Adding Plyometrics to Your Program: Part 1
Level 1: Defining the Type
First of all, plyometric training is a term that refers to jump training.
Jumping is one of the most important characteristics to an athlete. We train this attribute to keep athletes healthy by learning how to create and absorb forces from multiple directions; and to develop speed and power in ways that weight training cannot.
We have created a multilevel organization for ALL of our plyometric drills. This is done to create an universal verbiage that is used among coaches. You will see how we define the three different jumps that are used in our programming as you continue to read.
This is level 1: The Type.
Type #1: A Jump
“Take-off with both feet and land with both feet”
This is the most basic progression of plyometric training because the athlete is in a structural position. Athletes must demonstrate that they can effectively and safely take-off and land on two feet; while maintaining the proper posture, shin angle, and knee position before progressing to any single leg drills. Also, many “power” tests use jumps as a performance measure. For example, an elite-level vertical jump could predict someone’s speed capabilities.
Common Examples: Box Jumps or Broad Jumps
Type #2: A Hop
“Single Leg Take-Off with the Same Leg Landing”
Once our athletes have demonstrated proper technique on a double leg support, we will progress them to a hop. By taking off and landing with the same leg, we make the exercise more intense but still limit the amount of center of gravity shifting to make the exercise safer. Adding hops into a program is essential to developing an athletes motor control and balance, which are both major influences on athletes’ injury rates.
Common Examples: Single Leg Line Hops or Single Leg Depth Hops
Type #3: A Bound
“Single Leg Take-Off with the Opposite Leg Landing”
The bound in the most intense of the three types of jumps. This requires the athlete to be able to safely land and take-off on single leg support and be able to have enough body control to shift their weight from one side of their body to the other. Bounds are often used to isolate or exaggerate a powerful extension in linear running, or they are also used as a building block for multidirectional agility training.
