How often should you do explosive strength training?
The “need” for explosive strength training is always based on the personal needs of the athlete. However, track and field athletes or martial artists benefit from more frequent speed training than the average hobby athlete, where the focus is on improving their fitness. For amateur athletes, various sources recommend including a block of explosive strength training in the training plan about every ten weeks or about four times within a year. For athletes, about twice as often, i.e. up to eight times within a year, is recommended. However, not directly from a competition in order to keep the muscles rested and efficient for this effort.
These injury risks exist
High-speed strength training is probably the form of training that offers the greatest risk of injury. Common mistakes that can cause an injury are on the one hand the use of too much weight and on the other hand insufficient warming of the muscles to be trained. Due to the strong acceleration, the force acting on the muscles is greater than in normal strength training with higher weights despite the lower weight.
Incorrect posture can lead to joint damage during explosive strength training, just like during strength training, which can result in premature osteoarthritis. However, the heavy strain on the muscles can also lead to muscular injuries. Starting with strains and ending with a torn muscle fibre or, in the worst case, a muscle rupture, any injury is possible. However, this risk can be minimized by extensive warming up and by observing the weight limit, so that nobody has to be afraid of explosive strength training.This topic might also be of interest to you: Maximum Strength Training
Special high-speed training for soccer
Fast-strength training in soccer is mostly interesting for the so-called acceleration, i.e. the beginning of the sprint towards the ball or the acceleration after conquering the ball for example. Short sprints are particularly suitable for this, where maximum acceleration is to be achieved within the first five to ten meters. The sprint can be started from a standing position, but also from a lying position or after a small coordinative task.
For example, if sprint sleds or sprint belts are available, they can also be used to improve fast acceleration. Resistance bands also offer a possibility to train the “explosive power” against a resistance. Headballs are also a possibility to integrate explosive strength training into the training program. With a targeted lunge step, an explosive jump should be initiated, whereby the bounce can also be very well increased by explosive strength training.
