Go Ahead and Jump!

Glenn Cumiskey — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:38:49 +0000

Plyometric Training for Athletics

Plyometric exercises use explosive movements to develop muscular power and the ability to generate a large amount of force quickly. Plyometrics is derived from the Greek word pleythyein, meaning ‘to increase’, and plio and plyo meaning ‘more’ and ‘to move’. It first appeared as a term in Russian sports literature in 1966, but was soon a common part of track and field literature in the West by the late 1970’s. While its evolution as a term is recent, as a training method it has undoubtedly been used for centuries.

A good example of a plyometric movement would be jumping down from a box and then suddenly, using the stored elastic energy in the tendons, exploding upwards. This type of action can be seen widely in nature, for instance in the hopping motion of a kangaroo. It allows for energy conservation due to the body’s ability to briefly store energy in its more elastic components. It is also believed that plyometric training has a strong effect on the neurological system, allowing greater force production and thus greater training adaptation.

Plyometrics training can carry an increased risk of injury due to the sudden stresses placed on the musculoskeletal system. It is generally recommended that before routinely adopting this training, participants should be able to squat 60% of their body weight up to five times. Ironically, if you ever watch a group of children playing, you will see them include plyometric movements in virtually everything they do. As adults we seem to forget the sheer joy of launching ourselves through space, landing and then bouncing off again. For any serious athlete plyometric training is a significant addition to their training regime.