Explosive Movements | Bryan Dermody

Should powerlifters include explosive movements in their training?

I have gone back and forth on this question for years. At times I have had Olympic lifts, jumps, and dynamic effort squats, bench presses and deadlifts in my training program and at other times I have not. After much thought, study and experimentation, I have come to the conclusion that, in general, powerlifters need not include explosive movements in their training. Traditional explosive movements are simply not specific enough when it comes to movement velocity to merit their inclusion in a powerlifting training regimen. That being said, here are two applications where “explosive” training may have merit in a powerlifting program:

• If an athlete is predominantly slow-twitch in muscle fiber make-up and really struggles to generate force quickly, explosive movements may actually help in recruiting the fast-twitch muscle fibers that are needed to generate high forces in powerlifting.
• Accommodating resistance training with higher percentages in the competitive lifts may beneficial for powerlifters. See my previous article entitled, “Some Thoughts On Speed Training for Powerlifters".

Bryan Dermody, Powerlifter | former Strength & Conditioning Coach

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