Building power throughout the body often involves using popular equipment such as barbells, kettlebells, and dumbbells. However, your body weight can be a great resistive tool to help shape your physique. The content ahead looks into the 10 best bodyweight moves for explosive power and the best part is they can be performed at home or in the gym.
The body is a fantastic source of resistance that can work various physiologic aspects. When performed with precision, quickness, and you push yourself, you target the power muscles, known as type II muscle fibers, and shape the body in a successful way. Targeting these muscle fibers can help to hit your goals all over with some of the best benefits of power movements described ahead.
The Benefits of Power Exercises
Power is defined as volume of work over a certain amount of time, or in the case of fitness, lifting as much weight as possible as quickly as possible. It is a highly common technique performed by many adults and athletes and power training has the potential to shake health and wellness. Here are some amazing benefits of power training.
- Functional Improvements. Studies have shown power training, albeit with weights, can allow modest improvements in physical function. Some power moves require some athleticism, but really most lifts are for anyone. To receive some of the biggest improvements in physical function with power training, consider pushing your body like you haven’t before and see how this affects your overall fitness program in the long term.
- Improves Reaction Time. While studied in older adults extensively, power training can help to improve reaction time, especially since this type of training involves moving fast through reps and sets. This is important in various athletics and competitions where reaction time is vital to success.
- Aids Endurance. While power training often includes strength exercises, regularly working type II muscle fibers can help to provide the strength needed to traverse through various cardio activities.
How to Incorporate Bodyweight Exercises for Power
Power activities can be added in virtually any exercise, so long as it is performed properly. In order to nail down power exercises, consider the following rules:
- Quick movements.
- Fast on the concentric phase and slower on the eccentric portion.
- More reps performed through the same time frame.
- Jumping and resisting momentum increases power.
The Top 10 Best Bodyweight Moves for Explosive Power
With a little background in power training and how it can benefit your fitness and wellness, now is the time to add in some exercises. Here are the 10 best bodyweight moves for explosive power training that can boost any workout that you should try.
- Clapping Push-Ups. This version of push-ups requires pushing your hands off the floor, clapping one time, and landing your hands before lowering back down. It’s a tough exercise that should be performed once you have a little mastery of a standard push-up. Start with lower reps to adjust and add as necessary as you become more comfortable.
- Burpees. This is the exercise that everyone loves to hate, but burpees target power in the upper and lower parts of the body. The landing push-up and low squat to jump shred upper and lower body muscles quickly.
- Jumping Squats. Changing up the standard bodyweight squat, adding a high jump from a low position can build the quads and add power. The key with jumping squats is to start low and begin the jumping phase from this low down position to gain the most benefits.
- Mountain Climbers. One of the best bodyweight moves for power is the mountain climber. It targets the entire body: upper, core, and lower. It really doesn’t matter when you perform mountain climbers in your workout as these really will have you feeling it in no time. Make sure to perform your mountain climbers by keeping your glutes low, back straight, and alternating quick feet as best as you can.
- Jumping Lunges. This jumping leg exercise is different from squats in that you perform a lunge, jump on your way up, and swap legs during the jump before landing for another lunge. Alternating legs will help to work your coordination and target unilateral leg stability as well.
- Box Jumps. While box jumps require a platform on which to jump, they are a tough power workout for the legs. Start out on a six inch platform and work your way up to 24 inches and beyond, as necessary. Box jumps can be supplemented in any workout and are great as finishers on leg day.
- Sprints. If you have access to an open park, treadmill, track, or even a safe street, running sprints can help to add power to ten leg muscles. Especially when performed as a HIIT exercise, sprints work the cardiovascular system and legs at peak performance.
- Alternating Quick Step Ups. Step ups are a low impact exercise for young and older adults. However, the power version of this exercise involves fast, alternating foot step ups. The quickness of the feet on the step closely mimics high knees, but adds an athletic portion with foot strikes on the stepper. Add this exercise between sets to help keep your heart rate up.
- Pull-Ups. While a pull-up bar is needed for this activity, pull-ups require quick concentric Lat and Trap muscle activation to lift the body. Pull-ups can be added to any strength or HIIT workout and can deliver results no matter how many you can complete. Be mindful of the kipping motion with the lower body so that you can isolate the upper body muscles.
- Broad Jumps. The broad jump closely resembles Olympic activity. Standing in one area, broad jumping forward requires explosive muscle activation to jump as far as possible. Broad jumps are great for targeting the quads, hamstrings, and glutes and are a must for leg day.
Conclusion
The best piece of equipment that you need to use when you exercise is your own body. Utilizing bodyweight exercises for power workouts can help to build muscle, endurance, and shred fat.
Consider any of the 10 best bodyweight moves for explosive power listed above and see how your workout can be transformed. Many of these exercises can be added into a HIIT program, boot camp, or simply can be done between sets in a pinch.
