9 Plyometric Exercises for Explosive Power (Ranked by Payoff)

The best plyometric exercises for explosive power are ground-contact moves done with maximum intent — depth jumps, broad jumps, box jumps, and medicine-ball slams — that train your muscles to store and release energy in a fraction of a second. Below are 9 plyometrics ranked by how much explosive power they build per rep, each with the right intent, rep range, and rest so you get the nervous-system payoff instead of just a sweaty conditioning circuit. Power lives in how fast you leave the floor, not how many times you touch it.

How Plyometrics Actually Build Explosive Power

Explosive power comes from the stretch-shortening cycle: the split-second where a muscle rapidly lengthens under load (the landing) and then instantly shortens (the take-off), reusing stored elastic energy like a spring. Plyometrics train that cycle by keeping ground-contact time short and intent high. The goal is rate of force development — producing force fast — which is exactly what separates a jumper who explodes off the floor from one who grinds. That is why these moves anchor any serious vertical jump workout plan, and why every rep should feel like a sprint start, not a slow squat.

1. Depth Jump (highest payoff)

The depth jump is the purest explosive-power drill there is. Step off a 12-18 inch box, land on the balls of your feet, and rebound straight up as fast as humanly possible — the floor should feel hot. Ground contact under about 0.2 seconds is the whole point; if you sink and pause, drop the box height. Do 3-4 sets of 3-5 reps with full 90-second rest. It is advanced, so build a base with the progressions in our depth jumps how-to first.

2. Broad Jump (Standing Long Jump)

The broad jump trains horizontal power, the same force that drives sprint acceleration and change of direction. Load your hips, swing your arms back, then explode forward for maximum distance and stick a stable landing. Because it is horizontal, it teaches force projection that vertical jumps miss. Do 4-5 sets of 3 reps, resetting fully between each. Mark your best distance monthly — it is one of the cleanest power tests you can self-administer.

3. Box Jump

The box jump lets you train explosive take-off with a soft, low-impact landing, which is why it is the safest high-intent jump for beginners. Explode onto a box that lets you land in an athletic quarter-squat, then step (do not jump) back down to protect your Achilles. Chasing silly heights just teaches you to tuck your knees, not to jump higher. Do 4-5 sets of 3-5 reps. See our box jump workout for a full progression.

4. Medicine Ball Slam

The medicine ball slam is the fastest way to add upper-body and core explosiveness that jumping alone ignores. Reach a 6-10 lb ball overhead, rise onto your toes, then slam it into the floor with everything you have, hinging hard at the hips. The full-body extension-to-flexion snap trains total-body power transfer. Do 4 sets of 5 explosive reps. It also builds the trunk stiffness you need to transmit leg power in the more demanding jumps.

5. Medicine Ball Rotational Throw

The rotational throw builds the twisting power behind a golf swing, a punch, and a hard cut. Stand side-on to a wall, wind up through your hips, and fire the ball into the wall by rotating your torso explosively, then catch the rebound and reset. It teaches your core to transfer force from ground to hands, the missing link in most lower-body-only plyometric programs. Do 3-4 sets of 5 reps per side, all-out speed.

6. Alternating Bounds

Bounds are exaggerated running strides — leap from one leg to the other, covering maximum distance and float time with each contact. They bridge the gap between jumping and sprinting, teaching single-leg power and elastic reactivity that carries straight to the field. Aim for 3-4 sets of 6-8 total contacts (3-4 per leg), focusing on distance per bound, not speed down the runway. These pair naturally with the drills in our plyometric leg exercises guide.

7. Hurdle Hops

Hurdle hops train fast, stiff, repeated contacts — the reactive quality that lets athletes bounce rather than absorb. Set 4-6 low hurdles and hop over them with both feet, spending as little time on the ground as possible between each. Keep your legs relatively stiff like pogo sticks; the aim is minimal contact time, not maximum height. Do 3-4 sets. For more jumping variations that build this reactivity, work through our plyometric exercises list.

8. Split-Squat (Scissor) Jump

The scissor jump develops single-leg explosive power and hip separation, which matters because sport happens on one leg far more than two. Drop into a split squat, then jump and switch legs in mid-air, landing softly into the next rep. It exposes and fixes side-to-side power imbalances that a two-foot jump hides. Do 3 sets of 6-8 total reps, controlled but fast. Keep the front knee tracking over the toes on every landing.

9. Pogo Hops (ankle stiffness)

Pogo hops are the foundation everyone skips. Bounce in place off the balls of your feet with nearly straight knees, driving through stiff ankles for fast, low, repeated contacts. They build the ankle and Achilles stiffness that makes every jump above return more energy — a springier “free” bounce. Do 3-4 sets of 10-15 quick contacts. Beginners should master these before touching depth jumps, and they double as a warm-up primer.

Common Mistakes That Kill Explosive Power

Turning plyometrics into cardio. High reps to fatigue lengthens ground-contact time and trains endurance, not power. Stop the set the moment your snap fades.

Skipping rest between sets. Power needs a fresh nervous system; 60-120 seconds of rest is training, not slacking. Short rest sabotages the whole session.

Landing soft and slow. A cushioned, sinking landing dumps the stored elastic energy you are trying to reuse. Land and rebound like the floor is a trampoline.

No strength base. Without roughly a bodyweight squat, joints absorb force the muscles should. Build strength alongside plyos — the two together are what raise your ceiling, as covered in our guide on how to increase your vertical leap.

A Simple 2-Day Weekly Plyometric Plan

Day 1 (lower-body power). Pogo hops 3x12, box jumps 4x4, broad jumps 4x3, alternating bounds 3x6. Full rest between sets, roughly 30 total high-quality contacts.

Day 2 (reactive + total-body). Depth jumps 3x4 (only once you have a base), hurdle hops 3x5, medicine ball slams 4x5, rotational throws 3x5 per side.

Keep at least 48 hours between the two days, and put plyometrics before heavy lifting or hard sprints when you are fresh. Athletes chasing hops specifically should fold this into a targeted program like our plyometric exercises for vertical jump routine, and dunk hopefuls can layer it onto the steps in our guide to how to dunk a basketball.

When Plyometrics Pay Off — and When to Back Off

Give a structured plyometric block 8-12 weeks before judging it; power adaptations are neural and build steadily rather than overnight. Track a broad jump or standing vertical every few weeks as your progress marker. Back off the moment joints ache, contact time visibly slows, or landings get sloppy — that is fatigue stealing the very quality you are training. Done with intent, low volume, and full rest, these nine moves build explosive power faster than any amount of heavy squatting alone. Explosive power is a skill of speed, so train it fast, fresh, and hungry.