Ultimate Speed Drills: Plyometrics Guide © 2013, Jim Kielbaso
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Plyometrics Guide
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When a rapid stretch is placed on a muscle, muscle spindles inside the muscle fibers sense the stretch and create a rapid contraction.
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he basic concept of plyometrics is to complete a rapid eccentric contraction just before a rapid concentric contraction. This is called the Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC). Pre-loading the musculature with the rapid eccentric contraction takes advantage of the elastic properties of human musculature. Many athletic movements (running, skipping, cutting, etc.) also take advantage of this phenomenon, so it is somewhat difcult to distinguish between what is plyometric training and what is agility work. Attempting to pigeonhole drills into specic categories is a waste of time. It is important to understand the purpose of drills; but rather than trying to accurately dene terms and categorize exercises, the focus of this section will be on how to take advantage of different drills and methods. When a rapid stretch is placed on a muscle, muscle spindles inside the muscle bers sense the stretch and create a rapid contraction. This is why you jump higher after dropping quickly into a squat. This action is used in just about everything we do. There are also proprioceptors in our tendons called Golgi Tendon Organs (GTO) that are sensitive to muscle tension. When too much tension is placed on a muscle, the GTO can actually turn the muscle off to avoid tearing. The theory behind plyometric training is that these proprioceptors and the involved musculature will “up-regulate” as a result of the training. This means that the muscle spindles and musculature will actually contract harder as a result of the nervous system “learning” that we want a more forceful contraction. The theory is also that this kind of training will dampen the effect of the GTO’s because they will gradually become accustomed to higher loads. The SSC also takes advantage of the Series Elastic Component (SEC) of the muscle structure. The SEC utilizes the “ratcheting” effect of muscle bers, then “snaps” them back after a quick stretch. The quicker the stretch, the stronger the contraction. If the stretch occurs slowly or there is a pause at the top of the stretch, the elastic energy dissipates, and the counter-contraction will not be as strong. Because most agility drills utilize nervous system recruitment patterns similar to plyometrics, a good agility session can elicit results similar to a plyo workout. The main differences are that agility drills can more closely simulate actual sport movements, and generally have more of a horizontal component because there is less jumping and
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landing. In comparison to agility drills, plyos are c onsidered “general” training. But, in comparison to strength training, plyos wou ld be considered very “specic” training and may help you feel more explosive in a variety of situations. There is a great deal of scientic evidence showing that plyometrics may be the link between strength training and improved speed or agility. Of course, we always need to remember that practicing proper mechanics and sport-specic movements is of paramount importance, but plyos may help your body utilize the strength you gain in the weight room when you’re performing athletic move ments. In an effort to enhance sport-specic movement sequences, choose plyometric drills that resemble the sport movements as closely as possible. Many coaches believe that simply practicing sport skills will help integrate increased strength (through strength training) into sport movement, and this may be true. However, a good plyometric program should augment your movement training, and help the body take full advantage of whatever strength you have. Feel free to insert plyometric exercises into your speed & agility workouts and even into strength training programs. As long as you focus on quality and allow enough rest between sets, plyos can be combined with other training methods. Can you improve speed and agility without plyometrics? Probably. Will plyometrics enhance your training program? Probably. And since we are not exactly sure what works, we might as well take full advantage of everything out there that is safe and productive. We know that plyos can be safe if done properly; they (like just about anything) can also be dangerous if used incorrectly. We also know they have helped improve performance in many research studies. So, plyos are similar to other training modalities in that they might help an athlete even if used incorrectly, but they elicit the best results when used properly. Our goal, then, is to understand how to most effectively use them to improve speed and agility.
How to Use Plyometrics
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esides all of the scientic literature about plyometrics, there is also a great deal of anecdotal evidence that suggests plyos will help straight-ahead speed. Track coaches use them with some of the fastest people on earth. Yet, a properly implemented plyometric program has the potential to improve multi-directional agility as much as straight-ahead speed.
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Many programs are now being implemented with the goal of improving landing technique.
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One excellent use for plyos is to teach proper lower body mechanics in sport movements. Many young athletes, especially females, exhibit awed lower body mechanics in COD movements, and plyos can be used to train body control and alignment. A common issue for many athletes is an unsafe valgus moment created at the knee when the body is lowered into a squat-type position, such as landing from a jump, or decelerating the body during a COD (see Fig. 1). There are many possible reasons for this problem, including strength deciencies and anatomical considerations; but a properly implemented plyometric program has the potential to teach an athlete the body control necessary to improve this condition. Many programs are now being implemented with the goal of improving landing technique. Therapists, doctors, coaches and biomechanists are now trying to teach athletes how to absorb shock and control the body when landing from a jump. Improper landings are responsible for many injuries, and the programs are showing good results. The main points that should be stressed when coaching proper landings are: • Absorb the shock with the ankles, knees and hips. • Land toe-to-heel • Maintain proper knee alignment • Keep feet wide to improve balance and stability • Land in an athletic position with the hips, knees and ankles bent, weight distributed on the entire foot, and a slight forward body lean with the chest up. See Fig. 2. Certain plyo exercises can also help athletes feel more comfortable in the “low and wide” position used in directional changes. For many athletes, proper body positioning feels awkward, difcult, and even a little scary. Plyo drills like the 4- square sequences and dot drills help athletes get used to bending the knees during different movements. Other reasons for utilizing plyometrics include the stimulation of the nervous system and the development of eccentric strength that is so important to optimal agility performance. Since the goal of plyometric training is to improve power, these drills should always be done when the athlete is relatively fresh and motivated to give maximal effort. Doing plyos in a fatigued state, or with sub-maximal effort will severely compromise the potential results of a plyometric training program. Because many plyometric exercises place a great deal of stress on the body, it is important to keep the workouts relatively short, with long (1-3 minutes) rest periods, and an emphasis on intensity. The
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Fig. 1: Landing from a jump with unsafe valgus moment at knee
Fig. 2: Safe landing from a jump
shock of intense plyometric drills can lead to overuse injuries such as patellar or Achilles tendonitis if the volume of work is too high. Just like speed and agility work, quality is much more important that quantity. In fact, focusing on quantity can actually have a detrimental effect. Many Americans like to subscribe to the “more is better” point of view. Unfortunately, when the goal is to improve athletic explosiveness, the human body does not respond well to high volumes of work. The key is to gure out the minimum amount of work necessary to elicit the optimal result. No o ne knows exactly what this volume is, but overtraining with plyometrics is a common problem for many athletes. Some coaches try to count the number of jumps or contacts, but these numbers are arbitrary and hard to
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When training the nervous system, quality is always much more important than quantity, so be sure to keep the intensity high and the volume relatively low.
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quantify because of the different intensities of each plyo drill. When training the nervous system, quality is always much more important than quantity, so be sure to keep the intensity high and the volume relatively low. There are more complete texts available on the subject of plyometrics, but the purpose of this manual is to provide basic scientic information and teach the reader practical uses for different training modalities.
Plyometric Training Guidelines • Progress from low-intensity to high-intensity drills, but do not progress until the lower level drills are mastered. There is no reason to perform advanced drills if the rudimentary drills cannot be performed with excellent technique. When in doubt, progress very slowly. Even low- intensity drills will elicit results, so slow down, and concentrate on movement quality. • Allow relatively long rest periods (typically 1-3 minutes) between sets, with longer rest periods required for more intense drills. Low-impact drills will require shorter rest periods, but the recovery must be long enough to allow the athlete to execute the next set with proper technique. Remember, plyos are not meant to be used as a conditioning drill; plyos are meant to enhance nervous-system function. There are more appropriate ways to enhance aerobic or anaerobic tness. • Lower intensity drill such as line hops and dot drills can use higher rep ranges (up to 20 seconds or 40 reps). • For high power-output jumps such as vertical or long jumps, keep the sets around 4-8 reps. Research has shown that power output drops dramatically after 5-6 reps in most people. • There is no specic age or strength level necessary to begin a plyo program, but the athlete must have enough body control and strength to perform the drills with proper technique. If the athlete is unable to demonstrate adequate technique, it is recommended that the drill not be used. Many professionals recommend athletes be able to squat 11/2 times their bodyweight before engaging in plyometrics. This is a decent guideline, but it is rather arbitrary. The point is to have sufcient strength to control the forces encountered du ring landings. This is often very subjective, so when in doubt, slow down. Younger athletes can engage is low-impact plyo drills
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if they have the strength and body control to perform proper technique. Below age 14 (in most cases) the focus should be on rening motor skills, so there is no real need to use highimpact plyometric drills. Large and/or young athletes generally should not engage in high-impact drills. The risk of injury is not worth the potential benets. Choose drills that mimic sport-specic movement patterns whenever possible. Practicing the exact movements used in competition should be a high priority, with plyometric drills utilized to supplement the sport-specic training. When introducing a new drill into a program, start slowly. There is no reason to advance too quickly. Perform plyometric drills early in the training session when you are relatively fresh and motivated to perform the drills with maximal effort. Limit the amount of plyometric training when an athlete is engaged in a high volume of work or practice. Pre-season and in-season training programs should include a reduced volume of plyometric work because the physical demands on the athlete are already very high. This is especially true for high volume jumping sports such as basketball and volleyball. Allow adequate recovery time between plyometric workouts. This will vary depending on the intensity of the training session, but no more than two workouts per week are necessary in most situations. Plyometrics should not be performed every day. Concentrate on proper landings. Jumping in the air is not nearly as demanding as landing, so an emphasis should be placed on using proper landing technique. Incorporate aggressive arm swing into jumps. The arms will begin behind the body, and will be forcefully swung upward (or forward) to create momentum as the hips, ankles and knees extend. Proper arm swing can greatly enhance jumping ability.
Perform plyometric drills early in the training session when you are relatively fresh and motivated to perform the drills with maximal effort.
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Common Mistakes with Plyometrics Inadequate intensity and rest periods Optimally, the intensity will be as high as possible, and the rest periods will be relatively long. Give 1-3 minutes between the most intense sets to ensure optimal effort. If sub-maximal effort is used as a result of fatigue from improper rest periods, the effectiveness of the training will be compromised. Many athletes will feel uncomfortable with long rest periods because they are not accustomed to this, but adequate rest periods are imperative.
Performing too many reps per set Most intense plyometric drills such as squat- jumps, bounds, or long jumps should be performed in sets of 4-8 reps. Lower-impact drills such as 4-square or dot drills can be performed in sets of up to 40 reps. Sets can also be timed for the lower-impact drills. 5-20 seconds per set is appropriate for most exercises. One-legged drills will typically have shorter durations than two-legged drills.
Poor technique Proper knee bend and body alignment must be a priority in all plyometric drills. The athlete must be able to land softly and under control from any jumping drill. Watch for an exaggerated valgus moment at the knee, especially in females. Also watch for landings using only the quadriceps. You’ll notice the knees pushing forward and the weight will be on the toes. Instead, coach the athlete to push the hips backward during the landing to keep the whole foot on the ground and engage the glutes.
Rushing the progression Many coaches have unprepared athletes perform high-level plyometrics because they assume the more difcult drills will elicit greater results. This is a mistake because an athlete who is not prepared to perform a drill will simply reinforce faulty mechanics or increase the risk of injury. Take your time, and progress slowly to more intense drills. A more demanding drill will only help an athlete who is ready for it.
Using plyometrics for fitness conditioning While there can be an anaerobic training effect from some plyometric drills, the goal is to improve neuromuscular efciency, not condition an athlete. There are much safer and more efcient drills to accomplish this.
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Using plyos at the wrong time A fatigued athlete should not perform most plyometric drills, and they should not be utilized when sport practice includes a great deal of jumping or pounding. Include plyometrics near the beginning of a workout, and at a time of the training year that allows for optimal recovery.
Using plyos with the wrong people Young athletes or those with inadequate strength should not be rushed into high-impact plyometrics. It is unnecessary and can reinforce inefcient movement patterns. Caution should also be used with large athletes whose bodyweight will create a great deal of force on the body during landing or deceleration.
Intensity Continuum for Plyometric Drills
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his is a guide to plyometric intensity. Drills are listed from lowest to highest intensity based on the level of impact, complexity and demands of each exercise. 2-feet Line & Dot Drills Box Jumps ON to a box, stepping down 1-foot Line & Dot Drills Power Skips 2-feet Short Barrier Jumps Tuck jumps 1-foot Short Barrier Jumps Short (less than 12”) Drop Jumps Short (6-12”) Box Jumps High Barrier Jumps Vertical or Squat Jumps Long Jumps Skaters – lateral hops landing on one leg Higher (18-24”) Drop Jumps Higher (18-24”) Box Jumps Split-Squat Jumps Weighted Vertical or Long Jumps 1-leg Repetitive Long Jumps Bounding Drop Jumps with Counter-movements Weighted Drop Jumps
Young athletes or those with inadequate strength should not be rushed into high-impact plyometrics. It is unnecessary and can reinforce inefficient movement patterns.
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Ankle Conditioning
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ecause such extreme demands are placed on the ankle during agility work, special care should be taken to enhance the function of this area. This does not take a tremendous amount of time, but the effort may help reduce the risk of injury as well as improve sport performance. The rst consideration is properly warming up the ankle. A complete warm up routine should include some kind of ankle rolls/ circles to dynamically activate the musculature in the lower leg. If there is a history of ankle injuries or shin splints, toe taps and bodyweight toe raises can be added to the routine. The rest of the warm up routine should prepare the ankle for training, but you may even want to add a few quick response jumps like the 4-square plyometric drill to focus on ankle preparation. The ankle circle drill can be used to effectively warm-up and strengthen the lower leg musculature with many athletes. To perform the exercise, stand on both feet with your weight on the outside of each heel. Slowly rock your weight forward so that it’s on the outside of your forefoot (basically on your smallest toe). Continue by transferring your weight to the inside of your big toes, then backward to the inside of your heel. From there, reverse the direction so you’ll rock to the inside of your big toe, to the outside of your little toe, and back to the outside of the heel. That is one repetition.
Fig. 3: Ankle rolls
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If there is no acute injury, and ankle conditioning is a con cern, the 4-square drill is an excellent way to train the lower leg and ankle. Working through different patterns allows the ankle and foot to learn sound mechanics and may improve proprioception, or body control. Another ankle strengthening exercise that can even be used to rehabilitate an injury is the Stork Drill. This drill begins by simply standing on one foot. For some athletes, especially with an injury, this alone will be demanding. Once this can easily be done for at least 30 seconds, the athlete’s balance can be challenged with unstable surfaces or playing catch, which will more fully engage the lower leg and foot musculature to maintain balance. This has been shown to stimulate the proprioceptors of an injured leg. Perform these drills once or twice a week for 2-4 minutes to keep the ankles functioning optimally. Foot poppers are another exercise that were developed as a foot placement teaching drill that can also be used as a high-intensity plyometric drill to increase the “stiffness” of the lower leg. A foot popper needs to be done with great caution and its use should be limited. To perform a foot popper, stand on one leg with the support leg bent slightly. You may choose to lean against a wall/object slightly to mimic a forward lean. The front leg starts with the hip, knee and ankle exed tightly in front of you. The drill will begin just like a wall push drill. Drive the leg down into the ground through the ball of the foot, keeping the ankle exed. If done correctly with a rigid ankle, the downward force you put into the ground will “pop” you upwards slightly. Based on the stretch shortening cycle theory, the musculature will contract quickly in response to the fast, powerful stretch placed on it when the foot hits the ground. This reaction will send you upwards. Keep in the mind that a limited number of reps (less than 10) should be performed and that striking the ground through the ball of the foot is critical. Striking with the toes or heel may cause injury, so be sure good technique is being used. These drills are simply intended to strengthen the musculature. Agility work must always be included at some point to stimulate the specic neural pathways used in sport movement.
If there is no acute injury, and ankle conditioning is a concern, the 4-square drill is an excellent way to train the lower leg and ankle.
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Fig. 4: Ankle poppers
Plyometrics Drills Squat Jumps Can be performed holding the landings or with repeated jumps. Add a weight vest or dumbbells for added resistance. This is a basic plyo drill that can be used by most athletes. Work on approach jumps by taking one large step forward before the jump.
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Fig. 5: Squat jump
Fig. 6: Long jump
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Box Jumps Begin by only jumping on to the box. Progress to jumping on and off repeatedly. One leg jumps can be done on very low (6”) boxes. Increase the height of the box as long as technique is sound.
Fig. 7: Box jump
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Lateral Box Hops Jump repeatedly side to side over an obstacle. Start with a low obstacle and increase the height as needed. Jumps should be performed in multiple directions over the obstacle for overall development.
Fig. 8: Lateral box jump
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Skaters Hop laterally over an obstacle (a ball in the picture). No weight is placed on the obstacle. The emphasis is on the lateral movement, springing off the ground quickly.
Fig. 9: Skater jump
Bounding This is a fairly advanced drill that will help increase stride length. Jump off of one foot and land on the other. Begin by holding the landings and progress to multiple bounds as quick and far as possible.
Fig. 10: Bounding
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Lateral Bounding Jump laterally (or diagonally) off of one foot and land on the other. Begin by holding the landings and progress to quick bounds. This is an excellent drill for developing power and quickness in agility movements.
Fig. 11: Lateral bounding
Hoop Hops A simple hoop can be used for multiple low-impact drills including: • 2-feet line hops: forward & backward, side-to-side, diagonal, around the world • 1-foot line hops: forward & backward, side-to-side, diagonal, around the world • Split Jumps Sideways: Start in the middle and hop both feet out to the sides and back into the center again. • Split Jumps Front & Back: Start in the middle and split your feet so one goes forward and one goes backward. Bring them both back to the middle and repeat with the opposite foot going forward.
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• Split Jumps Diagonal: Start in the middle and split your feet so one goes forward on a diagonal and the other goes back on a diagonal. Bring them both back to the middle and repeat with the opposite foot going forward. • Fast Feet: Start in the middle. Step forward with right foot, then left foot. Return to middle right, then left. Repeat quickly for time. You can also do this by moving for-ward, back to the middle, then backwards and back to the middle. Another version is to take three steps to one side of the hoop (i.e. L-R-L), two steps back in the middle (i.e. R-L), then move to the other side where you take three steps (i.e. R-L-R) before returning to the middle.
Fig. 12: Hoop hop
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Hurdle Hops Using a small (6-12”) hurdle, you can perform numerous hops and jumps including the following: • 2-legs, side to side over the hurdle • 2-legs, forward and backward over the hurdle • Facing sideways, jump off 2 legs, go over hurdle, and land on one leg • Facing the hurdle, jump off 2 legs, go over hurdle forward, land on one leg • 1-leg, side to side • 2-legs, facing the hurdle, turn 180° in the air as you go over the hurdle so you land facing the hurdle on the other side. Try this jumping off of 2-feet and landing on one. • 2-legs, facing away from the hurdle, turn 180° in the air as you go over the hurdle so you land facing away from the hurdle on the other side. Try this jumping off of 2-feet and landing on one.
Fig. 13: Hurdle hop
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Tuck Jumps Jump off of two feet straight up in the air. While you’re in the air, quickly pull your knees up toward your chest. Spend as little time as possible on the ground.
Fig. 14: Tuck jump
Ankle Flips This drill is designed to help lower-leg stiffness and control. Jump straight up and pull your toes upward while you’re in the air. Don’t point your toes. As you land, try to “attack” the ground with your forefoot so you spring right back up. Attempt to strike the ground while your ankles are still fairly dorsiexed instead of plantar-exed.
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Fig. 15: Ankle fip
Approach Step Jumps Take a powerful step forward with one foot. Immediately bring the back foot up and jump in the air as high as possible. You can also take multiple steps forward like a volleyball player’s approach before a hit. The movement is kind of a step and a hop together before jumping. Try to get as much forward velocity as possible so you can use that momentum to carry you upward for the vertical jump. As a variation, turn 90° or 180° in the air before landing. A more advanced variation is to have a partner bump you slightly in the air so you have to adjust the landing accordingly. Just be sure the contact is controlled.
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Split Squat Jumps Start in a lunge position, and jump in the air as high as possible. While you’re in the air, pull your knees up toward your chest, cycle your legs so the back leg comes to the front and front leg goes back, and land in a lunge position. Repeat. Be sure to drop down into the bottom of the lunge position on each rep, but don’t let the back knee hit the ground.
Fig. 16: Split squat jump
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Four-Square Pattern Drills The following drills can be performed with 1 foot or 2 feet: 1-2 1-4 1-3 2-4 1-2-3 1-3-2 1-2-3-4 4-3-2-1 1-3-2-4 Variations: • Add a 6-12” “channel” between each number to create longer jumps. This will require the feet to travel farther from the center of gravity, which will more closely resemble COD movements. • Add a 6-12” obstacle between each number that the athlete must jump over. This will enhance the vertical component of the exercise. • Attempt to stay low with the knees bent in an effort to simulate COD mechanics. Only add a barrier or space between the numbers when proper mechanics are mastered in the basic drill.
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Dot Drills A single number means the jump is performed with both feet on the same dot unless denoted as a single leg drill. Hyphenated numbers mean that one foot is on each number simultaneously. “Turn” means you twist 180° and continue. Like the 4-Square patterns, work on body control and maintaining knee-bend during each change of direction. • 1-2, 3, 4-5 • 4-5, 3, 1-2, 3 • 5, 3, 2, 3 • 4, 3, 1, 3 • 1, 2 • 1, 3, 4, 3, 5, 3, 2, 3, 1 • 1-2, 3, Turn, 4-5, 3, Turn, 1-2 • 1, 2, 5, 4, 1 • 4, 3, 2, 3 • 1, 3, 2, 3 • 4, 3, 5, 3 • Any variation of these drills can be done one foot at a time
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