In sports, when skill is relatively equal between opponents or teams, the one
that is faster and more powerful, generally speaking, has a decided advantage.
If you want to jump higher, run faster, or hit harder you should be
training to increase your power. There are basically three ways to
accomplish this: 1) Maximal Power Training (throwing heavy medicine balls
around), 2) Olympic Lifting (Clean, Snatch, and their variations), and 3)
Plyometric Training.
While Olympic Lifting has been scientifically proven to be the most effective
method for improving power, it can be highly technical and potentially dangerous
if you are not well versed in its' techniques. Conversely, Maximal Power
Training and Plyometric Training can be highly effective tools for increased
power production and relatively safe with adherence to a few simple
guidelines. The purpose of this article is to illustrate what plyometrics
are, offer some basics to follow when implementing plyometric training, and to
present a simple plyometric progression that can be beneficial for athletes of
any sport.
What are plyometrics? Exercises that uilize
the elastic properties of muscles and the
stretch-shortening cycle to increase the muscles ability to
produce force.
What is muscle elasticity? When you stretch a
muscle it acts much like a stretched rubber band and attempts to return to its
original length.
What is the stretch-shortening cycle? When a
muscle is put on a rapid stretch, there is a reflex at the spinal level that
causes a rapid shortening of the muscle in a direction opposite the stretch
(this is why you should never bounce at the end of a stretch!). The end result
is an extremely fast muscular contraction (power = strength + speed).
By taking advantage of the two mechanisms outlined above, plyometrics can
produce muscular contractions at a speed considerably faster than a simple
voluntary muscular contraction. For example, you'll notice when you jump rope
how quickly your feet get off the ground compared to the relatively slow
speed of a calf raises. That is the difference between plyometric training and
strength training.
General Guidelines for Plyometric
Training
1) Quiet Landings - When you land on a box or the floor you
should try to make as little noise as possible. Loud landings = stress to
joints and tendons!
2) Correct Body Position is Critical - Chest up, hips back,
full foot contact with the floor. Knees in line with hips and feet.
3) Start and End the Same - As a general rule, your
landing position should be identical to your take off position. If, when
you land, your hips are considerably lower to the ground then when you
started your jump and your knees are up in your chest then the intensity of that
jump was greater than your ability to reduce it's force. Translation = use
a smaller box!
4) Less is More - A small number of quality
jumps is going to be much more beneficial and productive than a high volume of
sloppy jumps.
5) Progression, Progression, Progression - One of the most
important lessons I learned from Coach Mike Boyle is that people get hurt in
training when they fail to follow a progression. Skip steps in the
progression and you will break down at some point. Remember, the goal of
training is to improve your performance and prevent injury.
Basic Linear Plyometric Progression
If you do any kind of research on plyometric training you will find that
there are a multitude of exercises to choose from - forward, backward, lateral,
two leg, single leg, rotational, etc. - the list goes on and on. What we
are presenting here is the most basic sequence of plyometric training.
Consider this the foundation from which all of your other jump training will
build upon. If you take the time to master this first, you should be able to
perform any other type of plyometric training you want. We perform linear
plyometrics on two non-consecutive training days after warm-up and agility
training. Complete 5 sets of 5 jumps for three weeks in each phase. Watch
the videos and then refer to the descriptions below.
Phase I - Box Jumps - The goal of this phase is to teach
jumping and landing mechanics. Keep in mind the general guidelines listed
above. Focus on full hip extension at take off and quiet landings. For
complete instructions check out this article:
Phase II - Depth Drop - The goal here is to learn to reduce
ground reaction forces. Use the mechanics learned in phase I with the increased
intensity of phase II. For complete instructions read this article: :
Phase III - Hurdle Jump and Stick - Now you know how to jump
and how to land. You also know how to attenuate the force of your body
hitting the ground at foot contact. It's time to put it all together.
Explode over the hurdle focusing on triple extension of the hip, knee, and
ankle. Stick and hold your landing. Walk to the next hurdle and repeat.
Phase IV - Hurdle Jump and Bounce - This is the first time
where you will introduce the plyometric response. Up to this point you
have been performing jumping exercises. Include a small bounce at landing
to assist you in reducing landing forces and prepare your body for a quick take
off.
Phase V - Continuous Hurdle Jumps - These are true
plyometrics. With each landing get off the ground as quick as
possible.
Once you have completed this progression you will be physically prepared to
perform more aggressive plyometrics, such as Depth Jumps, Weighted Squat Jumps,
and more! Keep in mind that this is just the bilateral (two-legged), linear
progression. We also perform single leg linear jumps, as well
as single and double leg medial/lateral jumps. But that can wait
for another article.
