– Explode, then get right back under the bar. Both exercises are about quickness as much as they are about power.

4. Sprints

When I was boxing I cut out my long runs for a while and focused only on sprinting for cardio. Sprints are true HIIT which allows you to expand your lungs, burn fat but hold onto your muscle. I ended up gaining quite a bit of lean muscle mass as a result.

5. Plyometrics

It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to add inches to your verticle or not, adding plyometrics to your routine will increase your overall power and add some functionality to your muscle gains. Focus on lower reps and longer rest. They’re also a great measuring stick to see if your power is improving as you begin to jump higher. —————————– I think it’s great to add size, but functional, athletic muscle is a lot better than just pure bulk. What do you think?