Plyometrics are designed to enhance explosiveness and total body power by training the elastic properties of the muscle. It contributes to greater leg speed, improved jumping ability (and power), and greater overall force production. Many coaches and athletes view plyometrics as the bridge between traditional weight room strength and on-field speed, agility, and quickness, due to origins with track athletes in the 1960′s.
What Are Plyos?
In many programs plyometrics are synonymous with “Jump Training”, because the majority of plyometrics exercises for the lower body involves skipping, bounding, or jumping. There are upper body plyometrics exercises, but for the purpose of our program, they are located in the core routines section under medicine ball throws. Plyometrics can best be described by thinking of our muscles as elastic rubber bands. To initiate a squat jump, we normally bounce our hips down quickly and then explode up… We are essentially stretching the rubber band moving downward, and releasing it to fly as we take off. In our muscles this reflex is called the Stretch Shortening Cycle (SSC).
Plyometrics are exercises aimed at improving the elastic and reactive qualities of strength, using the SSC to achieve maximal power performance.
Landing Is Paramount
Every stride in running, change of direction, jumping action, and baseball movement (swinging, throwing, and fielding) requires the muscles to absorb and re-apply forces into the ground. Before we can exert force, we must absorb it. Or in training terms, how well you land determines how well you take off. In performing plyometric jumps, the landing should be:
- Soft and silent
- On the balls of the feet. With the “Heels Up” and “Toes Up”
- Reflexive, with a bounce at impact
- Very Quick! Minimize ground contact time between jumps in a set
- Followed by an immediate rapid take off
What Should I Focus On In Training?
There are 5 phases of every jump (see the image below). The most important part of the jump occurs between the second and third phase. This in-between phase is a transition from moving downward to moving upward. You must do this efficiently or all benefit will be lost from performing the countermovement. Effective cues include the following:
- “Quick-Down, Quick-Up” – Describing the countermovement followed by the takeoff
- “Triple Extension” – Describing what position the body should be in after take off. Ankles, knees, and hips extended
- “Soft and Silent” – Describing the landing and the interaction with the ground
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No plyos until you puke! Power development requires optimal recovery. Plyos are quality work, not quantity work!