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.