After reading CT’s book i have been using Canadian-Ascendin-descending complex training for my strength sessions in the gym with good results. As i move on to my next block i will be using a pretty standard weight programme of Squat, Cleans, Bench or something similar on speed days. This is because Christian recommends cycling shock excercises 4wks max. at a time cos they plateau very quickly.
Anyway i think the plyometric and ballistic work has been a big benefit to my strength training so i would like to know others opinion on the best times to include plyometrics. At the track at the end of a speed session, or at the start of a gym session later in the day, or others?
Where i’m coming from is in the past i have normally done plyometrics at the end of a sprint session to work on some reactive strength after the main part of the session. I have also used them at the beginning of a session as part of a warm up prior to special endurance. Using both methods i have improved my plyometrics, measured using vert jump tests, 3 bunny hop tests, but havn’t really seen any crossover into my sprinting or lifting (making the excercise fairly pointless).
Having read CT’s book and now reading about DB’s use of reactive strength training in the gym i have been using ballistic and shock excercises as part of a canadian complex with the result being my gym lifts have moved up as well as my plyo’s leading me to the conclusion that this format is better (for me anyway). I have yet to test any improvement on the track and am skeptical about going by feeling as you feel what you want to feel. I will find this out in the next couple of weeks when i do some analysis on my sprint times but fingers crossed improvements on jumps and gym strength will crossover to my running.
My current level of understanding leads me to believe that leaving plyo’s till the gym session has the benefit of them being performed in a fresher state after a rest between track and gym and thus making them more effective. Plus i think the neural stimulation from them improves limit strength excercises. And in reverse reading david w’s post on pap complexing limit strength and plyo’s also can yield improvements. So at present i plan to keep my plyo’s and ballistic work for the gym but i am interested to see what others opinions and experiences are.
As Xlr8 says - try and find out … but one consideration might be the type of plyos used … i.e. keeping the weights light for upper body - perhaps to 60-70% RM in ballistic exercises - and the intensity light for lower body … I think I remeber Charlie warning about very intense plyos (such as depth jumps) after heavy strength sessions or limit strength training when in a fatgiued state … if you are doing plyos towards the end of the session - you may find that you are performing plyos at the end of a long session (up to 2.5 hours later) after you started training first and this might be bordering on a bit late for such intense exercises … of course their are some who would regard plyos unnecessary if you’re sprinting and performing oly lifts … but that’s another story …
I only use a small volume of plyo’s and ballistics at the start of a session and this seems to be working for me. The ballistics are a lot lighter though 20-30% RM.