6 Exercises That Will Make You Faster, Stronger, and More Athletic

There are a few exercise I love for developping speed, power and athleticism. There are countless variations you can do, but these are my go-to for my clients and myself.

One of the key components of developing speed and power is technique. Proper form is crucial to target the right muscles and also prevent any injuries. Since these exercises require a lot of speed to be effective, always start with light weights and gradually progress when technique allows it.

Barbell clean

A classic in all strength and conditioning gyms of any serious sports teams. This is one of the best moves to develop full body strength and power.

A very technical move that's well worth the time investment. It's also one of my favourite trap muscle workout.

How to do a barbell clean

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  Start Position

  • Feet hip-width apart

  • Bar over mid-foot

  • Neutral spine

  • Hands just outside the knees

    
    

  Explosive Pull

  • Drive through the legs

  • Extend hips and knees powerfully

  • Shrug the shoulders

  • Keep the bar close to the body

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  Catch

  • Rotate elbows through quickly

  • Catch the bar on the front of the shoulders

  • Dip into a quarter squat (the height of the catch is one of the many variations)

  • Keep the chest tall

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  Stand Tall

  • Stand up fully

  • Elbows high

  • Brace the core

  • Finish balanced and controlled

Broad jump

Jumping is a very easy exercise you can do anywhere that will develop leg power. The broad jump is simply jumping as far as possible.

How to do a broad jump

• Start with your feet in one line

• Jump as far as you can

• You must stick the landing and land as softly as possible

Vertical jump

The vertical jump is one of the simplest ways to develop explosive lower-body power and measure your progress.

Simply start in a neutral position, and jump as high as you can.

Dumbbell snatch

I love this one because the dumbbell version is easier to learn than the barbell clean while still developing excellent explosive power.

How to do a dumbbell snatch

• Start by holding the dumbbell between your knees

• Explode up, think about throwing the dumbbell through the roof

• Keep the dumbbell close to your body as it moves up

• Slowly bring the dumbbell back down between your knees

Barbell step up

The barbell step up is a classic muscle and strength builder. By using lighter weights and focusing on speed of execution, we can turn it into a power exercise.

How to do a barbell step-up for power

• Use a light weight, 60% of what you would normally use

• Step up as fast as you can, think of crushing the bench under your foot

• Control the way down

Incline sprints

As if sprinting isn't fun enough, find yourself a small hill and run up it as fast as possible.

Hill sprint workout

• Run up as hard as you can for 8 seconds

• Walk back down

• Repeat for 5-8 reps

• Rest for 3 minutes

• Repeat the whole thing 2-3 times.

Take the time to learn these new moves if you haven't done so already; they are well worth the investment!

Happy training,

Clem