4 great exercises for explosivity in footballers

Footballers constantly have to jump high, accelerate rapidly, change direction quickly, stop suddenly, and do it faster than the other guy. Explosivity is key to mastering these skills, and incorporating these 4 exercises into your training and workouts will lead to measurable improvements.

Toe walks

A great exercise to increase foot proprioception (the sense of joint and limb positioning). This improves body awareness, balance and coordination, while increasing performance and reducing the risk of injury. Toe walks also aid plantar flexion (downward movement of the foot at the ankle). It's essential for walking, running and jumping, and helps athletes generate more force and perform better due to increased lower leg strength and stability.

Toe walks can be used as part of a warm up or in the main part of a workout. As a warm up do 2 sets of 15 metres, otherwise 5 sets of 15 metres.

Pogo jumps

Pogo jumps increase lower body bilateral explosiveness (the ability to generate explosive force simultaneously using both sides of the body) and lower body blast impulse (how much force you can produce in a very limited amount of time). They are a short range plyometric and should be performed first after your warm up. They focus on pure speed and explosiveness, with less contact with the ground for each repetition.

3-5 sets of 8-10 reps each will produce optimal results.

Jump lunges

Complementing the bilateral explosivness of pogo jumps, jump lunches increase unilateral explosiveness (the ability to generate explosive force using only one side of the body at a time) as well as blast impulse. This is a deep range of motion plyometric which should be done after any short range plyometrics as they fatigue you more. They should also be carried out with an emphasis on a soft landing and with less speed as to really get that deeper range motion.

Aim for 3-5 sets of 3-4 reps each side (6-8 reps in total).

Soleus stretch

A great cool down stretch targeting the muscles used in explosive exercise. Place one foot behind the other, elevate the toes of the back foot on a sloped surface or small weight plate, then gradually lean forward with a hip hinge movement until you feel a good stretch in your hamstring in the back leg. Hold for 30 seconds, then take a deep breath and push forward with your upper body a little bit more as you breathe out for another 30 seconds.

If you incorporate any or all of these exercises into your football training let me know your game has improved, and if you play a sport that calls for high levels of explosivity get in touch today to talk about your fitness goals and a cutting edge workout plan.