STIMULATION OF THE CNS. THATS THE KEY. Stimulation and mechanical effects are different. Neuronal activation is the key. When you lift heavy you are not necessarily trying to increase velocity, you are trying to lower the threshold of activation, so that you can tap into fast fiber quicker.
Thank you, I couldnt agree more.
Although strength training isnt the only ingredient for faster times I do think its the MAIN ingredient.
Go read the book “juiced” by Canseco, he states that when he started in the minors he had below average ruinning speed, an average throwing arm and below average homerun power.
Then he started lifting heavy weights (yes he took steroids but that just reinforces my point that strength = speed and power).
The rest they say is history!!
Tell me how a 240 lbs guy can steal 40 bases in pro baseball, he had to greatly increase his strength to do that.
I also forgot to mention that heavy weights increases hard muscle fiber which is basically the fast-twitch muscles you want for increasing speed.
If you James Colbert know of a better way to increase fast-twitch fibers Id like to hear about it.
im not going to even address wanting to increase fast-twtich fibers. but you want to learn hwo to recruitment them in a superior fashion than that of a max squat. go stand on a chair step off and land sharply and dynamically in the lower position of a squat. your muscle just absorbed more than you have or ever will squat, you reversed recruitment patters, and you taught yourself proper motor firing patterns for explosive athletics.
So you’re saying you can greatly increase your sprint speed by simply jumping from a chair???
no im saying that it is a method that you can benefit from. ever heard of a depth landing, or perhapse you know it as an altitude drop. either way the force generated by falling from a height and effectivly abosribing the force can be much greater than what you can squat. more than 20 times your body weight at heights of 3.2m.
Fair enough, I’ll try it since I can do it at home and I dont need special equipment.
Isnt this just basic plyometrics though???
Yes. Depth landings and depth jumps are the basic (if you mean the Verkhoshansky way), but have a very powerful training effect and like what Colbert said, you can absorb a lot of force through the eccentric action. Though “powermetrics” (Siff) are more simpler and are used as a foundation for plyometrics.
a plyometric by definition would also include the concentric portion of the movement. both have value. it all depends on what your trying to accomplish and i dont mean just run fast i mean which physiological trait are you trying to train, speed strength, strength speed, force abosrption, high frequecny motor output, absolute strenght etc. they are all related and effect each other to a degree but the all require a different stimulus to elicit them. all of them contribute to running fast and performing well.
So how many of these chair-jumps should I do every day???
And how high should I jump from???
Once a week will do. A maximum of 50-80 jumps in one session. You can rebound off the ground immediately after landing. To determine your optimal height you must make sure that your heels do not touch the ground. Sets of 8-10 reps with full recovery.
Drop jumps can be done also. You jump down and absorb the shock by bending your knees and holding the position for 3- 5 secs. A maximum of 20 drops will do. In sets of 10 reps with 8-10 min rec.
Unfortunately there is no easy way of setting the optimal drop height other than using a force plate. Since you have no access to a force plate its rather hit and miss. Be very carful with this sort of training. You could knock your hips out of line if you do not take care. You can hold your breath on landing to increase rigidity in your body.
Buy the following book.
“Explosive Power and Jumping Ability for All Sports: Atlas of Exercises.”
Thanks Martn, Im gonna try this and see how it improves my time
This article has basically everything you need to know about Depth jumps and Depth landings (Altitude jumps). Read it:
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/Kinetic_Energy_Accumulation_Training.htm
And actually no more than 40 total jumps spread over various sets are recommended for advanced athletes in a training session. I usually do sets of 4-5 jumps with 3-4 minutes rest in between each set. Quality and 100% effort are key.
Actually volume can be even less. Depending on the amount of ground contacts counted and accounted for in other plyometric exercises. For optimal effect 80 is maximum. We have found that sometimes just 10 depth jumps are enough. Drop jumps are very very intense and just a few (EVEN 5) maybe enough.
I recommend you get hold of the book I referenced. Though internet sources are ok but getting info from 3-4 sources to validate each other and to get the full picture is better.
Good article there. Thanks
i dont agree with the perscription but it is better than simply squatting.
i would agree get the book bc anything from CT i would take with a grain of salt, most of his stuff is high vol - why would u ever do depth jumps for 4x10.
I usually only do 5 per set, sometimes just 4 per set.
i think the reason people genreally can only do so few is becasue they are not prepared for the excercise itself the force upon impact can be modulated in a number of ways even to accomodate the grossly weak but most people will not contract the proper muscles or get into the proper position to effeciently absorb that force generated.
The reason why a small amount of volume can be tolerated is due to the high intensity of the exercise. Also less is definitely more. An important point to make is that the inhibition of the CNS takes about 6-8 weeks to be removed. During that time, a beginner will not be able to tolerate or benefit immediately from the exercise. Once they are able to benefit, the stimulation of the CNS by the exercise can only be tolerated in small amounts.
not so ive known people to do massive volumes of altitude drops from high heights, simply saying its intesne so you cant do a lot does not suffice. high load high volume is possible with the proper traits in place.