Training Explosive Movements With Dumbbells

Do you ever think about your workouts improving power output or explosive strength?

Honestly, probably not! It kind of sounds like something an NBA athlete needs but not a normal person.

Lifting explosively is a training stimulus that comes with a lot of benefits, like

• The ability to generate force quickly

• Increased power output

• Means more motor units being used (read: a new stimulus for building muscle and strength!!)

What does that nonsense even mean?

It means a healthier, stronger, more athletic, and less injury prone body.

Olympic lifts (the snatch or the clean & jerk) are one of the best ways to train explosively, but these movements require a lot of technique and practice, not to mention a gym with the equipment and space where one can do these movements.

So what can we do to work around these obstacles? 

Enter: dumbbell variations of the olympic lifts

Some of the movements that we regularly include in Mezzo’s training are Dumbbell Cleans, Jerks, and Snatches, and we can even train explosive rotation with a movement like the Rotating Dumbbell Push Press.

These dumbbell variations are easy to learn, they are straightforward to progress, and when a person does them with intent they receive the same benefits one would get from the olympic lifts: more force and power output.

If you want to include explosive exercises in your training but don’t know where to start, this is a great place to start!