Transcript LA84 Coaching Education Basic/Intermediate Clinic

When, Why, How and How Much
Cameron T. Gary
The Term “Plyometric” Defined
 Derived from the Greek roots
 plethyein, meaning “to increase”
 “Plio” = more
 “Metric” = measure
 Noted track coach Fred Wilt
 Credited with being the first American to use this term
(circa 1975)
More Plyometric History
 These methods were used in Soviet bloc countries
for several years prior to the 1970s
 Notable Names:
 Yuri Verkhoshansky – noted Soviet coach and
pioneer in the field
 Valeri Borzov – Olympic gold medalist sprinter
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Probably the one who made Americans realize that
things had changed…
The Goal of Plyometrics
 A form of strength/resistance training
 Designed to impart a load on the muscles
 Best done with movements consistent with/specific to
the athletic skill or event
 Intended to have the muscle respond with:
 Maximal strength
 As quickly as possible
What IS a Plyometric movement?
 An athletic movement that causes a muscle to quickly
stretch while it is trying to shorten
 This movement causes a change of direction
 Upward
 Sideways
 It is a two-part movement
 The muscle yields so that the skeleton can “load” this
imposed excess tension (eccentric)
 The muscles then “rebound” reflexively with a stronger than
normal (concentric) contraction
 Also known as the “myotatic” or Stretch-Shortening Reflex
Plyometric Analogy
 Stretching a rubber
band, then
releasing it
 Bouncing Ball off
of a hard surface
Equipment/Surface/Safety
Concerns
 Bodyweight is generally used
 The athlete should wear proper footwear
 Sturdy, shock-absorbent soles
 NEVER done barefoot!
 The landing surface should be forgiving, but not too
spongy
 The surface should allow good traction – especially if
performing horizontal movements
 Monitor the number of ground contacts
 It is very easy to over-do the volume
Basic Concerns
 Focus on technical proficiency over volume
 It does not benefit the athlete to do the movements
incorrectly
 Improper technique makes the athlete susceptible to
injury
 Land with a full foot placement
 Slightly toward the balls of the feet
 Not heavily on the toes or the heels
 Pre-Stretch the Achilles Tendon

Dorsi-Flex the foot
What are some examples of
Plyometric movements?
 Hopping
 Skipping
 Running
 Jumping
 Up or down
 Horizontal Bounding
 “Bouncing” upper body movements
 “Dynamic” push-ups
 Medicine Ball Catch and Throw, etc.
Plyometric movements should be
divided into types, based upon
intensity
 Do not confuse the level of intensity with the ability to
cause fatigue
 One can become “tired” from skipping rope
 One can become “tired” from jogging
 However, the perception of fatigue is not always apparent
after a series of maximal-effort jumps
 This training is neural, as well as physiological
 The athlete should be sufficiently rested (between workouts
and between sets/reps) to allow for maximal efforts
 Many of the dynamics are the same as with quality sprinting
Examples of exercises, by
intensity level:
 Low
 Rope skipping
 Recreational game playing (hopscotch, etc.)
 Jogging
 Medium
 Running (sub-maximal)
 Bounding drills (sub-maximal)
 Repetitive sub-maximal sport-specific jumps
 Repetitive sub-maximal sport direction changes
 High
 Maximal effort competition jumping
 Maximal effort sprinting
 Maximal sport-specific direction changes
 Depth Jumping
Mere jumping from one spot to
another is NOT Plyometric
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There must be an instantaneous change in direction
The movements must be done quickly
There must be a reflexive shortening of the muscle
The rate of stretch is highly tied to the effectiveness of a
Plyometric movement
 It is generally better to stretch the muscle faster than it is to
stretch the muscle further
 When the degree of stretch is so great that the movement
slows, it is better to:
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Decrease the degree of stretch until the rate improves
Change the movement to place the athlete into a better position to
achieve a faster stretch rate (depth, etc.)
Stop the exercise and resume when the athlete is rested
NEVER do Plyometric exercises
while carrying heavy loads
 Generally it is preferred that bodyweight be used
 The focus should be on a ballistic rebound action
 Too much weight will slow the athlete’s response, thus
negating any positive effects
 Light loading may be okay with advanced athletes – under
highly specific conditions
 Weight Training
 Some propose doing weight training prior to plyos
 Some propose weight training on days when you don’t do
plyos
 Most do not recommend weight training after plyos
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The fatigue imposed negates the benefit of both exercises
However, that depends on YOUR results with YOUR athletes
Simple to Complex
 It is better to achieve simple technical proficiency before
moving on to advanced movements
 It is safer for the athlete
 It serves no purpose for the athlete to do more of an
improper movement
 Keep the volume low and the intensity high
 Youth Athletes
 20 – 150 Ground Contacts Per Session
 Keep the reps low per set
 For horizontal movements
 Speed/Power = 50 yards or less per repetition
 Power/Endurance = 50 – 200 yards per repetition
 Monitor your athlete’s rest intervals in order to achieve the session
goals
The recommended order of
training should be:
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Technique
Speed
Power/Strength
Endurance (relative to the event)
 This is where many mistakes are made - endurance training is
NOT speed training!
 Separate your endurance training from your Plyometric or
Speed training
 It is acceptable to perform tempo endurance training the
day after Plyometric training.
 More is NOT necessarily better – BETTER is Better!
 Focus on QUALITY over quantity
Balance the Work
 Keep your Plyometric movements at an intensity
consistent with the focus of the session
 Warm-ups and technical (learning) movements are
done sub-maximally
 Strength/Speed Development movements are done
maximally
 If the movement falls below a certain level re: time,
distance, reps vs. time, etc.
 Give more rest between sets
 Stop the exercise and go to something else
Recovery
Types
 Between Sets
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Maximal Effort = Maximal Recovery
Sub-maximal effort with sub-maximal recovery = Power
Endurance…there IS a place for this
 Between Sessions
 The athlete generally will need between 48-72 hours in order
to recover
 Should perform these movements about two to three times a
week
 Maximal efforts once or maybe twice a week, followed by a
tempo session or active rest
 Remember – COMPETITIONS are high intensity training
exercises.
Video Demonstrations
 CrossFit Box Jump Variations
 Note that some of the exercises are:
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Strength Oriented
 Ability to move a load
Power Oriented
 The movement of a load versus time
 Field Drill Demos
 Triple Jump Oriented
 These are best for
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Conditioning
Coordination
Technique
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