Explosive Strength: Why Power Movements Matter in Your Training

Lloyd Cruz
Feb 8
3 min read

At Lift Legion, we train for strength/power, speed, and overall athleticism. Previously, we covered Vertical Jumps and Skater Hops to enhance coordination, stability, and lower-body power. This week, more explosive training and an intro to two key movements: Dumbbell Split Jumps and Slow Tempo Squats with an Explosive Drive.

Why Explosive Movements Matter

Explosive training is more than just jumping high or moving fast—it’s about training your muscles to generate force quickly and efficiently. This type of training recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for power, acceleration, and dynamic movement.

Recap: Vertical Jumps & Skater Hops

Vertical Jumps – Power & Strength

Vertical jumps engage the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, improving explosiveness for lifting, sprinting, and everyday activities.

Skater Hops – Lateral Power & Stability

Unlike vertical jumps, skater hops focus on side-to-side movement, improving agility, knee stability, and single-leg strength.

Now, let’s look at two more explosive movements that will take your training to the next level.

Dumbbell Split Jumps: Power & Control

Featured and "loved" in Performance Phase 3 - Explosive B, Dumbbell Split Jumps develop lower-body power, endurance, and stability.

🏋 Why You Need Them:

✔ Boosts explosive leg power for sprints and jumps

✔ Improves single-leg stability to prevent injuries

✔ Enhances coordination for dynamic movements

🔥 How to Perform:

1️⃣ Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.

2️⃣ Start in a split stance (one foot forward, one foot back).

3️⃣ Explosively jump, switching legs mid-air.

4️⃣ Land softly and immediately go into the next jump. Close your eyes, think of something joyful and just hope that the reps go quickly.

Slow Tempo Squats with Explosive Drive

This controlled-yet-powerful squat variation from Performance Phase 3 - Explosive A combines eccentric control with explosive force. This has also caused the majority of the colorful language we've all used in the gym.

🏋 Why You Need Them:

✔ Builds strength and power simultaneously

✔ Increases time under tension for muscle growth

✔ Trains explosive hip drive for squats, jumps, and lifts

🔥 How to Perform:

1️⃣ Lower into a squat slowly (4 SECONDS DOWN). We've seen a variety of different and really speedy ways to count to 4 but we are looking for 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, and so on...

2️⃣ Pause briefly at the bottom.

3️⃣ Explode up powerfully, driving through your heels.

4️⃣ Reset and repeat.

The Takeaway: Train Explosive, Move Better

Incorporating explosive movements into your training will make you stronger, faster, and more resilient. Whether it's jumping, sprinting, or lifting, explosive power translates to better performance in and out of the gym.

See you on the gym floor, Legion—Train explosive, train strong! 🚀🔥

Lift Legion Learning - Schedule or add On Demand Workouts

Schedule on-demand workouts have never been easier! You can choose any workouts, any dates, in your own time.

How to schedule on-demand workouts

From the On-demand tab of the app, you will be able to view all the workout collections that are shared with you under the “Workouts” section.

2. Open a collection and select an on-demand workout under the desired category.

3. On the workout overview screen, you will have the option to either Start Workout immediately or Schedule it for a specific date on your Training calendar.

Note: You will be able to choose any date between today and the next 365 days.

4. After you hit the ‘Schedule’ button, a calendar will pop up that allows you to pick a date. Click ‘Done’ to save your choice.

Note: You can select only one date at a time.