| Applications of Plyometric Training to Specific Sports |
| Landing Power - (Ex. tennis, figure skating, basketball, football, ski jumping.) |
| Trains for controlled landing Trains explosive action or movement after landing Conditions muscles and joints for shock absorbing power Reduce impact force of landing |
| Exercises for landing power |
| Drop jumps - Develops a ready to work phase in the muscle, enhancing tension and elastic capacity. |
| Emphasize concentric and eccentric contraction Athlete emphasis is on free drop, not jump Drop distance varies with training development Athlete lands on balls of feet Holds landing for 2-3 seconds |
| Exercises for reactive power - Exercises emphasize an explosive movement directly after landing phase of drop jump, or a series of explosive plyometric actions |
| Examples: Reactive jump followed by double speed hops Reactive jump from a platform followed by a series of reactive jumps over progressively smaller platforms Reactive jump from a high platform onto another high platform One legged reactive jumps over small boxes Reactive two legged reactive jump followed by jump from a box followed by a series of bounding exercises |
| Throwing power - (Ex. baseball, football, javelin.) |
| Develops size of fast twitch fibers Recruits more fast twitch fibers for individual throwing movement Concentration on maximum application of force Implements isotonic and ballistic training methods |
| Exercises for throwing power Progression from lighter to heavier implements, back to lighter 1-2 weeks prior to competition. |
| Examples: Catch and drop push up followed immediately by two arm chest medicine ball throw Combination of drop push up followed immediately by several overhead medicine ball throws Incline bench press followed immediately by two arm chest shot Combined drop pushup with a between the legs forward, back or side throw |
| Take off power - (almost any sport) |
| Maximize elastic qualities of legs Simulates similar force-time ratios similar to that of sport application Acclimates athletes to large impact loads on take off leg |
| Examples: One legged reactive jump stressing take off part of exercise One legged reactive jump reaching out for distance on landing and take off One legged landing followed by a series of bounds One legged landing followed by an immediate jump onto a lower box |
| Starting power - (sports where initial speed of action is critical in final outcome.) |
| Train reactive components of muscles that are key to starting Recruit more fast twitch fibers for starting movement |
| Examples: Jumping half squats followed by jumps over hurdles Reverse leg press followed by quick acceleration of 20 meters 3-5 half squats followed by 25 meters of bounding jumps |
| Acceleration power - (Almost all sport) Ability to overcome mass at greatest speed possible |
| Examples: 2 handed medicine ball chest throw followed immediately by a powerful acceleration Drop push up followed immediately by a powerful 25 meter acceleration Series of 5-6 reactive box jumps followed immediately by 20 meters of explosive acceleration Drop jump with barbell followed by 3-5 drop jumps from high box |
| Deceleration Power |
| Decrease acceleration quickly Performed through eccentric contraction of the leg muscles |
| Examples: Drop jump from high box followed by a series of short jumps, emphasis on balls of feet landing, knees bent and hold Drop jump on one leg emphasis on landing, followed by 10 alternating one leg bound with same emphasis 3-5 jump squats followed by a series of alternating one legged bounds |
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