This type of training is incredibly dynamic and more athletic. It can be loads of fun, as well as very challenging, particularly when you are working with a partner or a trainer. A good deal of strength and stability is a prerequisite for this type of explosive training. It is not to be attempted by beginners or novices. Conditioned athletes would certainly be able to appreciate some of the exercises demonstrated here, but so can advanced exercisers looking to take their training to the next level.

Beginners and novices can do well with exercises that are not explosive such as the Squat Push Press without the jump and toss (demonstrated in photos with progressions), Standing Chest Pass, Back/Hip Extension, Lower Abdominal through various progressions, Seated Ball Toss in various planes and progressions, Crunch (demonstrated in the gallery with a toss) and many, many others—too many to possibly mention or demonstrate. Some of the exercises in the “Strength & Stability” page may be a good fit depending on the fitness level of the exerciser.

The important issue to bear in mind is that the difference between strength and power training is very simply speed of movement. If you can lift the same weight faster, then you have increased your power output. This is why most athletes must train in an explosive manner. For the advanced client this kind of training can be offered as a supplement to our regular strength and flexibility routine. Whether you have the ability, or not, to perform power training, as well as the exact exercises for your program, will be determined in the Engaged Fitness assessment.

You’ll notice that all of the exercises demonstrated on this page employ a Medicine Ball, which is a classic, but unfortunately much underestimated, training tool in today’s training environment. Although dumbbells are fantastic, there are things you can do with a Medicine Ball that you simply can’t do with dumbbells. You certainly can’t toss a dumbbell to a partner to then have it tossed back at you. That kind of a training drill will only last one repetition! Tossing dumbbells around to land on the floor or bounce off of a rebounder is obviously not a viable option either. But as you’ll see in the following photos, a Medicine Ball can give you so much freedom and because of that you can have some fun with it as well, especially if you have a partner involved.