Summary
Pliometric training is definitely not new to you if you are an active athlete because you have undoubtedly heard about it from your coach or from sports blogs that you have read online. If you haven’t already, there is still time. In the next section, you will learn everything there is to know about this ground-breaking program.
Find out how plyometrics could be able to contribute to the success of your training!
Pliometric—what exactly is that?
Pliometric is a term that was initially coined in the United States in the 1980s and is used to describe workouts that involve jumping. The athletic performance of an athlete can be improved in a variety of ways by performing jumping exercises like these.
Pliometric training has become highly popular in today’s society. They have use in a variety of disciplines, including athletics and crossfit, among others. As a result, it is a form of training that should be considered by practically every kind of athlete.
Fred Wilt, a former American runner, and Michael Yessis, his coach at the time and a professor of biomechanics at the University of Southern California, are the ones who came up with the term “pliometrics.”
The urban legend has it that Russian athletes were the ones who first suggested Wilt try this type of jump training. When the man went to the gym, he observed that the Russians’ warm-ups consisted of hopping, but Will was more accustomed to performing static stretches. As a result of this, he came to the conclusion that one of the primary reasons for the success of the Russian athletes in athletics was the pliometric warm-ups that they did.
Wilt asked his coach for assistance in doing study on track and field performance, focusing primarily on running, on the basis of this theory. In 1984, they produced a book named “Soviet Theory, Technique and Training for Running and Hurdling,” in which they detailed the findings of their research. The book was titled “Soviet Theory, Technique and Training for Running and Hurdling.”
In a same manner, an investigation into the impact that the well-known Wilt jumps have had on volleyball players was carried out in 1986, two years after the initial study. After a period of 12 weeks of training that included leaps, the results demonstrated that the volleyball players had greatly improved their strength. This year marked the beginning of widespread adoption of plyometric training by athletes of all types and levels of competition across the globe.
What exactly is involved in pliometric training?
The succession of hops serves as the primary component of this exercise, as we have seen previously. The exercises involve movements that are fairly dynamic and are carried out in a variety of different directions, including upright, side to side, and back and forth.
The goal of plyometrics, which is analogous to the use of a rubber band, is to stretch the muscle as rapidly as possible in order to store as much potential energy as feasible. After that, in order to build up more force, a concentric contraction with the help of this “aid” should be carried out.
Plyometric exercises help enhance overall movement coordination and enable athletes to combine strength and speed training in a single routine. Two crucial characteristics that every athlete must possess. The exercises that make up plyometric training are ones that incorporate elements of stability, strength, power, and dynamic balance. These exercises are designed to improve one’s vertical leap as well as their sprinting pace. People who engage in plyometric exercise are able to improve their agility and their ability to coordinate their movements.
Plyometrics may be performed by anyone.
Plyometric exercise necessitates a significant amount of muscular coordination, in addition to balance and stability. It is a terrific workout for elite athletes who want to develop their power and explosiveness, and elite athletes should definitely consider doing it. Athletes competing in CrossFit, for instance, make fantastic subjects for this kind of training. Plyometrics are another form of training that will be of great benefit to athletes who are getting ready to compete in an obstacle course.
Before beginning plyometric training, it is best for beginners to first work on strengthening their muscles and improving their balance and posture. Because of this, their muscles will be better able to tolerate the forces that are placed on them during plyometric workouts, and they will also have an improved ability to control the movements. As the novice’s posture improves, plyometric exercises can be integrated into their routine bit by bit as the training progresses.
Regarding the practice of plyometrics by youngsters, there isn’t a single piece of research that says it should be avoided. The only caveats are that all of the guidelines should be adhered to and that they should be supervised by an adult. In addition, children naturally engage in plyometric movements while playing, such as skipping rope, hopping, doing jumping jacks, and other similar activities. The activities that youngsters participate in on a daily basis include a significant number of plyometric contractions.
What are the advantages of engaging in plyometric exercise?
Plyometric workouts are utilized on a consistent basis not just by athletes competing in track and field, basketball, and football, but also by strength trainers. Because it enables athletes of both sexes to make more development, this training has garnered a lot of attention in recent years.
Plyometrics are a great way to build up your strength.
Plyometric exercise causes muscle fibers to contract more quickly, resulting in the development of sufficient strength to propel the body.
Because of this, the muscles are better able to adapt to the motor units and the neurological system, which ultimately results in increased strength as well as increased explosiveness. The neurological system is able to react to the muscles with greater ease.
Plyometrics are a great way to improve your agility.
The muscles are worked in a certain order when plyometric activities are performed. Explosiveness and agility can both be improved by performing these moves in sequence. After that, this agility is obtained by various functional means.
Plyometrics are beneficial to the improvement of cardio.
Many people believe that plyometrics are the most effective technique to increase their cardiovascular fitness. Plyometrics is widely regarded as the most effective method for improving your cardiovascular fitness because the workouts use practically all of your muscle groups.
The progression of each workout across a range of intensities, from medium to intense, is what makes the increase in heart rate possible.
Plyometrics make for a more varied and interesting workout.
Many athletes, at some time in their careers, experience a sense that they have reached a plateau and are unable to advance further. Or, they make progress, but not quite fast enough. This is related to a consistent program of physical activity. By performing the same movements over and over again, the body will eventually become acclimated to them, at which point it will no longer be startled by them.
The body changes in response to the stresses imposed by the movements. When this happens, it is vital to make adjustments to the workouts and begin “challenging” the body with different motions. Performance is enhanced as a result of this. The introduction of new exercises excites the muscles and keeps the body actively involved in the process.
Check out the following sections of this article to learn more about plyometrics: Plyometrics Part 1 (defining what plyometrics is), Plyometrics Part 2 (describing the many types of plyometrics), and Plyometrics Part 3 (analyzing the strength-power relationship in plyometrics).