There’s one type of training that very few people engage in that is actually fundamental to performance.
That is: explosive training.
Or, more broadly, training with a rapid intent.
This doesn’t have to mean things like box jumps or clapping pushups. It doesn’t need to involve leaving the ground or heavy impacts. Training with a more explosive intent can be as simple as performing push ups quickly, sprinting, or hitting a heavy bag.
The form this takes isn’t what matters. What matters is simply that you do it.
And yet it’s missing for nearly everyone who goes to the gym to build muscle. Curls and other bodybuilding movements are usually performed in a routine, rhythmic, pattern. .
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Even when you’re pushing for maximum effort, this is often a slow grind rather than an explosive hurl. Here, the heavy weight actually slows you down enough to alter the intent.
Even calisthenics athletes and movement athletes, who value body control so highly, will often neglect to move quickly. Handstands, full planche, and movement flows are all amazing… but they leave out an entire category of movement.
This is a shame, too, when other forms of calisthenics like freestyle street workout techniques are right there. This is a great example of the problem with specialising in just one form of training.
But why is it so important that you train this type of movement? What is the value in doing burpees and high knees and flying push ups that can’t be achieved elsewhere?
Train Fast, or Die Slow
Simply put: trading with rapid intent is what keeps you quick. Like everything, explosive movement works on a “use it or lose it” basis. If you never practice fast movements, you’ll eventually become slow and unwieldy.
This is going to impact on your performance more than a relative lack of strength, even. Nearly every form of sport or competition is built more around explosive, rapid movement than it is around max strength.
Whether you’re playing footbal, which involves sprinting and kicking, whether you’re fighting which involves throwing explosive punches and kicks, or whether you’re moving over obstacles. Explosiveness is simply one of THE most important traits of anyone that wants to be considered athletic.
And there’s very little use in being extremely big and strong if your opponents can outmanoeuvre you before you can use that strength. Especially because an explosive rival will be better at translating their strength into throwing, punching, jumping, and moving quickly.
This becomes even more important as we age. One of the most obvious signs that someone is aging physically is that they begin moving more slowly. This is something I Am Longevity talks about a LOT on his YouTube channel.
Here’s a guy who is 60 years old and can still scale 10 foot walls with ease – even jump off 6 foot walls and land without trouble. He credits plyometric movements like clapping push ups with all of this and claims that it’s the loss of large motor units that leads to the kind of doddery movement we associate with old age.
I recommend checking out his channel if you want more on that.
Reminding the Body
I’m not that old, yet. But I’m nearly 40. I’m very much getting to the point where people are starting to say: “isn’t it time you stopped jumping over benches for a living?” Several people have expressed concern that I won’t be able to do this much longer.
But I’m not going to stop doing it because I’m not able to. Rather, I’m going to keep doing it so that I keep being able to.
When I was growing up there was a railing outside my house that I use to jump over. I had this particularly good ability to hurdle high objects and I was determined never to lose that ability. So, I used to jump over that railing every single day. I don’t do those kinds of explosive movements every single day anymore but I still do them regularly. And I can still jump over that railing.
Think of the way someone elderly moves and “slow” is one of the first things that come to mind. When you think of any middle aged friends that don’t practice this kind of movement, ask yourself: can you even imagine them sprinting? Leaping over something tall?
But you don’t even need to do that in order to maintain that fast movement. You just need to train with rapid intent.
Here are a few ways I do that…
How to Stay Fast
One is with faster cadence on calisthenics movements. As you guys know, I often train high rep push ups, air squats, dips, and rows. All of these use a faster cadence and even a slightly plyometric technique. When doing push ups, I slightly widen my grip then drop until I feel a slight stretch in my pecs before pushing back up quickly. If it were any more explosive, I would leave the ground.
This doesn’t build much muscle on its own but as you reach higher rep ranges your cadence will naturally slow down, while the continuous time under tension will also start to trigger strength and growth, eventually. This way, you et the best of both worlds by being able to train explosively AND have it build muscle.
You can also use actual plyometrics. Clapping push ups are great and sometimes I will incorporate these at the start of a set. I’ve lately been doing jumping switch lunges, as recommended by Grant. Jumping squats are amazing.
Long time viewers will also be familiar with the various explosive sequences I like to perform, combining explosive push ups with kickthroughs, handsprings, and burpees.
As an added bonus, these explosive movements will also help to build stronger bones – another benefit that will help to prevent premature aging.
Other forms of exercise come with rapid movement built in.
Sprinting, of course, is one of the most explosive things you can do. Just doing this once a week will be enough to remind your body how to generate power when you need it.
You can also practice martial arts against a heavy bag. You can try Olympic lifting, Even kettlebell swings or clean and jerk will let you train explosive movement.
I also recommend just moving more quickly and explosively through your everyday life: whether that means leaping up more than one stair at a time, or running to the shops instead of walking. I run pretty much everywhere I go…
It’s not weird…
Or just play a sport that involves some of these things – sprinting, throwing, and jumping. It’s fun and it will keep you moving powerfully and youthfully into old age.
This is all why my training program, SuperFunctional Training 3: SUPERMOVER, makes a point of incorporating explosive movements and movements performed with fast intent. From the broad jump, to various squat jumps, to explosive push ups, and more. This teaches the thing that is missing from other “movement” programs and ensures that you remain explosive and athletic. It then combines this form of training with slower, more controlled movements. With strength training, and with mobility. It’s that combination that will truly ensure you build an all round excellent performance profile; and that you look and feel great into old age.
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Either way, though guys, thank you for watching this one… and bye for now!
