The Truth About Plyometrics: Part Two

Part Two will start off right where part one ended; I was just the difference between plyometrics and power training, and how in order for a plyometric action to occur there must be two events that take place. These two things involve a stretch reflex followed by a contraction, without them the movement is not plyometric.

An example of a power exercise would be jumping onto a 24 inch box. This is not plyometric as there is no stretch reflex occurring. To make it plyometric, one could jump off a box from a lower height, hit the ground and immediately rebound onto the higher box. The landing from the lower box would create the stretch reflex needed, thus invoking the plyometric response. This is an advanced movement and I do not recommend it without first progressing up to it which I have discussed in previous articles.

By this point, I hope that you have a more refined understanding on what a plyometric exercise is and what it is not. They are not as complicated as thought, and you must realize that every fast movement in our lives involves plyometrics; that is the reason that the movement is fast in the first place!

Plyometrics are even involved in child play; have you ever seen a child play at a playground? When they do so they are jumping, running, hopping, and climbing. These all make up plyometric activities, and they are actually fun! Plyometrics can be introduced into all levels of training; just some are more advanced than others.

Since I have discussed proper progression is essential for plyometric training, let’s talk about why that is so. A great base of strength must be developed in order to support the increased force that is produced as a result of the stretch reflex. This reflex is what allows you contract your muscles with much greater force than possible through a voluntary contraction. Therefore, it is a must that we make sure the musculature can handle this force production. Also, a high degree of balance and stability is needed for the loading phase. Although a specific body part may appear isolated, the shocks that occur from the reflex are felt throughout the entire body. This means that all structures must be able to support this type of training. And lastly, simple skills must be mastered before one can progress onto more difficult exercises.

Plyometric Training has received bad press due to the inappropriate use of plyometric training. This improper use has led to ‘over-use’ injuries, particularly in the lower legs. This style of training, especially when done with such a high intensity, can be very dangerous if the body is not ready to handle it. High intensity plyometric training should never be performed without first progressing to it.

This concludes part two, and also concludes discussing plyometrics and their role in the lower body. Part three will discuss how to incorporate plyometrics into your upper body training. Be sure to check out part three on plyometric training.