What type of training incorporates speed and strength to enhance explosiveness?

Plyometric exercise is designed specifically to improve explosiveness and power by integrating speed and strength. This type of training involves explosive movements such as jumping, bounding, and hopping, which utilize the stretch-shortening cycle of muscles. When a muscle is stretched and then shortened rapidly, it produces more force, which is essential for athletic performance in sports that require quick bursts of speed and power.

Plyometric exercises help in developing the fast-twitch muscle fibers that are crucial for activities that require sudden strength and speed, such as sprinting, jumping, and throwing. The explosive nature of plyometrics makes it particularly effective in enhancing athletic performance where quick, powerful movements are essential.

In contrast, cardiovascular training primarily focuses on improving heart and lung endurance, resistance training emphasizes building muscle strength and size without necessarily incorporating explosive movements, and flexibility training aims to enhance the range of motion in joints, none of which specifically target the enhancement of explosiveness through the combination of speed and strength.