Before you begin your development of explosiveness, you should first have a good 2 - 3 months of strength training under your belt, especially for the lower body.
Strength training for the lower body includes squats, both front & back, lunges (forward & side), glute - ham raises, romanian deadlifts, and leg presses. These movements will stress the ankle, knee and hip joints, which play a HUGE part in building explosiveness.
Using isometric contractions in different positions of the squat and then exploding upward will help your body to adapt to explosive training. This also can be used in the bench press. By using isometrics, and visualizing positions and angles that are close to your sports movement, will aid in giving you the edge.

To build leg explosiveness you should train appropriately for the specifics of your sport(s) and the level you participate at. For example, if you are sprinter, you can do double leg and single leg hops. In these exercises you jump forward as quickly as possible, striving to keep the amount of time your feet are in contact with the ground as short as possible. If you are involved in sports such as volleyball and basketball, you do more stationary power jumping, using a double leg take-off. In this exercise you jump up as high as possible, reaching upward with your arms. If you are involved in a sport such as long jumping, then you can do bounding, which, in essence, is multiple hopping (like a kangaroo) for maximum distance. Use a double leg and single leg take-off. Repeat 5-7 times.
As you execute some of the specialized strength work, you can also begin jumping, but at a moderate rate and without great intensity. Some of the more effective exercises are as follows:

• Double leg hops in place (150 - 160 jumps/min)
  
• Double leg jumps over 6 - 8 medicine balls placed at suitable distances for jumping over. If you want more height, keep the balls closer; if yo want more forward movement, place the balls further apart.
  
• Jumps for height with an approach run, including kicking a hanging object
  
• Single leg jumps (hops) with forward movement
  
• Single leg hops over 6 - 8 medicine balls (low obstacles)
  
• Skips
  
• Leaps (from one leg to the other up to 10)
  
• Ankle jumps. The key is to keep your legs straight and use ONLY ankles.
  

After developing confidence in your ability to do these jump exercises, you can then begin doing some jumps with changing directions. Some of the exercises that you can do are as follows:

• Double leg hops forward. Prior to landing, turn 180 degrees so that when you land you face the position you took off from. Leap up again and make another 180 degree turn to again face forward. You can change body position with each jump or after several.
  
• Side jumps. Jump to the left and then to the right, staying in the same basic position.
  
• Side jumps over a medicine ball of other object.
  
• Side jumps over a bench.
  
• Zigzag jumps. Jump forward and to the left, then forward and to the right. Go for approximately 10 jumps. Repeat for 2 - 3 series.
  
• Box jumps. Jump forward, to the right, to the rear and then to the left and repeat in the opposite direction. (Jump to each corner of a square traced on the ground.)
  

Begin altitude jumps from about 5' - 7' and gradually work up to 6' - 9'. One way you can guage at which height you should be jumping is to look at the amount of flexion in the knee joint. If it gets less than 90 degrees, your jump height is too high. It is most effective if your kness bend very little to absorb the force of landing. You must not jump from such a height that it becomes necessary to descend into a full-squat position upon landing. You can begin doing depth jumps at this stage in your training. However, altitude jumps are NOT a prerequisite to depth jumps. You may wish to begin depth jumps right away without first doing altitude jumps. Here are some important guidelins for depth jumping:

• Begin by stepping off a low box or chair and immediately after landing, jump upward for maximum height. Repeat 8 - 10 times for 2 - 3 sets. In time, gradually increase the height to between 30 - 40".
  
• Step off a box, drop down, jump up and over 6 medicine balls laid out in a row.
  
• Same thing but only jump over 3 medicine balls, and then jump over a low hurdle.
  
• Same as above but after jumping over 3 medicine balls you jump for maximum height.
  
• Straddle jumps. Stand between two benches placed long ways to you. Leap up and and place one foot on each bench. Jump off, land between the benches and repeat.
  
• When your muscles are strong enough, execute a depth jump with one leg. Step down and immediately upon landing jump up and over 3 medicine balls laid out in a row. Use the same leg or alternate.
  
• Depth jumps with a jump up to another box. Jump off to the floor, then up to other boxes of the same height. When familiar with these jumps, try alternating the height of the boxes.

• Do several side jumps over a bench, followed by several forward jumps over benches.
  
• Same as above. Add jumps onto higher objects for a total of 10 - 15 jumps.
  
• Jump over a box but prior to landing turn your body 90 degrees so you land in a side facing position to the other box. Execute 2-3 side jumps and then execute another 90 degree turn to land facing forward or backward.
  
• Single leg hop onto a box and single leg hop off onto the floor, followed by another jump on and off.
  
• Stair jumps. Do forward and/or side jumps, taking 2-3 stairs at a time and move upwards as fast as possible.
  

Jump exercises with weights can also be done at this time (and some even earlier). For example, hold dumbbells in the hands and do squat jumps for 8 - 10 reps, 2 - 3 sets. You can also do split squats with our without dumbbells in the heands or barbell ob thge shoulders. The key in these two exercises is to jump as quickly and as high as possible. If holding wieghts in the hands or on the shoulders is not comfortable you can hang weights on the waist or wear a weighted belt.
If you are involved in the long jump or high jump, you can execute 5 - 7 take-offs while moving forward, imitating the take-off in the long jump or the high jump.
If you are a sprinter and wish to improve running speed for a short distance of up to 40 yards (or a football player who is tested in this event), you can do short, fast jumps with the take-off on one or both legs and variants of the triple and quintuple jumps from place. In the "short" jumps the exercises are executed with maximum take-off power. Soviet research has shown that the "short" jumps substantially improve running speed for short distances up to 40 yards. (Hint to all power, i.e, football, hockey, athletes) Long jumps help improve running speed in longer distances and also on shorter distances started from a walk. In the short jumps you have the ability to improve starting acceleration while in the "long" jumps you raise the level of specialized speed-strength endurance and maximum running speed.
If you wish to develop both starting acceleration and your level of sped-strength endurance, you should do both long and short jump exercises. If doing both short and long jump exercises in one session, the "short" jumps should precede the "long" jumps.
In executing the jump exercises to improve sprinting speed, the lower leg should move forward smoothly and the landing should be on the ball of the foot. It should not be a hitting placement, but instead the foot should be placed on the ground resiliently and immediately begin with a pawing action. The jumps are executed on a low trajectory with arm action synchronized with the leg movement.

In general, the same progression is used for explosive arms as it is for explosive legs. First, you must begin with an all-round strength training for the shoulders and arms. Thus, for the upper body you should do exercises such as bench press, overhead presses, incline and decline presses, lateral arm raises, medial shoulder joint rotation, bicep curls, tricep extensions, supinations-pronations, ulna and radial flexion, and finger flexion.
It is difficult to bring out examples of specialized exercises for the upper body since each sport has its own particular coordination and basic movements. If you are a shot putter, a more specialized exercise would be incline presses as opposed to the regular bench press. If you are a thrower, you would do more medial shoulder joint rotation with the upper arm in line with the shoulder, forearm perpendicular to the upper arm. If you are a baseball batter, you would do more reverse flyes and ulna flexion of the wrist joint together with triceps extension.
After getting a strong muscular base from these exercises, you can do combination exercises such as an isometric hold followed by an initial explosion in the beginning position. For example, when doing the bench press, hold the barbell close to your chest for a count of 5 and then maximally explode to raise the barbell. However, make sure the weight is heavy enough so that when you explode the bar will be slowing down and stop as your arms come to full extension. To ensure that your arm is not moving explosively or very fast near the end of the range of motion, you should think of short, quick explosions.
In addition, to develop more speed you can execute the exercises at a faster rate of execution but always with the barbell coming to a stop or being quickly reversed near the end of the range of motion. After this, you will be ready for "jumping" with the arms.

This can be done in several ways as follows:

• Wheelbarrow walk. Have an assistant hold your legs up off the floor and you hop on your hands with small take-offs with double arms.
  
• Push-up jumps. Assume the push-up position and leap up off the floor and then back to the push-up position.
  
• Assume the push-up position. Push off the floor and leap up to a block approximately 4" high. As you improve in your ability to jump upward, jump up as high as you can, up to 1' - 2'.
  
• Arm jumps over objects. As you jump up and over the objects from a push-up position, your feet will slide so that your body is still in good position.
  
• Jumps sideways over a low object. These are very short range sideward jumps from a push-up position.
  
• Push-up jumps with a hand clap. From the push-up position jump up as high as possible and clap the hands. As you improve try to increase the number of claps that you can execute prior to landing.
  
• Stair jumps. Assume the push-up position in front of a stairway. Jump up to the first step, get yourself set again, and jump up to the next step and so on. Go up about 4 - 5 steps. As you improve have a partner hold your feet as you jump up the flight of stairs.
  
• Assume a push-up position on the floor wearing socks on your feet so they'll slide across the floor. Do a series of 5 - 10 jumps in a forward line.
  
• Same as above. Instead of traveling in a forward line, go in a slightly zigzag line forward.
  

• Assume a handstand position on a raised box approximately 6 - 8" high. Jump off immediately on landing, jump upwards as high as possible. Upon landing, go into a front roll or have someone catch and hold your legs after you leap upward.
  Such depth jumps are excellent for gymnasts who need explosive overhead strength.
  Athletes such as football players who must use the hands and arms to repel an opponent should do the following depth jumps:
  
• Assume a push-off position on the first step of a double modified staircase. Leap up, land in between the staircases and then immediately jump up onto the first or, if possible, second step. From the second step leap up, land on the floor, and explode up to the second or, if possible, third step.
  

The catching and throwing of medicine balls can also be used to develop arms and upper body explosiveness. Some of the exercises that can be done are as follows:

• Medicine ball chest pass between two people. The key to execution is making the passes as forcefully and as quickly as possible. Do not cushion the ball all the way to the chest. As soon as you receive it, repel it in the opposite direction.
• Overhead pass. Throw the ball from behind the head forward and/or upward and forward to a partner. Have him return it so you can catch and throw again.
• Side arm pass. Assume a front facing position. Have your partner throw the ball at you to the side. Catch it, return it as quickly and as forcefully as possible.
• Forward underhand pass. Have a partner throw a ball to you below waist level, catch and return it forward and upward as forcefully as possible.
• If you are a baseball pitcher or football quarterback, assume a back lying position so that the upper arms are in line with the shoulders and the forearms are up and back. Have your partner stand in front of and above you with a light medicine ball (2-4 lbs.) and throw the ball to you. Catch the ball with one arm and return as quickly and forcefully as possible. This exercise maximally develops explosiveness of the medial rotators of the arm, which is the key arm action in throwing.
• For batters, golfers, hockey players an excellent exercise is to stand sideways to your partner. Your partner throws the ball to you but in front of your body. You catch and repel the ball as quickly and forcefully as possible.

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