In a world of specialization, there are many training protocols that are perceived to be specific to individual sports, such as rotator cuff work for baseball players. My perspective on sports specific training has changed over the past 2 years, especially in the last couple months as I lean even more now toward training athletes as athletes, rather than a baseball player or basketball player.
This doesn’t mean I don’t distinguish between sports at all, because my programs do reflect certain considerations; I am just more conscious now of how most qualities of athletic performance transcend sports, regardless of which specific one we’re talking about.
That brings me to today’s topic . . . how to increase jumping ability.
Now, on the surface I find that the general population only views this mode of training appropriate for basketball players, since they’re the ones that are most often training to jump higher.
But, consider that the vertical jump and broad jump are staples in almost any combine setting that tests athletes. Why? Because these jumps indicate the athlete’s ability or potential for explosive power through the hips, which is desirable in any sport.
So, it makes sense that all athletes should perform some form of plyometric training, in which the muscles of the lower half are trained to load and contract rapidly to create a high rate of force production.
But, where do we begin?
“Just have your athletes jump a lot, stupid!” is what many of you may say. If this is your approach, you may be doing your athletes more harm than good, or at least not getting the most out of your training.
The Soviets of the 70s would say that an athlete should be able to squat two and a half times their body weight before beginning any sort of plyometric workout program. This line of thinking had good intentions as it emphasizes the need for a good foundation of strength, but it has proven to be a little over the top. I mean, think about it – have you ever seen little kids play . . . jumping out of trees and onto any sort of obstacle that’s in their way. Or, think about the young gymnast who begins performing plyometric movements at a very young age.
So, I wouldn’t take it as far as the Soviets did, but I would suggest that to begin a plyometric training program an athlete should have a good overall level of fitness and general coordination. The athlete should also exhibit some mastery of balance and stability in addition to a strength level high enough to perform force absorption patterns efficiently. If this is a little hazy, let me explain . . .
An athlete’s ability to absorb force is the limiting factor in force production. This means that the athlete must have enough eccentric strength to decelerate and land quietly with the appropriate movement patterns before they are allowed to perform traditional plyometric jumping drills. To simplify . . . there is a correlation between the amount of force you can reduce and the amount of force you can produce.
Think about 1 of the oldest ”tricks” in the book to increasing your bench press max . . . performing negatives where you unrack the weight and lower a very heavy bar to your chest as slow as you can. What are you doing during a negative? Increasing your capacity to reduce force in that particular movement pattern.
It takes time to train the neuromuscular system to recruit enough motor units to absorb the forces present in plyometric activity. It’s not uncommon for some trainers to train deceleration and have their athletes perform jump-down movements for several weeks before finally allowing them to begin elastic, stretch-reflex plyometrics.
Some things to look for when evaluating whether or not an athlete is ready to begin a comprehensive plyometric training program . . .
Have the athlete step off a box and land. On impact, evaluate whether the athlete can land softly with his weight distributed on the middle of his feet with his hips pushed back, knees over toes, and back flat with a stable trunk position. The athlete should be able to absorb forces along the spine, hips, knees, and ankles.
If the athlete’s weight shifts too far forward this likely means that he has below average coordination, poor flexibility in the hip flexors and/or glute medius, bad ankle mobility, or inadequate back-side strength in the hips.
Aside from training to increase jumping ability, the other major benefit of performing jump-downs is injury prevention. Consider that most injuries do not occur during the accelerating phase of movement; they take place when the athlete is decelerating, such as coming down from a rebound or going into a cut versus coming out of it.
plyometric workout program
This concept makes evaluating the valgus collapse at the knees critical in the early stages of a plyometric workout program. Valgus collapse occurs because of poor flexibility in the hip flexors and/or a lack of glute medius strength. The presence of valgus collapse in the decelerating phase of landing places the athlete at a high risk for injury.
When we’re young and pliable, we have the ability to absorb forces in a deep squat position, but as athletes get older and lose mobility, they cannot absorb force through an entire range of motion, if needed. This is what usually causes injury, not the particular drills that are being implemented.
To summarize, don’t be in a hurry to train plyometric movements until your athletes are ready for the activities. This requires a disciplined and patient approach as most athletes, and coaches for that matter, enjoy jumping much more than boring ol’ decelerating jump-downs. Don’t let this mindset get in the way of the the proper sequence of training and derail your efforts to improve athletic performance and decrease injuries.
Your Coach,
Brian Utley
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2 Responses to “The Beginnings of a Sound Plyometric Workout Program”
What are your thoughts on the squat vs. front squat arguement? Which do you prefer?
Good question. I’ve been wrestling with this a lot over the past several months as I’ve been designing my programs.
Back squats are the traditional way to go, but I’m leaning further and further away from them the more I read. The loading position compresses the spine more than a front-loaded bar, and with many athletes, the back is the limiting factor in the movement, not the legs. This goes especially for athletes with long torsos. They hit a point in the movement where the long lever (torso) can’t handle the load, so they start to flex forward far too much through the back, causing injury. Also, I’m a little hesitant to have my throwing shoulder athletes hold a bar on their back in a shoulder abducted (elbows out) position. It’s important to hold the hands in a narrow position and tuck the elbows down for the health of the shoulder.
As for the front squat, many athletes don’t like because it’s uncomfortable on their wrists at first. If you can hang in there long enough to get the feel for the hold, you’ll see that you can quickly handle more weight. Obviously, the front squat challenges the anterior core much more than does the back squat.
To sum it up, I’m still using both in my programs but gradually transitioning to more dead lifts for a 2-leg stance movement. More than anything else, though, I am using many more single leg lifts because you can max out each leg without the back being a limiting factor in the movement.
Brian