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Plyometrics

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Plyometrics Overview
Plyometrics is a popular training technique used by many coaches today. It has been touted as a way to bridge the gap between sheer strength and power. The term plyometrics can be used to describe any exercise that allows the athletes to take advantage of the stretch-shortening cycle to produce an explosive movement.. Although plyometric training has been around for many years, there is still debate on it effectiveness and safety. This literature review seeks to review all relevant information on plyometric training so that its value can be assessed as a training technique.



Safe Use of Plyometrics
It is important to closely monitor the length and frequency of plyometric workouts. While injuries can occur during plyometric training, there have been no epidemiological studies to suggest that the injury rates associated with using plyometrics is great. In fact, plyometrics can be used to prevent pre-season soreness How to introduce plyometrics. The general consensus among the coaches was that plyometric training can be used with prepubescent and pubescent athletes as long as they are performed with low volume and intensity. Jumps should be off of both feet with no added stimulus of weighted vests or boxes. Plyometric training should progress from simple to complex as the athlete matures. This means going from bouncing movements, standing jumps, short jumps, and then finally progressing to in depth jumps. Depth jumping should only be used if technique is sound and adequate strength levels are present. An athlete needs to be able to back squat 1.5 - 2 times their body weight before participating in advanced plyometric exercises.

Plyometrics To Develop Power
The link between power and plyometrics is caused by the fact that power is based on five critical components. These components are slow velocity strength, high velocity strength, rate of force development, stretch shortening cycle, and inter-muscular coordination and skill. Therefore, combining plyometrics with strength training is the most effective method in maximizing power development, because it allows more components of explosive power to be developed.

Upper Body Plyometrics
Most of the research on plyometrics has focused on the lower body. Interest is now starting to increase on how upper body plyometrics can take advantage of the stretch-shorten cycle in the same manner as lower body. The most common aid used in performing upper body plyometrics is a medicine ball. A lot of the early work done on upper body plyometrics is based on rehabilitation work used on patients after shoulder reconstruction. The medicine ball activities such as reverse toss, 90 degree side toss, and behind the back toss allow the athlete to participate in advanced strengthening exercises that are not available through the use of free weights.

Upper Body Plyometrics To Develop Power

These exercises are not only being used for rehabilitation, but are also being used as a way to bridge the gap from traditional strength developed in the weight room to power needed for different sports. An excellent example to illustrate the difference between weight room strength versus functional power. There were two football players that could bench press four hundred pounds and an Olympic javelin thrower who did not bench press. He had the athletes do a sitting chest pass with a medicine ball. The javelin athlete threw the medicine ball 20 feet further than the football players who were accustomed to performing that movement. Obviously the football players where not as effective in converting their strength into power. Using medicine ball drills, that are specific for football, would help these players become more powerful.

A coach implementing a plyometrics program should keep some general training principals in mind when organizing his program. The plyometric exercises should be specific to the athletes' sport. An upper body plyometric program would be more sports specific for a football player than for a figure skater. The coach should give feedback to the athlete as to how they are performing the exercises. It is important that the athlete understand that ground contact time be as short as possible. The coach also needs to be able to evaluate the athletes' performance and make adjustments to training. An example would be if the athlete is spending too much time on the ground, or their form is deteriorating, then the exercise should be stopped.

How Plyometrics Should Be Implemented In A Training Program
Athletes should progress gradually from simple plyometric exercises to more intense drills. The intensity and volume of the plyometric work should always be comparable to the physiological abilities of the athlete. The emphasis on plyometrics during the training should correspond to the goals of the training cycle. Generally, the preparation phase involves low intensity exercises of longer duration. This helps to give athlete a base as they move into more intense plyometric drills such as depth jumping during the second half of the preparatory phase. During the competition phase, the volume of plyometric exercises are reduced, but the athletes continue to perform a low number of high intensity plyometric exercises. This serves as a maintenance program to keep the strength that has been developed. For setting a program the frequency should be about 2 to 3 times a week having a days rest in between. In addition the number of foot contacts are important along with intensity and volume as mentioned above.

Listed here is a quick reference chart about the amount of foot contacts you need to perform.

LEVEL 		Beginers Intermediate Advance Intensity
Off season 60-100 100-150 120-200 Low-Mod
Preseason 100-250 150-300 150-450 Mod-High
In season Depends on sport Moderate

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