Rapid drop-catch training is a unique way to help elevate your fitness routine. It’s an effective, yet underutilized method that incorporates exercises that are designed to improve quickness and stability. It not only helps builds strength but also enhances your body’s ability to respond to sudden changes.
By preparing your muscles and nervous system to react faster and move more efficiently, you can improve coordination, power, and fitness across the board, setting the foundation for peak performance in both everyday activities and athletic pursuits. Rapid drop catch (RDC) training involves quickly transitioning from a higher position to a lower one and immediately catching or stabilizing yourself, either by absorbing the impact or quickly reacting into another movement.
This method, which includes movements like depth jumps or quick catch-and-release drills, challenges the body to react swiftly and efficiently, improving your ability to handle sudden changes in position or movement.
Neuromuscular Efficiency: Improves the nervous system’s ability to coordinate muscle activation.
Functional Athleticism: Mimic the reactive demands of sports.
Rate of Force Development (RFD): The fast switch from eccentric to concentric phases boosts RFD.
Injury Resilience: Rapid drop-catch help enhance shock absorption.
Vertical Jump Enhancement: Strengthen the muscles used in jumping.
Strength Development: Places a significant load on muscles, stimulating strength gains.
Variability and Progression: Provides progressive overload by adjusting drop height, adding resistance, or incorporating different patterns.
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Rapid Drop Catch Exercises and Workouts:
The RDC method can be applied to both upper and lower body training. Here are some examples of exercise selection:
Upper Body: Plyometric Pushups
Execution: Begin in a pushup position with hands on elevated platforms (e.g., plyo boxes). Drop into a deep push-up, then explosively push off to catch yourself back on the boxes.
Benefits: Target the chest, shoulders, and triceps, enhancing explosiveness and power, improving push-up performance and overall strength.
Programming Sample: Used as CONTRAST training with bench press:
Upper Body: Bentover or Standing Rear/Medial Delt Flys
Execution: Hinged over at the hips, perform a dumbbell rear delt fly, but rather than moving through the full range slowly you will keep the muscles contracted in the upper back while releasing the weights for a brief moment from the hands and re-catching them. To target more of the medial delts, remain in a standing position with arms to the side.
Benefits: Targets the rear deltoid muscles. Enhances shoulder stability and promoting balanced shoulder development.
Sample Programming: Accessory Work
Weeks 1-3
3-4 sets, 10-20 reps
(light load: RPE 6-7)
Rest 60-90 seconds
Accessory Circuit for Hypertrophy:
A1. 6 Heavy Single-arm Dumbbell Rows
A2. 12 Reverse-grip Lat Pulldowns
A3. 20 Bentover Rear-delt Drop-catch
Lower Body: Depth Jumps
Execution: Stand on an elevated platform. Step off the platform, land softly, and immediately explode into a vertical jump upon landing.
Benefits: Trains the stretch-shortening cycle, enhancing lower body explosiveness and vertical jump height.
Sample Programming: Used as a primer prior to heavy back squats.
Week 1:
3-5 sets, 3 reps
BW from a 12-inch or lower drop
60-90 sec. rest
Week 2:
3-5 sets, 3 reps
BW: 12 to 16-inch drop
60-90 sec. rest
Week 3:
3-5 sets, 1-2 reps
BW: Light load (Medball/KB) 12 to 16-inch drop
60-90 sec. rest
Lower Body: Sprinter Bridge:
Execution: Start in a standard glute bridge position on the floor. As you thrust up explosively one leg will flex toward the chest and the other extend onto a slightly elevated surface decelerating and catching the position.
Benefits: More muscle fiber recruitment, trains explosiveness and deceleration, enhances performances, strengthens hamstrings.
Sample Programming:
As Primer: 3-4 sets, 3-6 reps
As Accessory: 3-5 sets, 6-12 reps
As Finisher: 2-4 sets, 30-60 sec.: Not rushed—focus on quality of movement rather than quantity
Lower Body: GHD w/ Medball:
Execution: Start with a standard GHR but will load it with a light medicine ball. As the body becomes parallel, release the ball from hands then quickly recatch stopping its momentum and then return to the start of GHR.
Benefits: Power Development: By catching the medicine ball rapidly and explosively, you engage fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Sample Programming: Accessory work
Weeks 1-4
3-6 sets, 5+ reps
light med ball
60-90 sec. rest
Lower Body: Alternating Lateral Lunge
Execution: Standing on one leg to stabilize, bring the other leg to 90 degrees and then fall to that side catching yourself at the bottom of a lateral lunge. Dumbbell can be used and recommended on the opposite side of the falling leg.
Benefits: Intensifies muscle activations, promoting functional leg strength and resilience.
Sample Programming: Accessory work
Week 1: 2 sets, 5-8 reps (bodyweight)
Week 2: 3 sets, 5-8 reps (bodyweight)
Week 3: 3 sets, 5-10 reps (bodyweight)
Week 4: 3 sets, 8-12 reps (bodyweight)
Incorporating these exercises into your training routine will elevate your program, amplifying your pursuit of strength, size, and functional fitness. The rapid drop catch approach, integrated into both upper and lower body training, introduces a dynamic and explosive dimension to your workouts, enhancing their effectiveness, while keeping you on the road of progress and results.
