Football 40yd dash and vertical / explosiveness / powerlifting

[SJS1991]

I started about a month ago doing the StrongLifts 5x5 program. I have done a lot of research and could build my own routine and experiment for myself.. but I figured I'd just go with a powerlifting routine that is known to work-- and there are 1000s of 5x5 programs out there so I just picked one that emphasized legs.

I did not, however start at the bar weight. I'm pretty good at perfecting form, and far as I'm concerned I don't need to do 2 months of form perfecting just to start getting into heavy weights. And I don't think you can practice form without heavy weights anyways.

So with that in mind, to you powerlifting/track/wide-receiver types.. can I add more without hindering progress? I've been making great gains! and I really think the program is effective and would like to stick to it... but everyone says you need to do plyometrics, weight lifting and sprinting to jump high and be fast!

Personally, I feel that making your legs more explosive through weight lifting will make them more explosive in jumping and sprinting as well (a muscle can only be flexed one way, so you build your hamstrings and they'll be stronger in all categories).. and that the only supplement needed is jumping/running form which doesn't come from weight lifting.

But you're all professionals here Or at the very least you all have had mixed experiences. What do you think?

Can I just do weightlifting and form perfecting? Or is it most always better to have a full sprint and plyo workout too? --cause I worry adding those will hinder my current progression.


P.S. when I perfect form I will be going as fast as I can-- as you can't really practice form slowly (e.g. exploding out of your starting position)-- but I won't be going until exhaustion like a full sprint or plyo routine would bring me to.

[Jimbo48]

Strength by itself will not make you faster or jump higher. It is all about how quickly you can apply that strength. This is what is called power (force x velocity). The term powerlifting is a misnomer. It should actually be called strength lifting as there is no reward for lifting a weight faster than your opponent.

Plyometrics work on what is called rate of force development (RFD). They will help you convert your strength into power. Look into doing power cleans and power snatches as they are a combination of power and strength. Weighted jump squats are another good exercise.

[NJLife]

why didnt you do an olympic lifters routine

[alextheassassin]

why didnt you do an olympic lifters routine

Overrated... 99% percent of people in this country have no idea how to perform these lifts correctly. Better off doing something with a powerlifting base like 531 or ws4sb3 or westside under a watchful eye with plyo when the athlete is ready.

[SJS1991]

Powerlifting creates fast twitch fibers. In that sense, it's completely different from your typical Bodybuilding/strength routine, which is more endurance oriented. Powerlifting focuses on explosiveness and strength over size (eventually getting 3x bodyweight squats). It will help you to be able to put up 1000lbs once.. bodybuilding focuses on slow and controlled movements and focuses on size over strength, and being able to put up 800 more times than a powerlifter but have a lower 1RM). Explosiveness is a prerequisite for the vertical jump which is essentially a 1RM event (and a squat motion seems to mimic it almost perfectly), and the 40 yard dash which is primarily about acceleration (exploding out of the start) whereas the 100m is about top speed.

So what I'm saying is, I just don't understand how plyometrics demands your body to be more explosive than powerlifting would. Conventional wisdom shows that --less, but heavier, reps = more explosive-- wouldn't you think that stays true?

It's interesting that two of you recommend olympic lifting routines, even though they are essentially the same as powerlifting routines with the same motions but isolated differently. E.g. the clean and jerk, and the snatch, is basically your deadlift, squat and overhead press mashed into two exercises. Is there any reason these exercises generate more lower-body fast twitch fibers than deadlifts and squats?

Are there any studies into powerlifting/olympiclifting/plyometrics and how many fast twitch fibers they recruit?

[NJLife]

Powerlifting creates fast twitch fibers. In that sense, it's completely different from your typical Bodybuilding/strength routine, which is more endurance oriented. Powerlifting focuses on explosiveness and strength over size (eventually getting 3x bodyweight squats). It will help you to be able to put up 1000lbs once.. bodybuilding focuses on slow and controlled movements and focuses on size over strength, and being able to put up 800 more times than a powerlifter but have a lower 1RM). Explosiveness is a prerequisite for the vertical jump which is essentially a 1RM event (and a squat motion seems to mimic it almost perfectly), and the 40 yard dash which is primarily about acceleration (exploding out of the start) whereas the 100m is about top speed.



So what I'm saying is, I just don't understand how plyometrics demands your body to be more explosive than powerlifting would. Conventional wisdom shows that --less, but heavier, reps = more explosive-- wouldn't you think that stays true?

It's interesting that two of you recommend olympic lifting routines, even though they are essentially the same as powerlifting routines with the same motions but isolated differently. E.g. the clean and jerk, and the snatch, is basically your deadlift, squat and overhead press mashed into two exercises. Is there any reason these exercises generate more lower-body fast twitch fibers than deadlifts and squats?

Are there any studies into powerlifting/olympiclifting/plyometrics and how many fast twitch fibers they recruit?

I'd say use them all. i mean if you have the strength but can't apply it correctly in a coordinated jump then whats the use? it's not this complicated imo..

here is my recipe, get strong, learn how to move that weight efficiently, apply it.