❶ Plyometric Workout

2023 Author: Madeline Holiday | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 06:57

The exercises used in what is known as plyometric training help strengthen and develop the muscles in the legs. If you have ever watched track and field athletes or volleyball players get up on a platform, jump off it and then immediately jump up easily, you probably wondered: “What are they doing? Why is this? This is what plyometric training looks like, the main task of which is to quickly develop and use maximum power through strength. Location: Location:

The term "plyometric" is of Greek origin (pleythyein – Greek, "ascending"). This training method is relatively new, although the name has ancient roots. It is believed that plyometric training was invented by Yuri Veroshansky, a Soviet athletics coach. He believed that it was necessary to train both the muscles and the nervous system in such a way that they were a single whole, and he experimented with jumping exercises.

However, not so many athletes perform plyometric exercises directly, although this type of movement is related to everyday physical activity. So, when a person takes a step, his quadriceps muscles make plyometric movements. The muscles go through an eccentric (negative) phase when the foot touches the ground and the knee flexes slightly. After that, they enter the isometric phase, when the knee has finished bending and is ready for extension (concentric movement). With plyometric training, sequential eccentric, isometric and concentric loading is also performed: the muscles first stretch, then tense isometrically, and eventually contract. The word "plyometrics" is gradually replacing the name "stretch-contraction cycle" as it more accurately describes the essence.

Step jumping is one of the main plyometric exercises

Step jumps are performed as follows: you jump off a dais and immediately jump in place. The goal is to maintain the position of the feet pressed to the ground for as long as possible and jump as high as possible. So you squat after landing and jump up from the squat. If this exercise is done correctly, the lower body gets a very intense load, increasing your capabilities. Thus, if you jump from a height of 25-100 cm for eight weeks with regular training 1-3 times a week, the jump height can increase by 2-8 cm.

Also, strength characteristics increase markedly with a combination of jumps and stretching. Therefore, jumping squats, squats with bouncing, jumping on a bench are so useful.

Plyometric training can increase strength, but it also increases the strength of the extensor (quadriceps) muscles, not flexors.

Jumping rope is a low-intensity plyometric workout. If you weight the rope and practice for 10 weeks, you can significantly improve your bench press results. But it is worth noting that the strength of only certain muscle groups involved in this exercise increases.

If you combine strength and plyometric training, for 10 weeks, with the regularity of training 2-3 times a week, the height of the jump can increase by up to 10 cm, and the results of the combination of types of load will be better than separately.

Of course, if you train hard, you can get injured, but most of the damage occurs as a result of mistakes made by the coach and the trainee. Some of the most common mistakes are excessive load, jumping on uneven surfaces, and being too high. Therefore, the conditions and parameters of training should be treated with attention and caution.

These recommendations relate to the use of plyometrics to improve motor performance. At the same time, many nuances, such as the optimal number and duration of classes, have not been established. As a rule, the principle of periodicity is used here.

Here are some practical tips:

Different types of load in terms of intensity have the following sequence: jumping in place, jumping from a standing position, repeated jumps, jumping in a square, jumping with a squat. One way or another, the program for beginners should only include low-intensity exercises, and only later the number of higher-intensity exercises gradually increases.

The amount of load in jumps is determined by how many times the feet touched the ground during one approach, while other parts of the ground should not touch.

Each contact is a hit with both feet on the ground. To maintain maximum intensity, you must try to jump as high as possible.

For a beginner, 50-100 contacts are enough for a regular workout and 100-250 during preparation for a competition. If we are talking about a trained athlete, for him these values are 120-200 and 150-450, respectively. During normal exercise, the intensity ranges from low to moderate. If there is preparation for the competition, then from moderate to high.

Since plyometric workouts are intense, you need a fair amount of rest in between. For beginners, it is best to take breaks of at least two days. If the intensity of the exercise is high or very high, then at least three days.

Rest between sets is extremely important. This is how it is possible to maintain a high intensity of all approaches. In general, the proportion of work - rest should be 1: 5-1: 10. So, if you train for 10 seconds, rest 50-100 seconds.

Don't forget the benefits of combining plyometric and strength training. Plyometrics are a great addition to training programs in various sports.