86 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2017THE BEST WAY to size yourself up
against other dudes in terms of raw
power is with an old track-and-field
event: the long jump. While strength
translates to moving more weight,
power helps you move it quickly
and forcefully – and the two are
not mutually exclusive. The long
jump, which requires elements
of both strength and power, is
the purest test of that.THE TESTLong jump
HOW TO DO IT: stand with your toes
on a line. Pick a target in front of you
and jump towards it, throwing your
arms back and quickly bringing
them forward to propel you.
“Pretend you’re skiing and you’re
digging your poles into the powder,”
says Underwood, who worked with
US football player Byron Jones
before he set the world record in
the long jump at 12'3" (373.38cm)
during the 2015 NFL Combine.
GOAL:to jump 1.8 to 2.5 metres,
measured to where the back
of your heels land.THE RESULTSIF YOU PASSED: well, you’re not
winning Olympic Gold just yet, but
you’ve got some pretty damn good
power. But now it’s time to work
on unilateral strength.
Start by performing three sets
of eight pistol squats three days
a week, then gradually add more
weight. Also, perform three sets
of 10 single-leg deadlifts. These
will work your core, back and
shoulders while improving
your balance at the same time.Leap
ahead
FITNESS TEST CATEGORY 4:POWERIF YOU FAILED: you need to work
on producing power from your hips
to help move your body forward.
Try modified kettlebell swings
with more weight: hike the kettle-
bell behind you between your legs,
then stand with force, coming to a
full extension of knees and hips and
squeezing your glutes so the bell
pops up to hip height. Do 10 sets
of 10, three days a week.Joe Holder, a Nike trainer and
performance specialist at S10
Training in New York, US, likes
shocking the central nervous
system after heavy lifting to
improve power. “Think going from
a heavy bench press right into a
medicine ball pass,” says Holder,
a former football player. “Or going
from the squat right into a few
high-quality squat jumps.”TEST TO BE YOUR BESTGO ALL IN
The old-fashioned long
jump is the greatest way to
discover your raw power.