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Explosive Workout: 40-Minute Full Body Workout for Athletes

Train like an athlete with this full body explosive workout at home! This intense workout pairs strength training with explosive plyometrics, agility and conditioning. This explosive workout includes a low impact modifier, so it’s scaleable for all fitness levels.



 

Get ready to move like an athlete, challenging your strength, power and agility.

This explosive full body workout at home is for anyone who wants to increase challenge their endurance and improve their athletic performance. We’ll pair compound dumbbell strength training exercises with powerful, plyometric exercises to build strength and burn fat.

Don’t want to jump? You don’t have to leave the ground to get a great full body strength and conditioning workout. Rachel joined me in the studio to offer low impact modifications for the entire workout.

two women performing a kicksit exercise in a functional full body workout

Explosive Workout FAQs

What Is An Explosive Workout?

An explosive workout uses plyometrics to increase speed, endurance and strength. This often means jumping, or any kind of “explosive” movement that requires maximum muscle effort. Explosive power workouts are often used to train athletes, because they condition the body to be able to respond quickly and with full power (American Council on Exercise).

How Often Should You Do Explosive HIIT Workouts?

It depends on your current fitness routine and goals. I suggest 1-2 explosive, HIIT workouts per week paired with 2-3 strength training workouts per week. You want to be able to push yourself to the max during your HIIT workouts (and that level of effort simply isn’t sustainable for daily workouts). A well-rounded fitness plan will include a variety of workouts; download one of my FREE home workout plans here.

two women performing a lateral lunge in a full body explosive workout at home

Explosive Workout: Full Body Workout for Athletes

This is a full body workout for explosive athletes at home with modifications offered for all fitness levels.

From weighted squats jumps and lunge jumps to snatches and push presses — these exercises are designed to improve your power, coordination, agility, strength and speed.

Add HIIT workouts like this one to your weekly workout routine 1-2 times a week and watch your athletic performance improve.

Workout Equipment:

Medium to heavy set of dumbbells.

We’re using a set of 15-20 lb dumbbells. I recommend anywhere from 8-30 lbs.

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woman performing a split jump in air as part of an explosive workout

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Full Body Workout for Athletes on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 4 Circuits
  • Base, Build, Power Format (Start with a weight training base move, build off the strength move by adding an agility challenge, and then finish the circuit with an all out, explosive power move.)
  • Timed Intervals (You’ll perform each of these exercises for 30 seconds of work, followed by a 15 second rest.)
  • Repeat Each Exercises x2 Sets Before Starting the Next Exercise
  • The final circuit is a true agility challenge. (Five bodyweight exercises, 30 seconds per exercise with a 30 second rest between exercise.)

Workout Outline

CIRCUIT ONE: Legs
1. Goblet Squat
2. Goblet Squat and Heel Tap
3. Goblet Squat Jump

CIRCUIT TWO: Arms
1. Single Arm Row
2. Single Arm Row and Snatch
3. Single Arm Row and Snatch and 2 Push Press

CIRCUIT THREE: Legs
1. Alternating Reverse Lunge
2. Alternating Reverse Lunge and Hop
3. Lunge Jumps or Scissor Lunge Jumps

CIRCUIT FOUR: Bodyweight
1. Push Up and Rotational Mountain Climbers
2. Push Ups
3. Ninja Get Ups or Prisoner Get Ups
4. Kick Sits
5. Single Leg Front/Back Line Jump and Speed Skater

two women performing a lateral lunge in a full body explosive workout

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon Explosive Workout

7 Explosive Exercises for Athletes

Goblet Squat

Targets: The power generating muscles in the lower body — quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves.

two women performing a goblet squat in a strength training workout at home

How To Do A Goblet Squat

  1. Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a single dumbbell at your chest.
  2. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Driving knees out toward your pinky toes.
  3. Push through your heels to stand, driving your hips forward.

Modification: Omit the dumbbell and perform bodyweight squats.

Goblet Squat Jump With Heel Tap

Targets: The major muscles in the lower body — glutes, quads, calves, core and adductors (inner thighs).

two women performing a goblet squat jump as part of explosive exercises for legs

How To Do A Goblet Squat Jump And Heel Tap

  1. Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent. Option to hold a single dumbbell at your chest.
  2. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Driving knees out toward your pinky toes.
  3. Keep your left foot planted as you pull your right heel in to tap your left heel. Stay low, loaded in the squat position as you transfer the load into your left leg during the heel tap.
  4. Replant your right foot on the ground and explode up, leaving the ground and performing a squat jump.
  5. Land softly, with bent knees in a loaded squat position.

Modification: Option to omit the squat jump and perform a standard goblet squat with a heel tap.

Single Arm Row

Targets: The latissimus dorsi (or lats); largest back muscle. This unilateral exercise also engages the bicep and core.

two women performing single arm rows in a full body strength and conditioning workout

How To Do A Single Arm Row

  1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Option to keep feet parallel or take a slightly staggered stance to better support your low back (stepping your right leg slightly behind your left leg).
  2. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing in.
  3. Hinge forward at the hips maintaining a flat back, belly button pulled back towards your spine.
  4. Pull the dumbbell back towards your right hip (think of pulling from your elbow joint versus your wrist), as if you were starting a pull-start lawnmower. Stop once your elbow is in line with your rib cage, making a straight line from shoulder to elbow. Hold the row at the top for a moment squeezing your shoulder blade in.
  5. With control, lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat.

Modification: Place your opposing left hand on a chair or bench for additional support.

Single Arm Row and Snatch

Targets: The legs, hamstrings, hips, glutes, back, shoulders and deep transverse abdomen muscles (core).

The single arm dumbbell snatch is a compound exercise that works the whole body and improves coordination and explosiveness.

two women performing a single arm row and snatch in a total body workout

How To Do A Single Arm Row and Snatch

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand at your side (palm facing in).
  2. Hinge forward at the hips into a bent over row position, neutral spine, flat back from head to tailbone.
  3. Perform a single arm row by pulling the dumbbell back toward your right hip.
  4. With control, lower the dumbbell back down in front of you.
  5. Then, drive your hips forward as you lift the weight up with your right arm (using the momentum created by your legs and hips). Lock out your elbow (arm straight overhead with bicep by ear, palm forward). Note, you shouldn’t struggle to press the weight overhead, it should be an easy extension of the move, with the majority of the work being done by your legs to create momentum.
  6. With control, lower the dumbbell back down to shoulder height. Then, hinge forward again and repeat the row.

Modification: Omit the overhead snatch and perform an upright row as you stand tall.

Push Ups and Rotational Mountain Climbers

Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, core and obliques.

two women performing a push up and mountain climbers in an explosive workout

How To Do Push Ups and Rotational Mountain Climbers

  1. Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists, core engaged, legs straight behind you. Create a straight line from head to heels.
  2. Lower your chest towards the floor for a push up, elbows falling back towards your body. Press through your hands to push up and return to high plank.
  3. Hold high plank while performing a rotational mountain climber, driving your knees up towards your chest and over towards the right side of your body. Move your feet in a semi-circle shape out to your right for a 4-count, then back towards your midline on a 4-count.
  4. Return to the starting position and repeat this pattern.

Modification: Option to perform the push up from your knees (or from an incline, placing your hands on a chair or bench). Perform standard mountain climbers, driving your knees straight towards your chest.

Kick Sits

Targets: Shoulders, arms, core and hips.

Kick sits are a great core strengthening exercise that also improves shoulder and hip mobility, as well as balance and coordination.

two women performing kick throughs in a full body athlete workout

How To Do A Kick Sit

  1. Start in a table top position (quadruped) on all fours; shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees.
  2. Actively press your hands into the mat as you tuck your toes under.
  3. Transfer your weight into your left hand on the mat as you rotate your hips open toward the right, kicking your left leg under and through your body (toes face outward). Simultaneously lifting your right hand off the mat.
  4. Your left hip may brush the mat as you kick your left leg through.
  5. Return your extended, left leg to the starting position and repeat this kick through movement.

Modification: Perform the kick sit at a slower pace as needed.

Ninja Get Ups

Targets: Hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings and core.

one woman performing ninja get ups and one woman performing prisoner get ups in a total body explosive workout for athletes

How To Do Ninja Get Ups

  1. Start in a kneeling position with hips stacked over knees and shoulders stacked over hips, arms at your sides.
  2. Push your hips back towards your heels as you place your shoelaces down on the ground.
  3. Then explosively drive your hips forward as you pop your feet underneath you, landing in a loaded squat.
  4. Press through your heels to drive your hips forward and stand tall.
  5. Lower back down to the starting position and repeat.

Modification: Follow Rachel to perform prisoner get ups. Start in a kneeling position with hips stacked over knees and shoulders stacked over hips. Step your right foot forward on the mat in front of you, then transfer your weight into your front right foot as you step your left foot up to meet your right foot. Drive through the heels to stand tall, then reverse the movement.

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4 comments
  1. Loved it. Hard but doable…well except my scissor kicks were ugly and i got maybe 90% of one ninja jump! FUn

  2. Whenever I started doing your workouts back in December, I could barely get through your 15 minute cardio barre workout. I’ve been doing your workouts and stretching routines every day since then, and have built almost 15 pounds of pure muscle. As soon as I saw this new workout in my email, I was like “oh no…”, but I just did the whole thing without any modifications (except for the scissor kicks XDD)!!! Thank you so much for these!!! They’re such a gift!!!

    • Ashes! This is AMAZING progress you’ve made! I LOVE your dedication and commitment! I love that you just crushed this whole workout — this is a TOUGH ONE! Your hard work is paying off! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey