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The Denver Broncos linebacker shares an exclusive routine that helps him build explosive power—and helped make him the highest-paid defensive player in history. The best part? You can do it too.

BY MATTHEW JUSSIM

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller is always crushing it.

So his rise to the top of the crop in the NFL—he's the the highest-paid defensive player in history—is no fluke. When it comes to hitting the gym, the linebacker is laser-focused on his training.

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What sets Miller apart from other defensive players in the league is his speed for a man his size: The 6'3'', 250-pound linebacker put up a 4.49-second 40-yard dash time in his pro day workout, faster than Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and nearly as fast as Pittsburgh Steelers receiver and return man Antonio Brown. Miller's agile, too: His 11.15-second 60-yard shuttle time ahead of the 2011 NFL Draft broke the combine linebacker record.

That speed comes from his hard work in the gym on his lower body: "Core and legs are always the priority for me," Miller says. During the offseason, he works out three to five hours per day (broken up into multiple workouts), and he’s a fan of high-intensity training to help keep his fat burn high and rev up his metabolic engine. “One of my favorites is pulling a tire,” Miller says. “I also enjoy the different explosive jumping movements with the acceleration and deceleration drills we do.”

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But if there's one area Miller especially hammers, it's his hips, which ensure he stays explosive. He thinks functional movement workouts are a major key to his success: "Everyone is strong," Miller says. "But if I can move better and activate the right muscles at the right times, that gives me an advantage."

Fortunately, you don't need to be a freak athlete like the Super Bowl MVP to put his training principles to use. If you're looking to increase your overall explosive ability and Miller put together a workout exclusively for Men’s Fitness.

DIRECTIONS:

Do this workout as a circuit. Each circuit has seven exercises. Miller does not rest between exercises, but you can rest for 30 seconds between exercises if you need to. Do three circuits, resting three minutes between each circuit.

Here we've listed Miller's recommendations for the average gym-going guy, as well as the weights/reps that Miller does. Miller says each of his Herculean rounds typically takes about 25 minutes, but the standard programming shouldn't take you that long.