| Maximum power is trained when the athlete works in | | | | season such as introducing new plyometric exercises |
| a range of between 95-100% of their maximum | | | | during the competitive season, a strength base was |
| intensity. All too often athletes perform these power | | | | not established first, some of the athletes were too |
| training drills at a low intensity thus defeating the | | | | young for plyometric training and many coaches did |
| purpose of overloading the muscles and maximizing | | | | not know how many sets and repetitions to use. |
| you time spent training. Plyometrics has become the | | | | Progression of exercises to develop speed include |
| standard for power development with many trainers. | | | | developing vertical drive - conducting plyometric |
| Power is simply the combination of speed and | | | | exercises using cones and mini-hurdles will help to |
| strength. In recent years many athletes and coaches | | | | develop the vertical drive in athletes. Developing |
| have thought of power training as plyometric training | | | | explosive hip power - one of my favorite modes of |
| due to the popularity of the term. However, plyometric | | | | exercises for developing power, in particular hip power, |
| training is just one form of power training. Plyometric | | | | is stair hops. The key with these exercises is to take |
| training refers to an athlete developing explosive | | | | away the use of the arms. One way to do this is to |
| movements through a concentric contraction | | | | place your hands behind your head as you hop with |
| (shortening of muscle) following an eccentric | | | | two feet together up the steps. Developing explosive |
| contraction (lengthening of muscle). | | | | starts - this is where the various bounding exercises |
| It is during this eccentric contraction that the maximum | | | | assist the athlete in developing speed by improving |
| force generated by the muscle is attained. The | | | | their explosive starts. Two of my favourite exercises |
| amount of force generated by the muscles following | | | | are the single-leg and double-leg bounding followed by |
| an eccentric contraction is greater. How does this | | | | an immediate sprint. These exercises assist the athlete |
| apply to making you faster? Well it is not only specific | | | | in pushing off the ground followed by a subsequent |
| to the various movements involved in your sport but it | | | | burst of speed over 10 metres. |
| allows you to develop a more explosive start which | | | | Three main points in order to gain positive results from |
| will help you to get to your destination more quickly. | | | | plyometric training are to develop a sound base of |
| It is the stored energy from an eccentric contraction | | | | flexibility, develop a sound base of strength and to |
| when a muscle is stretched that is available during the | | | | reduce the risk of injury by performing the proper |
| following explosive concentric contraction. It is this | | | | technique for each exercise. |
| stretching of the muscles prior to the explosive muscle | | | | The following need to be identified and considered |
| contraction that is often referred to as the "loading | | | | prior to an athlete commencing a plyometric training |
| phase." The key point here to know is that the greater | | | | program: Age of the athlete, current or potential injuries, |
| the load and the faster the load will result in a more | | | | medical history, muscle imbalances, current strength of |
| powerful contraction. | | | | athlete, current speed of athlete, the athlete's weight, |
| One key aspect for athletes to know is that the | | | | the athlete's experience and knowledge with power |
| concentric contraction must be immediate after the | | | | training and the surface that the exercises will be |
| eccentric contraction otherwise a lot of this energy will | | | | performed on. |
| be lost. For example if you want to increase your | | | | The key variables that need to be considered with |
| vertical jump you will bend down and then immediately | | | | plyometric training include frequency of sessions, rest |
| explode upwards. However, you are unlikely to | | | | and recovery between sessions, overload, progression |
| achieve such a height if you bend down, wait a few | | | | with intensity levels, progression with volume, what |
| seconds and then jump upwards. Therefore an athlete | | | | season the athlete is in (pre or post season), duration |
| must try to jump as soon as they can following the | | | | of the program or session, the specific demands of |
| eccentric contraction. This process is often referred to | | | | the sport, implementation of a thorough warm-up and |
| the stretch-shortening cycle and is what plyometrics is | | | | your tournament schedule. |
| built around. | | | | The following is how developing power can improve |
| Now transfer this over to how it can make you faster. | | | | an athlete's speed in a chosen sport such as tennis. |
| It could make you faster in getting to a ball if you can | | | | The development of power in the game of tennis is |
| time your jump rather than just waiting in a crouched | | | | most important to players at the higher levels. It is |
| position. It could allow you to be faster if you learn to | | | | important to understand both components of power, |
| take off following this phase rather that trying to take | | | | which are the strength and speed aspects and how |
| off from a crouched position. In tennis you could | | | | each relates to power development. |
| become faster if you hit the ball, land and recover and | | | | Power is also involved in all strokes and areas of the |
| then learn to time your explosive start immediately | | | | game of tennis. Power is particularly important in the |
| from this position rather than a full upright or fully | | | | explosive movement during the service motion, thus |
| crouched position. | | | | adding more "speed" to the serve. A faster serve will |
| I found this to be true for the tennis players that I have | | | | obviously be more effective and can help the player to |
| trained. When waiting in the already crouched position | | | | develop the serve into a weapon. |
| on a return; I found out that they were slower to get | | | | Power is also extremely important to developing |
| off the mark compared to when they were able to | | | | speed as it contributes to improved explosive starts |
| time their forward movement. This is where learning | | | | and speed over short distances. Power development |
| the split-step the correct way will make you faster in | | | | is one of the most neglected areas when training |
| getting to the ball. | | | | tennis players due to the lack of knowledge and |
| Power training must be specific to the skill or | | | | understanding by coaches in how to train for "power." |
| movement that is being performed by the athlete. It is | | | | Include power drills that involve the use of some |
| also important that when conducting power training | | | | equipment such as a medicine ball, as well as some |
| that the load placed upon the body does not affect | | | | drills using ones' own body weight for those programs |
| the actual specific sporting skill or movement. For | | | | that do not have access to the required equipment. |
| example; you could where a weighted vest and try to | | | | Injury Concerns with power training - It is extremely |
| perform a series of vertical jumps but if your specific | | | | important to demonstrate proper technique in all power |
| movement patterns are effected then you are | | | | drills in order to prevent injuries. The development of |
| inhibiting the transferring benefit. | | | | power involves many "explosive" or "ballistic" |
| This is why when conducting plyometric exercises it is | | | | movements and if performed incorrectly can often |
| important to choose sport specific exercises with | | | | lead to injury. It is therefore important for the coach to |
| appropriate loading as there will be greater | | | | fully understand how to demonstrate the skill, what |
| transference across in terms of physiological and | | | | they are trying to achieve, each player's physical ability, |
| learned adaptations. | | | | and how to include power training into their fitness and |
| Key plyometric exercises that help to improve speed | | | | conditioning programs. It is important, as with all fitness |
| include single leg hops, single leg bounding, pistol squats, | | | | drills, that the coach follows any specific directions |
| double leg tuck jumps, double leg hops, alternate leg | | | | given by a player's physician. |
| bounding, incline two leg bounding, zigzag hops or one | | | | Power development is primarily directed towards the |
| legged lateral bounding, lateral jumps, squat jumps and | | | | more advanced competitive athletes. When coaching |
| split jumps, depth jumps, alternating step ups, double leg | | | | younger athletes still in the developmental stages (both |
| jumps and single leg box squats. Additional plyo-metric | | | | technically and physically) it is more important to use |
| training method include ladder exercises, stair training, | | | | the time available to develop stroke technique, court |
| medicine ball exercises, kettle ball exercises, bounding | | | | positioning, scoring, and overall understanding of the |
| over cones, bounding over mini-hurdles, jump/skipping | | | | game of tennis. |
| rope and stadium hops. | | | | Power training needs to be specific to the movement |
| One of my favourite exercises is running sand dunes! | | | | involved. All of the major power movements have |
| This is a killer workout and a great way to add extra | | | | been identified and the following drills have been |
| resistance and variety to your training programs. I | | | | developed specifically for power development in tennis |
| guarantee that if you are looking for a fun new way to | | | | players. |
| train your athletes then take them down to the beach | | | | Be sure to complete a needs analysis for each athlete |
| where there are some sand dunes. You can also | | | | identifying any possible injuries of concern. To minimize |
| include some sprint sessions along the beach followed | | | | the risk of injury, it is important to conduct an aerobic |
| by some swimming. Your athletes will be ready to | | | | warm-up and extensive stretching routine prior to |
| sleep for hours after this work out. It is also fun for | | | | performing these power training drills. Weights are |
| them to be outside on the beach. Just be sure to | | | | used not only to develop absolute strength, but also |
| include a proper warm-up and warm-down into your | | | | strength-speed. |
| session. | | | | The simple jump exercises (such as single leg hops, |
| After spending many years with coaches from a | | | | two feet bounding, jumps for height or distance) are |
| variety of sports in developing and designing their | | | | useful in developing the eccentric component of the |
| fitness and conditioning programs; it was quite | | | | forced stretch - contract phase. Perform these simple |
| apparent that many coaches did not know how to | | | | jump exercises prior to starting the more advanced |
| properly implement a plyometric program. The key | | | | exercises. |
| areas of concern were that many coaches were not | | | | The training sessions should be progressive with each |
| completely educated on how to teach and instruct | | | | phase developing the player's body sufficiently so that |
| each plyometric exercises. Other factors included the | | | | they can move onto the next phase of training. The |
| equipment used was of the wrong shape, size and | | | | ultimate goal is to be peaking for their competitive |
| weight for the athlete, the surface that they were | | | | phase, so be sure to prevent stagnation by |
| performing the exercises on were poor and | | | | understanding what phase of training they are in. |
| dangerous, the athletes didn't understand what they | | | | Include a variety of drills. |
| were working on or how it applied to their sport, | | | | If you wish to increase you speed then you will need |
| athletes did not perform a proper warm-up prior to | | | | to incorporate some form of power training into your |
| commencing a plyometric program, injuries were not | | | | sessions. Speed is often defined over short distances |
| reviewed prior to starting a plyometric training program, | | | | and this is where you need that powerful and |
| plyometrics were used at the wrong time of the | | | | explosive acceleration to help make you faster. |