The deadlift, squat, and bench press will make you strong, but if those are the ONLY lifts you do, you'll have a hard time running, jumping, fighting, or doing anything else cool and athletic.
As humans, we're meant to sprint, throw, climb, and crawl to hunt for food and go to war for our tribes. Our training should increase "locomotive" explosiveness and power while stimulating hypertrophy. In short, it should make us jacked with a purpose.
Here are some exercises and a finishing protocol to help you do just that:
Grab a landmine, hold it like a goblet, and load your hips back behind the bar. Keep the weight on the outer toe with heels lifted. Explode into a jump with as much force as possible.
Every football gym has jammer rigs. They're paramount for building explosive power. To set one up at your gym, grab a suspension trainer and loop it around the top of a power rack. Put a bar through it, making sure the bar is between your sternum and bellybutton.
Load up into a "pounce squat" position, keeping the weight on the outside toes with the heels up and out. Explode forward and land in a lunge. Slowly walk the weight back with control to the start position. This move will roast you in all the best ways.
This strength and conditioning classic is great for developing explosive locomotion, mass gains, and testicular fortitude.
Start with your hips back, weight on the outer toes, and heels angled out. Your forearms, biceps, and shoulders should be wedged into the tire. Explode forward, not up. Flip your hands around and push it over at the top.
Start with a chest-level push throw. It can either be done from a two-point position or a running start. If you have the shoulder mobility and strength, try an overhead throw.
Do this series as a finisher:
Banded Shoot Drill
Tie two big bands together and attach them to a sturdy vertical bar like a power rack. Slip the band over your waist and drop-knee shoot or lunge from side to side either for reps or for time. This will fry your quads and your lungs.
Banded Sprint Drill
Banded Bear Crawl Drill
Banded Broad Jump Drill
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