Not every gym has this essential for performing the biggest, most explosive Olympic lifts. We show you how to reap the benefits without dropping the weights.
Power exercises develop elite size, strength, and speed by hammering your fast-twitch muscle fibers. Not only will you increase the amount of weight you can lift, but you’ll also move the weight faster and build more muscle.But a lot of time-tested power moves like Olympic lifts require bumper plates—with a heavy clean or a snatch, for example, you need to drop the weight from the top to avoid injuries and eliminate the massive eccentric stress on your body. What should you do, however, if your gym has no bumper plates or forbids you from dropping weights?Simple: use power exercises that target your fast-twitch muscle fibers without needing to be dropped. Here are seven of the best ones you can do in any gym.
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Dumbbell Snatch
Want thick upper-traps, a strong core, and massive legs? Snatches are the answer. But without bumper plates, a conventional barbell snatch can wreck your shoulders as you lower the weight. Instead, use a dumbbell snatch.Lower one dumbbell in front of you by bending at your hips and slightly bending your knees (like a Romanian deadlift). Then, rapidly extend your hips, knees, and ankles with a jump while pulling the dumbbell overhead. As you pull, keep your elbow above the dumbbell and keep the dumbbell close to your body as if you were in a phone booth.Catch the dumbbell the same time your heels hit the ground. From the top, use both hands to lower the weight. Repeat.Watch the video >>
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Band-Resisted Kettlebell Swing
The kettlebell swing is an unbeatable exercise for a strong lower-body. But to take your explosiveness to the next level, add resistance with a long exercise band.Wrap an exercise band around a kettlebell handle (with a lark’s head knot) and stand on the band. Start in a deadlift position with the kettlebell a few feet in front of you. Then, hike the kettlebell back between your legs like a center in football and explosively drive your hips forward. Imagine propelling the kettlebell to a target in front of you.Watch the video >>
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Barbell Jump Squat
Barbell jump squats are fundamental exercises to build power in your quads and hips.With a barbell on your back, drop into a squat then jump upward. Land as softly as you can and repeat. Because of the potential stress on your joints, start with a weight roughly 30% of your relative max. For example, if you can squat 225lbs for 8 reps, use 65lbs for 8 reps of jump squats.Watch the video >>
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TRX Jump Squats
By using the TRX for your jump squats, you’ll propel yourself even higher, slow your descent, and develop more lower-body speed.Grab the TRX handles and stand far enough back where there’s some tension in the straps. Squat down and jump as high as you can while pushing down on the straps to give you more lift.
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Seated Box Jump
Box jumps are a great plyometric exercise to build lower-body explosiveness and safe landing mechanics. To emphasize pure power, however, start from a dead stop and eliminate the countermovement.Position a bench or short box next to a tall box to jump on. Sit onto the bench, pause, and, in one motion, explode onto the box. Land on your mid-foot and as quietly as you can.Watch the video >>
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Kettlebell Split Jerks
Split jerks are an amazing Olympic exercise that adds slabs of muscles to your legs, shoulders, traps, and arms. Although you can do them in a power rack with a barbell, use kettlebells instead to reduce the stress on your shoulders.Start with the kettlebells in the rack position: kettlebells at your chest with the kettlebell on the outside of your arms and your hands underneath your chin. Keep your wrists flat, chest up, shoulders pulled back, and armpits crushed.Quickly squat down a few inches and then explode upward, driving the weights overhead, while jumping and landing in a split-stance. Land at the same time you lock out your arms.
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Kettlebell Clean
The kettlebell clean is a great alternative to the power clean because it still sculpts strong hips and legs while teaching you to safely absorb force.Start in a deadlift position with the kettlebell a few feet in front of you. Then, hike the kettlebell back between your legs like a center in football and explosively drive your hips forward. Swing the kettlebell up to the rack position. Repeat.Don’t use your arm to yank the kettlebell. This will pull the kettlebell away from your body and then slam onto your arm. Instead, as you swing up, keep your elbow jammed to your ribcage, keep it there, and spin your hand. Also, try starting the kettlebell in the rack position. Then, swing it between your legs and return to the rack position.
Power exercises develop elite size, strength, and speed by hammering your fast-twitch muscle fibers. Not only will you increase the amount of weight you can lift, but you’ll also move the weight faster and build more muscle.
But a lot of time-tested power moves like Olympic lifts require bumper plates—with a heavy clean or a snatch, for example, you need to drop the weight from the top to avoid injuries and eliminate the massive eccentric stress on your body. What should you do, however, if your gym has no bumper plates or forbids you from dropping weights?
Simple: use power exercises that target your fast-twitch muscle fibers without needing to be dropped. Here are seven of the best ones you can do in any gym.
Dumbbell Snatch
Want thick upper-traps, a strong core, and massive legs? Snatches are the answer. But without bumper plates, a conventional barbell snatch can wreck your shoulders as you lower the weight. Instead, use a dumbbell snatch.
Lower one dumbbell in front of you by bending at your hips and slightly bending your knees (like a Romanian deadlift). Then, rapidly extend your hips, knees, and ankles with a jump while pulling the dumbbell overhead. As you pull, keep your elbow above the dumbbell and keep the dumbbell close to your body as if you were in a phone booth.
Catch the dumbbell the same time your heels hit the ground. From the top, use both hands to lower the weight. Repeat.
The kettlebell swing is an unbeatable exercise for a strong lower-body. But to take your explosiveness to the next level, add resistance with a long exercise band.
Wrap an exercise band around a kettlebell handle (with a lark’s head knot) and stand on the band. Start in a deadlift position with the kettlebell a few feet in front of you. Then, hike the kettlebell back between your legs like a center in football and explosively drive your hips forward. Imagine propelling the kettlebell to a target in front of you.
Barbell jump squats are fundamental exercises to build power in your quads and hips.
With a barbell on your back, drop into a squat then jump upward. Land as softly as you can and repeat. Because of the potential stress on your joints, start with a weight roughly 30% of your relative max. For example, if you can squat 225lbs for 8 reps, use 65lbs for 8 reps of jump squats.
By using the TRX for your jump squats, you’ll propel yourself even higher, slow your descent, and develop more lower-body speed.
Grab the TRX handles and stand far enough back where there’s some tension in the straps. Squat down and jump as high as you can while pushing down on the straps to give you more lift.
Seated Box Jump
Box jumps are a great plyometric exercise to build lower-body explosiveness and safe landing mechanics. To emphasize pure power, however, start from a dead stop and eliminate the countermovement.
Position a bench or short box next to a tall box to jump on. Sit onto the bench, pause, and, in one motion, explode onto the box. Land on your mid-foot and as quietly as you can.
Split jerks are an amazing Olympic exercise that adds slabs of muscles to your legs, shoulders, traps, and arms. Although you can do them in a power rack with a barbell, use kettlebells instead to reduce the stress on your shoulders.
Start with the kettlebells in the rack position: kettlebells at your chest with the kettlebell on the outside of your arms and your hands underneath your chin. Keep your wrists flat, chest up, shoulders pulled back, and armpits crushed.
Quickly squat down a few inches and then explode upward, driving the weights overhead, while jumping and landing in a split-stance. Land at the same time you lock out your arms.
Kettlebell Clean
The kettlebell clean is a great alternative to the power clean because it still sculpts strong hips and legs while teaching you to safely absorb force.
Start in a deadlift position with the kettlebell a few feet in front of you. Then, hike the kettlebell back between your legs like a center in football and explosively drive your hips forward. Swing the kettlebell up to the rack position. Repeat.
Don’t use your arm to yank the kettlebell. This will pull the kettlebell away from your body and then slam onto your arm. Instead, as you swing up, keep your elbow jammed to your ribcage, keep it there, and spin your hand. Also, try starting the kettlebell in the rack position. Then, swing it between your legs and return to the rack position.
