Explosiveness is the quality that separates good athletes from great ones. The ability to produce maximum force in minimum time determines who wins the 50/50 ball, who gets to the loose puck first, who beats the block on the line of scrimmage, and who rises above the crowd for the contested header. It is not simply being fast or being strong, though both contribute. Explosiveness is the specific ability to express strength rapidly, in the brief contact windows and reaction situations that athletic performance is built from.
The good news is that explosiveness is one of the most trainable athletic qualities. Unlike speed, which has a significant genetic ceiling, and aerobic capacity, which requires years of accumulated mileage, explosive power responds rapidly to appropriate training. Athletes who commit to a structured explosive training programme consistently see meaningful improvements within 6 to 8 weeks.
This guide covers what explosiveness actually is, which physical qualities determine it, how to identify your specific limiting factor, and the training methods that produce the most reliable results.
What Explosiveness Actually Is
Explosiveness is not a single quality but a combination of interacting physical capacities that produce the observable characteristic of being a fast, powerful, reactive athlete.
Power: Power is the rate of doing work, defined as force multiplied by velocity. A powerful athlete can produce large forces rapidly. This is the mathematical expression of what most people mean when they say someone is explosive.
Rate of force development (RFD): How quickly force can be produced from the moment of muscle activation. RFD is arguably more important than maximum force for most athletic actions because the contact times available in sprinting, jumping, and direction changes are too brief to reach maximum force before the contact must be completed.
Reactive strength: The ability to produce force during a very brief eccentric-to-concentric transition (the stretch-shortening cycle). This is the specific quality that determines jump height, sprint ground contact time, and the sharpness of direction changes.
Neuromuscular coordination: The timing and sequencing of muscle activation across multiple joints during explosive movements. Better coordination means that the force produced by each muscle group is effectively transmitted into the desired direction of movement rather than being lost to antagonist co-contraction or poor sequencing.
These four qualities combine to produce the explosiveness that athletes and coaches observe. Training any one of them improves explosiveness, but training all four simultaneously produces the most complete and rapid development.
The Limiting Factor Framework
Before selecting training methods, identifying which quality is most limiting your explosiveness allows you to prioritise the training that will produce the greatest return for your current situation.
Are you strength-limited?
Test: Can you squat 1.5 times your bodyweight? Can you hip thrust 2 times your bodyweight? Can you broad jump 1.2 times your height?
If no to two or more of these: Maximum strength is likely your primary explosive limiter. Athletes who lack basic strength cannot express force rapidly because there is insufficient force production capacity to work with. Prioritise heavy strength training before adding significant plyometric or speed work.
Are you RFD-limited?
Test: Compare your squat jump (no countermovement) to your countermovement jump. If your countermovement jump is less than 10 percent higher than your squat jump, your RFD is limiting your ability to exploit the stretch-shortening cycle.
Additional test: Can you produce maximum effort in a jump or throw from a stationary position (no countermovement) almost immediately, or does it take 300 to 400 milliseconds to reach maximum effort? Very slow RFD is noticeable as a delayed, gradual acceleration rather than an instant, explosive response.
If RFD is limited: Speed-strength training (loaded jumps, Olympic lifting variations, ballistic exercises) is the priority alongside plyometric work.
Are you reactive-strength limited?
Test: Perform a depth jump from 40 centimetres and observe your contact time. If your knees bend deeply and contact is prolonged (more than 300 milliseconds), reactive strength is limited. Compare your standing countermovement jump to your approach one-leg jump. A large gap between the two (more than 30 to 40 percent lower from one leg) also indicates reactive strength deficits.
If reactive strength is limited: Depth jumps, pogo jumps, and single-leg plyometrics are the priority.
Are you coordination-limited?
Test: Film yourself performing an explosive athletic action (sprint start, jump, throw) and observe whether the movement looks smooth and coordinated or choppy and sequentially inefficient. Compare your performance in your sport to your performance in gym-based tests. Athletes who are stronger and more powerful in isolation tests than their sport performance suggests have a coordination (transfer) problem.
If coordination is limited: Sport-specific speed and power training, complex training (pairing strength and plyometric exercises), and deliberate practice of explosive sport-specific movements are the priority.
Training Methods for Explosiveness
Method 1: Heavy Strength Training
Heavy strength training develops the maximum force production capacity that sets the ceiling for explosive power. Without adequate strength, there is insufficient force to produce at speed.
The most effective strength exercises for explosiveness:
Back squat or front squat:
Develops total lower body strength through the full range of motion. Heavy squatting is one of the strongest correlates of jump height and sprint speed in the research literature.
Programme: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps at 85 to 90 percent of maximum, 2 times per week.
Hip thrust:
Develops the gluteal strength that drives hip extension in jumping and sprinting. As covered in other articles on this site, hip thrust strength correlates strongly with sprint speed and jump height.
Programme: 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 6 reps at 80 to 85 percent of maximum, 2 times per week.
Romanian deadlift:
Develops the posterior chain through the hip hinge pattern, directly relevant to the push-off mechanics of both jumping and sprinting.
Programme: 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 6 reps, 2 times per week.
Strength training timing: Heavy strength training should be sequenced in the training plan to allow adequate recovery before explosive training sessions. Heavy squat training 24 to 48 hours before depth jumps or maximum-effort sprints reduces the quality of the explosive sessions significantly.
Method 2: Olympic Lifting and Derivatives
Olympic lifting movements (clean, snatch, and their derivatives) are the most effective exercises for developing rate of force development because they require maximum force production in the brief extension phase of the pull, which transfers directly to explosive athletic movement.
The most accessible Olympic lifting derivatives for non-Olympic lifters:
Hang power clean:
The most commonly taught Olympic derivative. The hang position eliminates the complexity of the full pull from the floor and focuses the training on the explosive hip extension and bar acceleration phase.
How to programme it:
- 4 to 5 sets of 3 reps at 70 to 80 percent of maximum
- Maximum intent on every rep
- 2 times per week
Dumbbell or kettlebell clean:
A more accessible version for athletes without Olympic lifting coaching. Develops the same explosive hip extension pattern with lower technical demands.
How to programme it:
- 4 sets of 4 to 5 reps per side
- Focus on explosive hip extension, not arm pull
- 2 times per week
Jump shrug:
A simpler derivative that develops the explosive triple extension (hip, knee, ankle) without the catching phase of the clean.
How to programme it:
- 4 sets of 5 reps with a moderate barbell load
- Jump explosively as high as possible with each rep
- Full shrug at the top of the movement
- 2 times per week
Medicine ball slam and throw:
As covered in the upper body plyometrics article on this site, medicine ball exercises develop the explosive power of the full body in sport-specific movement patterns.
Method 3: Plyometric Training
Plyometric training is the most specific method for developing reactive strength and the fast stretch-shortening cycle. As covered in the plyometric exercises for athletes, depth jumps, pogo jumps, and bounding articles on this site, the most effective plyometric exercises for general explosive development are:
Depth jumps: Primary reactive strength development. Step off a box of 40 to 55cm and immediately jump as high as possible with minimal contact time.
Pogo jumps: Ankle-level reactive strength. Rapid continuous jumps with minimal knee bend, developing the Achilles tendon spring mechanism.
Bounding: Horizontal explosive power in the alternating single-leg pattern most specific to sprinting and running sports.
Box jumps for maximum height: Maximum concentric power development through vertical jumping onto the highest possible box.
Plyometric programming principles:
- Perform plyometrics at the beginning of sessions, before any fatiguing work
- Allow 48 to 72 hours between high-intensity plyometric sessions
- Progress from lower to higher intensity over weeks and months
- Include both bilateral and unilateral exercises for complete development
Method 4: Sprint Training
Sprint training develops the sport-most-specific expression of explosiveness: the ability to produce maximum horizontal force at high velocities. It also develops the neuromuscular coordination of explosive movement in a way that other training methods cannot replicate.
Sprint training for explosiveness:
Acceleration sprints (10 to 30 metres):
Develop the drive phase and horizontal force production most relevant to first-step explosiveness.
How to programme: 6 to 8 x 20 metres at maximum effort, 3 minutes rest between sprints, 1 to 2 sessions per week.
Maximum velocity sprints (40 to 80 metres):
Develop the top-end speed mechanics and neuromuscular coordination at high velocities.
How to programme: 4 to 6 x 40 to 60 metres at maximum effort from a flying start (running into the sprint rather than starting from stationary), 3 minutes rest, 1 session per week.
Resisted sprint training:
As covered in the resistance band speed training article on this site, band-resisted sprints overload the horizontal force production of acceleration and produce greater sprint speed improvements than unresisted sprinting alone.
Method 5: Complex Training
Complex training pairs a heavy strength exercise with a biomechanically similar plyometric exercise in the same session. The post-activation potentiation (PAP) effect from the heavy strength exercise temporarily enhances the neuromuscular system’s capacity for explosive output, making the subsequent plyometric exercise more effective.
Effective complex training pairs:
Back squat + depth jump:
- Set 1: 3 to 5 reps of heavy back squat (85 percent of maximum)
- Rest 3 to 4 minutes
- Set 2: 5 reps of depth jump at maximum effort
- Rest 3 to 4 minutes
- Repeat for 3 to 4 complexes
Hip thrust + horizontal broad jump:
- 5 reps of heavy hip thrust
- Rest 3 to 4 minutes
- 5 x maximum-effort broad jump
- Rest 3 to 4 minutes
- Repeat for 3 complexes
Romanian deadlift + bounding:
- 5 reps of heavy Romanian deadlift
- Rest 3 to 4 minutes
- 30 metres of maximum-effort bounding
- Rest 3 to 4 minutes
- Repeat for 3 complexes
Why complex training works: The heavy strength exercise recruits a large proportion of the available motor units. The subsequent plyometric exercise benefits from this increased motor unit recruitment, producing greater force and higher-quality explosive output than the plyometric exercise performed cold.
How to Programme Explosive Training
The most effective approach sequences the training components across the week to allow each quality to be trained at maximum quality without interference from residual fatigue.
Sample weekly structure for a general athlete in off-season:
Monday: Strength and plyometric complex training (squat + depth jump, hip thrust + broad jump)
Tuesday: Sprint training (acceleration sprints and resisted sprint work)
Wednesday: Rest or light mobility
Thursday: Olympic lifting derivatives and plyometrics (hang power clean, bounding, pogo jumps)
Friday: Maximum velocity sprint work and sport-specific explosive drills
Saturday: Sport-specific training or practice
Sunday: Rest
Periodisation across the training year:
Phase 1 (general preparation): Emphasise strength training. Introduce basic plyometrics (box jumps, pogo jumps). Build the force production foundation.
Phase 2 (specific preparation): Reduce strength volume, increase plyometric intensity (introduce depth jumps, single-leg work). Introduce sprint training. Begin complex training.
Phase 3 (competition preparation): Maintain strength at reduced volume. Emphasise maximum quality plyometrics and sprints. Competition-specific explosive drills.
Competition phase: Maintenance volumes only. One strength session and one plyometric session per week.
Sport-Specific Explosiveness Development
Sprinters: Emphasis on maximum velocity mechanics, resisted and assisted sprint training, horizontal plyometrics (bounding, broad jumps). See the resistance band speed training article on this site.
Basketball and volleyball players: Emphasis on vertical reactive strength (depth jumps, approach jump practice), repeated jump ability (continuous hurdle hops), and first-step acceleration. See the vertical program article on this site.
Football (soccer) players: Emphasis on short acceleration (0 to 20 metres), direction change explosiveness (lateral bounds, T-drill), and repeated sprint ability. See the exercises for soccer players article on this site.
Rugby and American football players: Emphasis on collision-specific explosive power (medicine ball exercises, heavy strength), linear acceleration, and reactive agility.
Combat sport athletes: Emphasis on explosive striking and defensive reaction, including rotational medicine ball throws, reactive agility drills, and explosive pulling exercises.
Common Mistakes Athletes Make When Training for Explosiveness
Training in the moderate intensity zone for everything: The most common error. Running at moderate pace, lifting at moderate weight, and jumping at moderate height does not develop explosiveness. Explosive training requires maximum intent: sprint as fast as possible, jump as high as possible, throw as hard as possible, lift as explosively as possible. Moderate effort produces moderate results.
Neglecting recovery between explosive repetitions: Explosive training at submaximal quality (because recovery was insufficient between reps) trains the submaximal pattern, not the explosive pattern. Sprint training with 30-second rest produces conditioning. Sprint training with 3-minute rest produces speed. The same principle applies to jumps and throws.
Adding plyometrics before building strength: Plyometric exercises generate high landing forces that require adequate strength to manage safely and productively. Building the strength foundation first makes every subsequent plyometric session more effective.
Confusing conditioning with power development: Athletes who are conditioned feel fit and capable, but conditioning does not develop the explosive power qualities described in this guide. A well-conditioned endurance athlete may be completely non-explosive. A well-conditioned team sport athlete may still be the slowest player on the pitch. Explosive training is a distinct quality requiring distinct training methods.
Only training in one plane: Most sport occurs in multiple directions. Training exclusively with linear exercises (squats, front-and-back sprints, vertical jumps) leaves lateral and rotational explosive power undertrained. Include lateral bounds, rotational medicine ball throws, and multi-directional sprint work for complete explosive development.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become more explosive?
Meaningful improvements in explosiveness are typically noticeable within 4 to 6 weeks of consistent targeted training. Research on plyometric and sprint training programmes consistently shows jump height improvements of 5 to 8 percent and sprint time improvements of 2 to 5 percent within 6 to 8 weeks. The neuromuscular adaptations (motor unit recruitment, coordination) develop faster than the structural adaptations (tendon stiffness, muscle hypertrophy), which is why subjective explosiveness often improves before the objective test numbers change.
Is explosiveness genetic?
Partly. Muscle fibre composition (proportion of fast-twitch fibres), tendon properties, and limb lengths all have genetic components that influence explosive potential. However, the vast majority of athletes are far below their genetic ceiling for explosive power, meaning there is significant room for improvement through training regardless of genetic starting point. The training methods in this guide produce meaningful improvements for virtually all athletes regardless of their genetic profile.
Should I do explosive training before or after strength training?
Always before. Explosive training requires maximum neuromuscular freshness to produce the quality of output that drives adaptation. Performing depth jumps, maximum-effort sprints, or Olympic lifting derivatives after heavy strength training produces suboptimal explosive output and therefore suboptimal explosive adaptation. The correct sequence is: warm-up, explosive training (plyometrics, sprints, Olympic lifting), then strength training.
Can I develop explosiveness through bodyweight training only?
To a significant extent, yes. Bodyweight plyometrics (depth jumps, bounding, pogo jumps), sprint training, and bodyweight strength exercises (single-leg squats, jump squats) all develop explosive qualities without gym equipment. The limitation of bodyweight-only training for explosiveness is that once strength develops beyond what bodyweight provides, further strength gains require external loading. For early-stage athletes or those without gym access, bodyweight explosive training produces meaningful results. For advanced athletes, adding external load through strength training accelerates the development significantly.
Does being explosive help with injury prevention?
Yes, significantly. Reactive strength, which is a core component of explosiveness, develops the neuromuscular control of landing and direction changes that reduces ACL, ankle, and hamstring injury risk. Athletes who have completed plyometric training programmes have consistently lower rates of ACL injury, ankle sprain, and hamstring strain in research studies. The training that makes you more explosive also makes you more resilient.