Trench Lab · Strength & Speed · Coach Jay Freeman
How to get more explosive off the ball
Get more explosive by training how fast you apply force, not just how much. Power and hang cleans, box jumps, broad jumps, and medicine-ball throws build rate of force development; a short, hard power step (about six inches) and snap anticipation turn that power into a faster get-off. Explosion is the bridge between weight-room strength and a winning first step.
By Coach Jay Freeman · 32 years coaching the line · Updated May 31, 2026
Explosiveness = force applied fast
Two linemen can squat the same number and have completely different get-offs, because explosiveness isn't max strength — it's how fast you put force into the ground. That quality, rate of force development, is trainable. Olympic-lift variations (power cleans, hang cleans), jumps (box, broad, depth), and explosive throws teach your body to fire all at once instead of grinding.
Connect it to the snap
Weight-room power only matters if it shows up off the ball. Pair your explosive training with the get-off itself: a short, hard six-inch power step (never a long reach step that puts you on your heels), weight on the balls of your feet in your stance, and keying the football so you fire on its first movement. Train the power, then train the application.
Common questions
- Can you train explosiveness as a lineman?
- Yes — explosiveness is rate of force development, and it's trainable. Power and hang cleans, box and broad jumps, and medicine-ball throws teach your body to apply force fast, which is exactly what a get-off is.