exercise and technique, while considering measurement error.²¹

Bands, chains and other specialized resistance arrangements also change the task and equipment requirements. Their use should have a clear purpose; they are optional additions rather than necessary steps toward being an advanced trainee.

A good comparison uses the same task and a consistent method. Record the setup, selected load, repetitions, output and any important change in conditions.

Standardize the test

Jump-height values depend on the measurement method, take-off and landing positions, and strategy. Keep the warm-up, arm use, starting instructions and scoring method consistent. A small numerical change may reflect measurement or technique rather than a new physical capacity.²²

A rebound jump’s height and ground-contact time answer related but different questions. A better ratio is most useful when the task and measurement remain comparable. Do not substitute a higher box for a standardized vertical-jump test.

Subjective wellbeing is useful alongside performance observations. Athlete research supports taking fatigue and perceived recovery seriously without treating a single rating as a diagnosis.²³

A poor session does not diagnose “CNS fatigue”

A lower jump or slower repetition can have several explanations. Review the task, measurement, recent activity and symptoms before concluding that the nervous system is exhausted or that the whole program has failed.

A temporary reduction in sets, sessions or effort may be useful when the workload stops fitting. Deload guidance is largely based on expert practice and does not establish a mandatory schedule, reduction percentage or cure for every plateau.²⁴

Sleep, adequate food and time between demanding exposures support the ability to return to training. New or persistent concerning symptoms require appropriate assessment rather than an attempt to overcome them with more explosive work.

Older adults and everyday function

Faster lifting intent can be incorporated into suitable resistance exercises without jumping. Research in older adults finds broadly similar functional benefits from faster and traditional resistance training, with uncertainty around some differences. The useful choice depends on the person, task and ability.²⁵

A familiar supported chair rise or machine exercise may be an appropriate option. Power training does not require every person to leave the ground or learn a barbell catch.

Children and younger athletes

Appropriately supervised, developmentally suitable jumping and resistance work can be part of learning to move. Match the task to competency and experience. The absence of a universal heavy-squat prerequisite does not make advanced depth jumps an appropriate default.⁸

Endurance and sport training

Endurance and resistance work can coexist. Research indicates that explosive-strength gains may be more affected by combining both in one session than maximal-strength or muscle-size gains. When explosiveness is the priority, consider separating demanding work and preserving the quality of fast efforts.²⁶

Sport practices already include accelerations, landings and throws. Account for those exposures before adding more in the gym. During a busy competitive period, less additional work may be the better fit.

This article provides general education. Exercise examples require adaptation to individual ability, symptoms and goals. Technical weightlifting and demanding plyometrics may require appropriate coaching; clinical rehabilitation should follow individualized guidance.

Evidence & context

Sources & further reading

Research papers support the benefit and mechanism discussions; official guidance informs the practical examples. Study populations and protocols vary. The sample routines are illustrative, and no source establishes one ideal program for everyone.

1. Moebs W, Ling SJ and Sanny J; OpenStax (2016). University Physics Volume 1: 7.4 Power. Definitions of average and instantaneous mechanical power.
2. Maffiuletti NA et al. (2016). Rate of force development: physiological and methodological considerations. Neural and muscular contributions to rapid force production, with measurement limitations.
3. Hirayama K et al. (2017). Plyometric Training Favors Optimizing Muscle–Tendon Behavior during Depth Jumping. Small controlled study illustrating muscle, tendon and neural coordination in a specialized jumping task.
4. Taube W, Leukel C, Lauber B and Gollhofer A (2012). The drop height determines neuromuscular adaptations and changes in jump performance in stretch-shortening cycle training. Different conditions produced different combinations of rebound height and contact time.
5. Kons RL et al. (2023). Effects of Plyometric Training on Physical Performance: An Umbrella Review. Broad performance evidence; many underlying analyses lacked control-group comparisons.
6. Sheppard JM and Young WB (2006). Agility literature review: classifications, training and testing. Distinguishes planned direction changes from movement involving perception and response.
7. Currier BS et al. (2026). American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Resistance-exercise variables have different relevance to strength, power and other outcomes.
8. Faigenbaum AD et al. (2009). Youth Resistance Training: Updated Position Statement Paper From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Supervised, developmentally appropriate training; explicitly rejects a universal 1.5-times-body-mass squat prerequisite.
9. Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD and McHugh M (2016). Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Stretching effects depend on duration, context and subsequent preparation; not a blanket ban.
10. Lopes Dos Santos M et al. (2024). Does Box Height Matter? A Comparative Analysis of Box Height on Box Jump Performance in Men and Women. Acute box-height comparisons do not establish that taller boxes produce greater propulsive output.
11. Kite R and Benstead-Banthorpe J; UKSCA (2025). Understanding plyometrics: a coach’s guide. Coaching distinctions between landing, propulsion and rebound tasks; not a mandatory progression ladder.
12. National Strength and Conditioning Association (2020). Plyometric Training. Contrasts actions with a preceding stretch-shortening sequence and those begun from a held position.
13. International Olympic Committee / Olympics.com (2025). Weightlifting: From rules to records, all you need to know. Official overview of the snatch and clean and jerk.
14. Comfort P et al. (2023). National Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement on Weightlifting for Sports Performance. Lift terminology and selection of catching, pulling and pressing derivatives.
15. Morris SJ, Oliver JL, Pedley JS, Haff GG and Lloyd RS (2022). Comparison of Weightlifting, Traditional Resistance Training and Plyometrics on Strength, Power and Speed: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Comparative outcomes vary; heterogeneous studies do not establish universal superiority.
16. Crenshaw K et al. (2024). Olympic Weightlifting Training for Sprint Performance in Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. No clear sprint advantage over the included comparators; lifting does not replace sprint practice.
17. Soriano MA, Jiménez-Reyes P, Rhea MR and Marín PJ (2015). The Optimal Load for Maximal Power Production During Lower-Body Resistance Exercises: A Meta-Analysis. Peak-power loads are exercise-specific; acute results do not identify one optimal long-term prescription.
18. Montoro-Bombú R et al. (2023). Methodological considerations for determining the volume and intensity of drop jump training. A systematic, critical and prepositive review. Drop height and repetition count alone cannot fully describe individual training demand.
19. Blazevich AJ and Babault N (2019). Post-activation Potentiation Versus Post-activation Performance Enhancement in Humans: Historical Perspective, Underlying Mechanisms, and Current Issues. Distinguishes twitch potentiation from voluntary performance enhancement and explains their differing time courses.
20. Cowley N et al. (2026). The Effects of Advanced Resistance Training Prescription Methods on Strength, Power, Hypertrophy, and Performance Adaptations in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-analysis. No clear overall strength or power advantage in the included populations; advanced methods can still organize work usefully.
21. Wannouch YJ et al. (2025). A systematic review using a multi-layered criteria framework for assessing the validity and reliability of velocity monitoring devices in resistance training. Measurement quality and the measured system matter.
22. Xu J et al. (2023). A Systematic Review of the Different Calculation Methods for Measuring Jump Height During the Countermovement and Drop Jump Tests. Methods, strategy and take-off/landing positions affect jump-height estimates.
23. Saw AE, Main LC and Gastin PB (2016). Monitoring the athlete training response: subjective self-reported measures trump commonly used objective measures: a systematic review. Athlete wellbeing provides context alongside training and performance observations.
24. Bell L et al. (2023). Integrating Deloading into Strength and Physique Sports Training Programmes: An International Delphi Consensus Approach. Expert guidance on reducing training demand; does not establish a mandatory deload schedule.
25. Morrison RT, Taylor S, Buckley J, Twist C and Kite C (2023). High-velocity power training has similar effects to traditional resistance training for functional performance in older adults: a systematic review. Functional outcomes with faster versus slower resistance exercise.
26. Schumann M et al. (2022). Compatibility of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training for Skeletal Muscle Size and Function: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Explosive-strength outcomes differ from maximal-strength and muscle-size findings when training types are combined.