| The answer to most athletes seeking for ways on | | | | in stronger, faster contraction that allows explosive |
| how to increase vertical leaping abilities is not pure | | | | force that is able to move a heavy load (such as your |
| strength, but ability for the leg muscles to do more | | | | body weight) quickly and forcefully. |
| work in a shorter span of time. As we all know from | | | | It should be now clear how plyometrics helps on how |
| elementary physics, work is defined as force x | | | | to increase vertical leaping ability. It enables the |
| distance travelled. For our muscles to function (i.e. | | | | muscles to contract a longer distance and in a shorter |
| move our limbs, jump, walk, etc) it needs to contract. | | | | span of time. But with this promise of increased reflex |
| Every time the muscle contracts, the ends that are | | | | speed and explosive power is increased risk of injury. |
| attached to tendons move a certain distance and this | | | | Plyometrics is a much more intense level of physical |
| is proportional to the amount of work the muscle is | | | | activity than aerobic exercises such as swimming or |
| able to perform. | | | | running. That is why to reduce chances of injury, the |
| The main benefit plyometric exercises brings to | | | | athlete is required to have a higher physical fitness |
| physical activity is that skeletal muscles are trained to | | | | level than someone who is into running or swimming. |
| contract and move a longer distance thus increasing its | | | | The classical test for determining an athletes level of |
| potential to do more work. But this is not the only | | | | physical conditioning is the ability to squat 1.5 times |
| benefit plyometrics brings. It trains our muscles to | | | | body weight. This is to ensure that the body is strong |
| contract in a shorter span of time. When our muscles | | | | enough to absorb the rigors of plyometrics. Others |
| are used to contract a longer distance in a short time, | | | | have shown that most of the injuries related to |
| the speed of our reflexes increases and this leads to | | | | plyometric exercises are the results of improper |
| explosive muscular strength that results to increased | | | | landing, hard landing surfaces or training jumps done |
| vertical leaping ability. When you compare a weight | | | | too high. Jumping from elevated platforms have been |
| lifter and a plyometrics trained athlete, the former may | | | | measured and experts could not find significant |
| have greater overall strength. He can beat the other | | | | differences between jumps performed at 50 cm and |
| athlete in number of repetitions in say in squats but the | | | | 80 cm. This suggests that there is no added benefit |
| athlete trained in plyometrics can exert maximal force | | | | from performing jump training on heights above half a |
| in a shorter period of time. | | | | meter and the likelihood of injury only increases. |
| Deep inside the makeup of our muscles, plyometrics | | | | For individuals embarking on a training program to |
| increases the neuromuscular connections between the | | | | improve athletic abilities like jumping or sprinting, |
| muscle tissue and the brain One benefit that arises | | | | plyometrics have been proven to give the desired |
| from this condition is that the nervous impulses that | | | | effects but with an increased risk of injury. It is |
| controls muscular contraction become synchronized. | | | | important athletes keep the demands of plyometric |
| The neurons that are embedded in the muscle tissue | | | | exercises in mind and make sure their bodies are |
| do not fire off singly resulting in haphazard contractions | | | | prepared for using the exercises on how to increase |
| instead they fire off in one powerful impulse that result | | | | vertical jumps for better game performance. |
