In order to go fast, it’s essential that you are able to slow down.
Or, another way to think of it is, the faster you can slow down, the quicker you can change directions and re-accelerate to your top speed. This is especially important when it comes to changing directions both for performance and for preventing injury.
To decelerate effectively, athletes & individuals must absorb force, primarily through flexion of the ankle, knee, and hip. Familiarization with fundamental movement patterns (squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull, etc.) and a good strength base will offer substantial benefits in deceleration (and acceleration) ability as you rely on your muscles to both absorb and produce force as well as to stabilize your joints.
Once base foundational strength has been established, we like to work on the eccentric phases of exercises to help teach muscles to absorb force. Deceleration in the sagittal plane should be achieved first, as it’s much easier to control due to our much larger muscles helping out (hip and knee extensors like the glutes and quads). It is also important to note that much of the deceleration training we do has re-acceleration benefits that connect slowing down and speeding up again.
The following are four exercises that will help to build all the necessary movement patterns, foundational strength, and ability for muscles to absorb force in order to help you become more explosive.
Exercise 1) Drop Lunges
What will this help?
This exercise will improve deceleration in the sagittal plane as well as single leg strength and stability. The elevation will intensify the deceleration. Using proper biomechanics is vital for declaration training as that will allow for greater stability, and in turn will lead to better force absorption.
REPS:
- Complete 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps/side
COACHING CUES:
- Ensure you have good mechanics and control for forward lunges first
- Start with a low height (1-2 inches) and increase height or add weight to progress
- Drive off front heel to come back up into the starting position
Exercise 2) MB Power Slams
What will this help?
While these have an acceleration component in the extension phase, they finish with deceleration and closing force. These also help to build deceleration in the sagittal plane and improve neuromuscular coordination of the hinge pattern which is good and carries over for jumping drills and activities. However, unlike jumping drills, slams are low impact.
REPS:
- Complete 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps (all reps should be max force so choose your reps and weight accordingly)
COACHING CUES:
- Ensure you have the shoulder mobility to raise arms overhead without compensating with extension of your lower back
- Keep your spine neutral and your chest up as you hinge (same pattern as a deadlift)
- Aim to have the ball land just in front of your feet
Exercise 3) Lateral Lunge Quick Steps
What will this help?
These are great in building deceleration and change of direction in the frontal plane. This drill helps to strengthen your glutes and adductors. This drill also helps to improve the tolerance of the tissues in your ankle and simultaneous stability at your hip for repeated directional change and impact.
REPS:
- Complete 2-3 sets of 5-12 reps/side
COACHING CUES:
- First ensure that you have good mechanics and control for completing a lateral lunge
- You will also need adequate single leg stability and strength which you can test by standing on one leg (your hips should stay aligned, but if your supported hip drops then that signifies you are not ready for this drill)
- Stay in a laterally lunged position as you come on and off the step (the only thing that is moving is your foot)
Exercise 4) Rope Side Slams
What will this help?
These focus on decelerating in the transverse plane. In addition, they help to improve the explosive capabilities of your anterior oblique sling. The anterior oblique sling consists of the serratus anterior, unilateral external oblique, interconnecting linea alba fascia, contralateral internal oblique, and contralateral adductor complex. One of the main roles of this sling is to allow for power transfer to happen between the upper and lower body, especially during rotation components (ex. swinging a golf club or racket).
REPS:
- Complete 2-3 sets of 3-10 reps per side (this drill is all about full power as opposed to endurance)
COACHING CUES:
- Make sure you use a combination of a hinge and hip internal rotation as opposed to just a side bending through your spine. We like to cue individuals to “sit” into the hip.
- Each rep should be max force
- Don’t go to failure as fatigue may compromise form
We hope you found this series of exercises helpful for improving your explosive power, and if you have any questions or want to know more about anything featured in this post, please feel free to email Andrea at andrea@balancemotion.com.
