LA84 FOUNDATIONCOACHING EDUCATION

BASIC/INTERMEDIATE CLINIC

JUMP TRAINING FOR ALL TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS

Cameron T. GaryMater Dei Catholic H.S. – Chula Vista, CA

USATF Level 2 - Jumps

WHY DO JUMP TRAINING? AFTER ALL, MY ATHLETES ARE NOT JUMPERS… The ability to jump:

Purest example of power expression Especially in relation to body size

Exhibits dynamic body controlDirectly transfers into all T&F events

Sprint Starts Hurdle Clearances Striding across the throwing ring Most effective contributor to stride length

At any distance

Explosive capability is critical in ALL sports!

CENTRAL THEME… DELIVER FORCE INTO THE GROUND

Increased force into the ground = increased energy return to the body

DON’T over emphasize high-knees High knee action is a reaction to ground force

Overemphasis on high knees results in “pulling”

Negates ground force application

Research has shown that faster running speeds are primarily due to:

Increased stride length due to ground force reaction

Faster application of high ground forces

BASIC CONCEPTS Distinction between Strength and Power

Strength = max force applied against resistance Irrespective of time element Maximum poundage is lifted slowly

Power = applied strength vs. time By definition uses sub-maximal resistance Power IS a function of strength The focus is speed of application

200 lbs of force applied in 2 seconds; vs. 300 lbs of force applied in 4 seconds200/2 = 100 lbs of force per second300/4 = 75 lbs of force per second

BASIC JUMPING How do we jump?

“Triple extension” of hip, knee and ankle joints

Fast & Coordinated

Until foot release

All three must happen in order to “jump”

“Summation of Forces”

Non-extension of any one joint makes the jump inefficient

Can extrapolate this to upper body movements

VERY basic movement Not “functional”, per se

CONCENTRIC JUMPING Main Characteristics

Pushing only

Strength-oriented

Overcome inertia - move from a stationary position Body at rest tends to stay at rest…

Sprint starts

Beginning of approach runs

We train this attribute through: Bodyweight Exercises (e.g., Lunges)

Conventional weight lifting Squats, dead lifts, etc.

Jumping up onto a surface

Running up stairs

ECCENTRIC & ISOMETRIC STRENGTHEccentric Contraction

Muscle lengthens under tension Such as lowering the weight on a Bench Press

Stronger than Concentric One can lower more weight than they can lift

Isometric (“isolate” + “measure”) Muscle contraction w/o movement of joint

Very brief but very important

These attributes are trained by: Lowering and/or holding weight

“Farmer’s” Carry, etc.

Running/ Horizontal Jumping & stopping (“Catching”)

Jumping (vertically) down (“Sticking”)

Running down stairs

COUNTER-MOVEMENT JUMPINGRapid weight drop

Temporarily “increase” weight W/O increasing mass

Descent is briefly stopped & quickly reversedIsometric strength must be great

Arm motions increase force into the groundApplied downward then upward

Body “lightens” as a result

Balances the body (e.g. Alternate arm running))

Train counter-movements through:Hang Cleans, Hang Snatches, Push Jerks, etc.

“PLYOMETRIC” JUMPING

Name is derived from Greek roots plethyein, meaning “to increase”“Plio” = more

“Metric” = measure Noted track coach Fred Wilt

Credited with being the first American to use this term (circa 1975)

PLYOMETRIC HISTORY

These methods were used in Soviet bloc countries for several years prior to the 1970s

Notable Names:Yuri Verkhoshansky – noted Soviet coach and

pioneer in the fieldValeri Borzov – Olympic gold medalist sprinter

Used extensive jump training Probably the one who made Americans realize that

things had changed…re: “natural” sprinters

THE GOAL OF PLYOMETRICS

A dynamic form of strength training Designed to impart a load on the muscles Intended to “Pre-Recruit” the muscles:

Synergistic Not possible w/ isolation movements

Maximal strengthAs quickly as possible

Best done withMovements consistent with the athletic skill or

eventWhile athlete is NOT in a fatigued state

PLYOMETRIC “SPRINGY” EFFECT Stretch-Shortening “Myotatic” Reflex

RAPID Absorption > Stabilizing > Explosion

Dynamic power (strength vs. time)

Functional muscular tension (within reason) Example - Maximum speed sprinting

Shallow knee angles – Fast ground contact

“Front-Side” Mechanics

Multiple “jumps” down the track

One cannot “push” fast enough

“Horizontal” jumping/running really isn’t horizontal Transitional vertical impulse

Sinusoidal movement of pelvic girdle

PLYOMETRIC ANALOGY

Stretching a rubber band, and then releasing it

Bouncing a rubber ball off a hard surface The harder the ball, the

higher the bounce Superball vs. Tennis Ball

There must be some “give”

The more energy applied downward, the more resulting bounce upward Dropped from higher

Thrown down as opposed to dropped

MERELY JUMPING FROM ONE SPOT TO ANOTHER IS NOT PLYOMETRIC Must have instantaneous change in direction Must have a reflexive shortening of the muscle The rate of stretch is highly tied to the

effectivenessBetter to stretch the muscle faster than to stretch the

muscle furtherWhen the degree of stretch is so great that the

movement slows/compromises, it is better to: Decrease the degree of stretch until the rate improves Change the movement to place the athlete into a better

position to achieve a faster stretch rate (depth, etc.)Example: Box jumping

Stop the exercise and resume when the athlete is rested

EQUIPMENT/SURFACE/SAFETY CONCERNS

Initially use Bodyweight for resistanceAdded height/weight is for advanced athletes

Power development High intensity training

Land with a full foot placementToward the middle of the footNot heavily on the toes or the heelsPre-Stretch the Achilles Tendon

Dorsi-Flex the foot

Deliver a Blow!Athlete should strike the ground – not push

EQUIPMENT/SURFACE/SAFETY CONCERNS(CONT.)

The landing surface should: Be forgiving, but not too spongyAllow good traction – especially w/ horizontal

movements If using boxes:

Be sturdy w/ non-slip tops and basesShould not be too high

99% of work can be done w/ boxes under 18 inches Knee angles should be the same at take-off and landing

Proper footwear is critical!Sturdy, shock-absorbent solesNEVER barefoot on hard surfaces

APPLIED JUMPING EXERCISES Hopping

Single or Double leg Skipping

“A” series, “B” series, etc. Max-Speed Sprinting Rebound Jumping

Up or downHorizontal Bounding

“Bouncing” upper body movements“Dynamic” push-upsMedicine Ball Catch and Throw, etc.

Most importantly – Stress Power Into the Ground!

DIVISION OF EXERCISES Do not confuse:

Intensity level with the ability to cause fatigue One can become “tired” from skipping rope One can become “tired” from jogging One can become “tired” from calisthenics

Perception of fatigue is not always apparent after a series of maximal-effort jumps

Speed/Power training is neural as well as physiologicalThe athlete should be sufficiently rested (between

workouts, sets, reps) to allow for maximal effortsDynamics are the same as quality sprinting

EXAMPLE – DIVISION BY INTENSITY LEVEL

Low (general warm-ups, recovery work, etc.) Rope skipping Recreational game playing (hopscotch, etc.) Jogging

Medium (active warm-ups, technique, conditioning, etc.) Running (sub-maximal) Bounding drills (sub-maximal) Repetitive sub-maximal sport-specific jumps Repetitive sub-maximal sport direction changes

High (power development, competition rehearsal, etc.) Maximal effort competition jumping Maximal effort sprinting Maximal sport-specific direction changes Depth Jumping

BALANCE THE WORK Keep your jumping exercises at an intensity

consistent with the focus of the sessionWarm-ups and technical (learning) movements are

done sub-maximallyStrength/Speed Development movements are

done maximally If the movements fall below a certain level re:

time, distance, reps vs. time, etc.Give more rest between setsStop the exercise and go to something else

SIMPLE TO COMPLEX Focus on technical proficiency over volume

More is not necessarily better (“Better” is better) It serves no purpose to do more of an improper movement Anything worth doing is worth doing correctly Improper technique exposes athletes to injury

Progress from Bilateral to Unilateral For Young Athletes

Keep the volume low and the intensity high 20 – 150 Ground Contacts Per Session Keep the reps low per set Example - horizontal movements

Speed/Power = 40 yards or less per repetitionWork Capacity = 50 – 100 yards per repetitionMonitor your athlete’s rest intervals to achieve the session

goals

RECOMMENDED ORDER OF TRAINING

Technique Speed Power/Strength Endurance/Work Capacity

This is where many mistakes are madeEndurance training is NOT speed training!Separate your endurance training from your Jump

or Speed training It is acceptable to perform tempo-endurance

training the day after Plyometric training. Focus on QUALITY over quantity

A NOTE ON ENDURANCE… Endurance is the ability to resist fatigue In jumping, “endurance” equates to

work capacityAbility to apply maximal efforts repeatedly

Increasing one’s strength Increases one’s power potential

200 lb max squatter can more quickly lift a 100 lb load than a 150 lb squatter

Must account for relative body weightMust account for the needs relative to the

event Distance runner vs. shot putter

RECOVERY Between Sets

Maximal Effort = Maximal Recovery Sub-maximal effort with sub-maximal recovery

Work Capacity/Endurance

Between Sessions Jump training can be done about 2 – 3x a week, but… Maximal efforts about 1 – 2x a week

Followed by a tempo session or active rest Athletes generally need about 48-72 hours to recover

from intense jumping work Low intensity jumping can be done daily

Remember – COMPETITIONS are high intensity training exercises.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS Stair Drills

Double Step HopDouble Step Up and Back

Field Drill DemosBasic LungeSplit Lunge JumpStandard SkipStep Bounding

CAMERON T. GARY

www.ctgdevelopment.net619-895-4699

jumpmaster@ctgdevelopment.net