“What are Plyometric Exercises”… and can they help with strength training?

I remember my days in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training with vivid distaste. Every arduous day felt like a week and each week seemed like a month. Yet nary had a day seemed as long as those containing an afternoon spent in the regimen of “log PT.” This was the workout regimen that grew to be somewhat famous for the rumored activity of “running down the beach with a telephone pole on their shoulders”, and became synonymous with BUD/S training.

The most dreaded exercise in log PT was the “overhead toss.” This entailed the crew of seven men to simultaneously heave the heavy log from the left shoulder to the right shoulder, and back – over and over again. The catch: the log needed to be thrown into the air as high as possible to ensure it cleared all crew member’s heads.

This exhaustingly demanding exercise was designed to build teamwork – and that it did. Yet, I realized even way back then in the ‘80s that it had all the elements of the ultimate “plyometric exercise” – using “explosive strength” to accomplish the demanding task. The instructors demanded that the log get airborne with each “toss.” We had to push the log both hard and fast (and together = the teamwork) in order to successfully, and relatively painlessly, get the heavy wood into the air and over to the opposite shoulder.

 
Adding some 'plyometrics techniques' to your strength training movements might be just what's needed for new strength and size gains

Plyometric exercises should never be as grueling as that. However, they do require concentration and the mental mindset for being ready to move the resistance as hard and fast as possible.

“What are plyometric exercises?” These are exercises whereby a trainee develops muscular power through the practice of explosive movements. These are movements that contract the muscles in a fast and explosive manner – generating maximum force in the shortest time possible. Plyometric exercises are commonly used in training for sports for which additional explosive power can produce optimal results – such as basketball (jumping power/speed) or boxing (punching power/speed).

How Plyometric Exercises Build Power

Speed combined with strength is what provides power for sports. Plyometic exercises improve this power by enhancing the strength, elasticity, and neurological component of muscular contraction in order to allow athletes to run faster, jump higher, throw farther, or hit harder.

When we perform an ‘eccentric contraction’ – such as when we lowered the log to our shoulders during log PT in BUD/S Training – followed quickly by a ‘concentric contraction’ (like heaving the weight in positive movement by trying to get the log to be airborne above our heads)  - we effectively work the muscle’s “stretch/shortening cycle.” If the eccentric contraction is held too long, the muscles contractile ability is dissipated through heat energy.

We sure experienced that dissipation in BUD/S. The instructors seemed to “smell” a lack of teamwork a mile away. They’d come and hang from our logs as we were bringing them down to our shoulders; the eccentric part of the movement. The subsequent concentric movement was all but impossible after that.

However, by going from the eccentric contraction to the concentric contraction as swiftly, powerfully, and fluidly as possible, power for certain sports can be greatly enhanced. This is the kind of power that allows a long jumper to jump farther than a power lifter. The power lifter has more muscle strength – allowing him/her to squat nearly a thousand pounds. Yet the long jumper can generally jump farther, even though he or she doesn’t possess as much raw muscle strength.

Plyometric Exercises for Sports

Now that we’ve answered the question of “what are plyometric exercises”, let’s look at how they can enhance sports performance. After all, I don’t think my log PT example has any real practical applications, although it was great for teaching teamwork in a gut-wrenching kind of way.

Plyometric exercises for sports performance enhancement require carefully choosing an exercise movement that most closely resembles the prime movements of the sport in which the athlete is competing. Then it’s a matter of working in some drills with these exercises in such a way that all other training is complimented – while overtraining is avoided.

For example, if I were training a boxer or martial artist with plyometric exercises, I might take some punching target mitts into a weight room. I might have the athlete grab a one-hand pulley handle after I put a small amount of weight on the stack that’s connected to it. Then I could have him do some punching drills on the target pad while he holds that one cable cross-over handle for resistance. These drills would be very controlled; he’d bring the resistance back slowly on the eccentric contraction and EXPLODE with power toward the pad at a pre-determined point of contraction. We’d make sure his punching form was kept strict throughout the movements.

The above is just an example of a more complex exercise. Of course, the most common and simple plyometric exercise for sports is a simple squat/jump movement.

Plyometric Exercise for Strength Training

We’ve gone over “what are plyometric exercises” and how they can be used for sports performance enhancement, but what about improvement of strength training and muscle building? Is there a place for this type of exercise in overall physique development?

Improving the power that’s exerted during a strength training or bodybuilding workout might be exactly what a trainee needs in order to break through to new workout gains. To gain this power, it can be beneficial to work some plyometric techniques into an otherwise staid routine of bench presses, squats, leg presses, behind-the-neck-press, or T-bar rowes.

Think about it: If you’re seasoned at strength training and you find your strength at an exercise like bench press hitting a plateau, a few sets of plyometric presses done with a lighter weight might be just what you need to get moving again. Simply bring the weight down in a slow and controlled manner and then explode as fast as possible into the positive direction once the bar comes down to your chest. The trick is to keep the bar moving and NOT pause at the bottom of the movement; just go from ‘eccentric’ to ‘concentric’ movement as quickly and explosively as possible.

To get maximum intensity out of these types of workouts, I recommend resting for a good three minutes between sets.


Safety Precautions

Plyometric exercises are for experienced athletes and strength trainers/bodybuilders. It’s highly recommended that you avoid them if you have no training experience under your belt.

Even with adequate experience, it’s important to utilize much reduced weight loads when performing these types of movements. In fact, I would even recommend using a machine rather than free weights to reduce risk of injury.

Just as I outline in my bodybuilding/fitness/success book obtainable right here, it’s important to provide adequate recuperation time between workouts. This is especially so if you’re adding some plyometric sets to your workouts as they place more stress on the muscles, connective tissues, and nervous system.

Comments

[Professional bodybuilder workouts]

Professional bodybuilder workouts like plyometric exercises can really develop more areas on your body. You may not only gain more muscle mass but you can also improve your speed and elasticity.