Ames Elite Fitness

How to build speed and power with low impact exercises.

Building explosive athletic power does not require heavy, high-impact landings. Many individuals shy away from speed and power work because repetitive pounding on the floor can create unwanted joint wear and tear.

Ames Elite Fitness Shifts the focus toward high-velocity, low-impact compound patterns allowing you to develop true athleticism while protecting your knees, hips, and spine.

By using step elevations and multi-directional loading, you can target key movement planes without excessive force absorption:

Dumbbell Swing to Press: Mimics the upward triple extension of a vertical jump, driving force from the lower body through the shoulders.

Lunge to Press: Substitutes for forward sprint acceleration by challenging single-leg drive and horizontal force production.

Lunge to Lift: Strengthens rotational movement, integrating hip drive and core stability under dynamic load.

Focusing on the speed of movement and total intent allows you to train for longevity and performance at the same time.

Need a Warm Up Routine for your RUNS?

Preparing for a run requires muscular activation. Running is a series of coordinated single-leg landings, demanding active hip stability, strong hamstring recruitment, and solid core control to manage ground impact.

Primes your neuromuscular system for the demands of running. Ames Elite Fitness uses drills like:

Lunge to Balance: Trains unilateral hip stability and glute drive while matching running gait mechanics.

Roller Hamstring Curls: Engages the hamstrings dynamically to prepare the back of the legs for high-velocity force absorption.

Stability Ball Plank Rotations: Builds anti-rotational core stability to keep your pelvis and spine steady with each stride.

Priming key stabilizers before heading out the door improves movement efficiency and protects joint integrity across every mile.

HOW TO GET YOUR FIRST PULL-UP

Jumping straight to an unassisted bar often leads to kicking, swinging, or stalling out.

Without a solid foundation in vertical and horizontal pulling, attempting unassisted reps can place excessive strain on the shoulders and lead to compensatory swinging.
A structured progression builds the necessary muscle recruitment step by step:

Half-Kneeling Pulldown: Teaches vertical pulling mechanics while keeping the core braced and the ribcage stacked over the hips.

Dumbbell Row: Builds raw pulling strength and stability through the upper back, shoulders, and lats.

Box-Assisted Pull-Up: Bridges the gap to full bodyweight movement by using light foot support to groove the exact bar path through a complete range of motion.

Focusing on controlled movement patterns and gradual overload allows you to build genuine pulling power while protecting your joints for long-term progress.

Exercise I added to be a better runner!

Lunge to Overhead Press

Lower Body Drive: Develops raw strength in your glutes, hamstrings, and quads to power your push-off and handle ground impact.

Core Stability: Braces your trunk and pelvis against asymmetrical loads, improving dynamic balance and gait efficiency.

Shoulder Strength: Establishes overhead strength and trunk-to-arm integration, supporting posture and driving powerful arm carriage.

Ames Elite Fitness we continue to progress your training with exercises like these. So you can Move Better. Get Stronger. Stay Active.