• How do you currently progress your plyometric model?

• What different exercises sequence the way you move through your model?

• What new ways can you apply plyometrics to increase performance and decrease injury trends?

Part II of this discussion on plyometrics is going to build on Topic #55 where Coach Byrd introduced the basics of plyometrics.  If you haven’t read his blog it would be a good idea to review it before proceeding with this one. Link here: Hunter’s Blog

A short recap would be:

• Plyometrics require managing forces
• Those doing plyometrics must have positive body control
• Practitioners start with basic stance instruction and landing exercises

Chapter 9, “Developing Jumping and Plyometrics Skills,” is one of the most thorough treatments I have read since looking at a book called, “High-Powered Plyometrics,” by the experts Coach Radcliffe (Oregon University) and Coach Farentinos.  Clive Brewer has devoted 60 pages to this topic!  If someone is serious about enhancing their strategic jumping and plyometric progression, this is a “one of a kind” the resource.

In this blog I’m going to share some ideas on progress, how to sequence exercises, and share how I plan to apply this information.  This will be a great overview so let’s get started!

When I start teaching a unit in class, I begin with vocabulary so I’d like to define a few terms we’ll be using in this blog.

• Immature: the status of being undeveloped or needing growth and development in a process
• Mature: the status of being more complete in growth or development progress
• Training age: the duration a client or athlete has been actively doing a structured program by a certified coach that possesses skills-based progressions
• Biological age: the numeric age of the client or athlete that can be correlated to potential in training ability
• Families of exercises: the groups of exercises that can and should be developed as athletic competence rises (pg. 252)

The beginning

When I begin the evaluation process for training one of my students or athletes I start with an overhead squatting movement to assess the vertical management of body control and technique. Doing this skill directly correlates with their ability to manage more advanced skills that apply greater forces like a “squat drop” or “box drop” exercise.

At my high school I work with students with minimal training age and limited experience.  I find out how misunderstood the application of forces is when I ask students to jump and land!

“Most research agrees that drops from heights in excess of 1.2 meters may retard plyometric response because the eccentric demand can exceed the  capabilities of the neuromuscular system to maintain a quick enough amortization phase (pg. 251).

This could happen with those of higher biological age too, but the goal should be to develop a fluid and smooth repetition. A consistent transition is needed to transfer through the feet by keeping the trunk erect and with minimal rotation through the shoulders and hips.  I call this landing in “cement” or “cat quiet.”

Any student or client who can’t land correctly  without control of their body or the forces applied should be considered immature.  To master this skill is necessary before going forward and could take a month or to more to achieve.

The process

I was challenged greatly by the flow charts presented by Coach Brewer including the idea of “families of exercises.”  When I currently program plyometrics it goes like this: squat progression, squat drop, box drop, box jump, box drop + jump, squat jump + resistance, and then change of direction “hockey stop” progression.  When working with groups this process usually takes a month or more.  I like the illustration of progressing skills as peeling away the layers of an onion being careful not to go too fast and sacrifice technique for the sake of introducing new skills.  I feel it will be a big mistake to go too quickly because this will come back to hurt the coach’s credibility and the athlete’s ability in future performance or injury.

According to Coach Brewer there typically four movements: jumps, hops, bounds, and shock movements.

Table 9.4 Plyometric Classification (pg 261)

Jump	Movement that starts and finishes on two feet	Split squat X 8 Box Jump X 5 Split-stance counter-movement
Hop	Single-foot take-off with landing on the same food	Lateral mini hurdle hop X 6 Speed hop X 40 m
Bound	Single-foot take-off with landing on the other foot	Standing triple jump for distance X 2 to 4 sets Speed bound x 60 m
Shock	Highest intensity plyometrics; accelerating drop from a height into a rebound jumping movement	Depth jump to box jump X 3 Depth jump to multiple-hurdle jump X 5

 

It should be noted that the progressive approach and developing landing and ground contact is optimized by moving from static landing, to subsequent actions, and finally to dynamic ground contact modes.

My recommendation is to generate a few exercises you are comfortable instructing and have good coaching cues and stick with those until adequate experience is reached.  There is nothing worse than a confused person or the neuro-muscular system that can’t respond to the skill movement!

One of the main modalities I use in warm-ups to advance my plyometric program is a mature model for skipping.  Coach Brewer states: “At a mature skill level skipping is a complex bilateral activity that involves coordination between both sides of the body.   This allows working in alternation and a prerequisite skill for a specific class of plyometric activities known as bounding.” (pg. 241)

What family would you guess skipping belongs to? (Find the answer #1 in the conclusion)

Finishing up with families

The last step in finishing the progression is seeing exercise families on a continuum of foundation/preparatory, intermediate, and advanced.  This is when maturity in jumping and plyometics takes ultimate form.

• The jumps “family of exercise” progression: counter-movement, onto boxes, multiple vertical, multiple horizontal, multi-directional, and then multifaceted jumps.
• The hopping “family of exercises” progression: in place, onto boxes, vertical hops, horizontal hops and multi-directional skill levels.
• The bounding : family of exercise progressions: skips, runs, triple jumps, zig-zag, and alternating bounds can increase toward advanced training
• The shock “family of exercise” progression: eccentric landing, depth jumps to long jump, depth jump to box, and lateral depth jump spell show an upper level advanced modality that can really challenge an intermediate to elite athlete.

In conclusion, this information challenged me to dice up my jumps and plyometic progression I currently use.  I can add some strategic and specific exercises along the way in my programming without exceeding technical competence or strength.  I’m looking forward to experimenting with some of the new exercises presented in this chapter that relate directly with the students and sports I teach and coach!

Is there one idea you took away from this blog?

Can you think of ways to apply the information I presented?

 

Answer #1:  Single leg hops and bounding

Chris Morland, MS, CSCS
Director of Strength and Conditioning/Teacher
Educator and Coach | Visionary in High School Strength and Conditioning

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