Plyometrics – Guest Blog from TrueFitness

Plyometrics can be defined as a movement whose goal is to produce maximal force in the least amount of time and relying on the natural elasticity and recoil properties of muscles. Muscles have a rubber band like quality in that they can “snap” back more forcefully the greater they are stretched. So for training athletes we need to use plyometrics to enhance our training and improve sports performance.

Plyometrics are a maximal force application exercise and in order to do them properly the athlete must work at full intensity and be fully rested. In order to assure these two necessities, an athlete must perform plyometrics exercises at the very beginning of a workout. If an athlete is slightly tired, say after doing a couple exercises first then they are not working at maximal power and maximal intensity. This will defeat the purpose of doing plyometrics which is to work at maximal power, intensity and velocity. The only way to do this is to do plyometrics first in an exercise program. After completing the plyometric portion of a workout, then the athlete can move on to the other aspects such as agility drills, strength training or conditioning.

If you look at the human body as a gas tank then it helps with the understanding. The tank can only hold so much and when it is empty there is no more “go”. Plyometrics require a huge amount of fuel and need to be done when the tank is full to ensure the tank doesn’t run out while in the middle of the drills. You don’t want to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere with no gas stations in sight.

So we do plyometrics first since they require full power effort and a lot of fuel. Moving at half speed or with very little fuel left in the tank will not be good enough to produce improved results and therefore can be deemed simply as a waste of time. We can’t afford to waste time since athletes have very few seasons to play at their peak. Days wasted add up to seasons wasted and if enough days are wasted lead to a playing career wasted.

So what kind of drills are plyometric? Plyometric drills rely on the natural elasticity of muscles to produce greater force. So drills using this natural recoil can be considered plyometric if maximal force is applied. Box jumps can be a great example of a plyometric potential exercise. If the movement is at maximal speed and maximal power AND uses the natural recoil of the muscle at the transfer phase between the lengthening and the shortening of the muscle then it is a plyometric drill. This transfer phase is known as the amortization phase or the linking stage. It is this phase where potential energy used for force can be lost if the transfer takes to long. The longer the transfer takes then the more energy is burned off as heat and heat wasted decreases force output. By minimizing the transfer phase we maximize the amount of force that we can produce and the recoil of the muscle allows for even greater force. This is the basis for using plyometrics properly. Most people do apply the short amortization phase but rarely do people apply the maximal force also required. For that reason exercises such as jumping rope are not plyometrics. They might be great exercises but unless a drill combines maximal force and a short amortization phase then it simply doesn’t fall under the protocols for plyometrics.

Plyometrics are a very important aspect of an athlete’s training and when an athlete is physically ready to perform plyometric drills then plyometrics must be included in the programming to achieve improved sports performance. However, the advanced nature and skills needed for plyometrics do not lend themselves to be deemed proper for everyone. One must take into account many factors before beginning plyometrics. Strength, conditioning, speed, mental and physical maturity are some of the factors that must be considered before starting plyometrics with an athlete. When all the prerequisites are met then plyometrics under careful supervision will be a valuable tool to improve athleticism. Only then can an athlete properly ensure safety while improving sports performance and game readiness. Stay tuned for future discussions on plyometrics and proper exercise selection of appropriate plyometric drills.

Anyone in the San Diego area is welcome to drop in at our studio at 2949 Garnet Ave. 3rd floor, Pacific Beach, CA. We would love to put you through our workout. Please feel free to call or email Annalise Evans of TrueFitness with any questions: (760) 809 1848 annalise@truefitness.biz and join her fan page on Facebook: TrueFitness Annalise Evans.

Article written by Spencer Aiken, CSCS, CEO, TrueFitness