Speed Drill of the Day: Build Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers with the Broad Jump
Fast-twitch muscle fibers are essential for athletes. The ability to perform a movement quickly and explosively is a key to success during those split-second moments that separate winning from losing.
The Broad Jump is an excellent drill to improve your explosive strength. The key to explosiveness is triple extension—i.e., the ability to simultaneously extend your ankles, knees and hips to generate power—a skill that forms the basis of almost every athletic movement. Broad Jumps force you to use triple extension and build the fast-twitch muscle fibers that make you a better overall athlete.
How to Perform a Broad Jump
- Use a soft surface such as field turf or sand.
- Begin with your feet in an athletic position.
- Quickly swing your arms down as you lower into a quarter- or half-squat position.
- Immediately swing your arms up and extend your ankles, knees and hips to launch yourself forward as far as you can.
- Soften your landing by bending your knees and hips.
- Recompose yourself before your next jump.
Sets/Reps: 2×6
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Speed Drill of the Day: Build Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers with the Broad Jump
Fast-twitch muscle fibers are essential for athletes. The ability to perform a movement quickly and explosively is a key to success during those split-second moments that separate winning from losing.
The Broad Jump is an excellent drill to improve your explosive strength. The key to explosiveness is triple extension—i.e., the ability to simultaneously extend your ankles, knees and hips to generate power—a skill that forms the basis of almost every athletic movement. Broad Jumps force you to use triple extension and build the fast-twitch muscle fibers that make you a better overall athlete.
How to Perform a Broad Jump
- Use a soft surface such as field turf or sand.
- Begin with your feet in an athletic position.
- Quickly swing your arms down as you lower into a quarter- or half-squat position.
- Immediately swing your arms up and extend your ankles, knees and hips to launch yourself forward as far as you can.
- Soften your landing by bending your knees and hips.
- Recompose yourself before your next jump.
Sets/Reps: 2×6