Improving Your First Step: WPH Workout Wednesday

WPH Press

Each Wednesday the WPH features the WPH Wednesday Workout, designed to help you become a stronger, fitter, faster, and better handball player. From leg and shoulder strengthening exercises to HIT Training, biking, balance, footwork, agility, coordination, and much more, the WPH Wednesday Workouts focus on the areas that every handball player needs to reach their peak form.

On this WPH Wednesday Workout, we’ll discuss how you can improve your first step.

Every handballer wants to be quicker to the ball. Is it possible to improve your first step quickness? Are you born with a quick first step? Does the quick first step come from powerful legs?

XCELER8 HERE defines First-Step as the first 2-5 steps of an athlete in any direction (Linear, forward, linear backward, lateral sprint, lateral shuffle, diagonals). XCELER8 defines first-step as not only the movement from a standstill, but also from moving and changing directions. To develop a quick first-step, XCELER8 states that athletes must train the muscles to fire quickly to make them more explosive and ultimately faster.

XCELER8 lists the key components of the first-step as:

1. Stay low
2. Be on the balls of your feet
3. Be balanced
4. React
5. Drop and go

To achieve first-step efficiency, you must engage the arms with coordinated movements.

To engage the rapid fire muscles, athletes must employ the Stretch Shortening Cycle (SSC) of the human body, meaning the athletes must wind themselves like a rubber band and explode in the intended direction.

The Stretch Shortening Cycle occurs in two stages:

1. Eccentric (lengthening)
2. Concentric (shortening)

To trigger the SCC, an athlete must first load with an eccentric contraction, or taking a “negative step” (a step back, scissor step, or skip, which can be lateral or linear) to produce force

To maximize the explosiveness, the athlete must stay low. From the “low” position, an athlete’s stride becomes longer and more controlled, without over-striding – think Paul Brady or Killian Carroll. Staying low also allows an athlete to apply more force at a more efficient angle. Staying low promotes a horizontal plane of movement, which creates a very explosive first-step. Staying low engages the entire muscular system of the lower body.

XCELER8 HERE Drills For First-Step Explosiveness

1. Box Drops with Sprints: step off a 12-inch box landing on both feet and explode into a 20-yard sprint
2. Hop-Hop Explosions: hop back and forth over a cone and after landing, explode into a 10 yard sprint
3. Resisted Sprints: using a weighted sled or resistance bands, spring five to 10 yards
4. Tennis Ball Sprints: have a partner drop a tennis ball from 10 feet in front of you and explode to the ball, trying to catch the ball before the second bounce
5. Gear Drill: Start in between two cones placed 20 yards apart – start in first gear at half-speed, move to second gear at close to full speed, and accelerate to third gear at full speed
6. Sprint and Backpedal Drill: place two cones 10 yards apart, start at the first cone, sprint to the second cone and backpedal back
7. Standing Long Jump: Using all-out effort, start in a quarter squat while swinging your arms back and without pausing, swing your arms to the front and drive your body forward

More Explosive First-Step Training Exercises

Overtimeathletes HERE

DeepGame HERE

Twice The Speed TV HERE

Now, close your computer, get low and on the balls of your feet, get balanced, and be explosive!