hi please can you give your thoughts on the break if any between a plyo programme and starting another. I have just finished a 8 week plyo programme witrh awesome results already feeling more dynamic and explosiv, now should I taper of ion terms of foot contacts and volume over the next 2 weeks and have a rest from plyos for a week or so before i start the next phase of plyos?
with the next phase it will be in season so the volume will be much less is this the way to go?
I know charlie says that even 10 reps of plyos can be stimulatory but is there a need to have a complete break for 1-2 weeks from such an intensive 8 weeks ?
When you say a plyo phase, what do you mean by that? I assume you were performing other training elements concurrently. Could you provide a few examples from your training diary?
I wouldn’t think of training phases strictly in terms of plyometric training (or any isolated component) but rather in terms of total workload. If you are going to reduce the plyometrics, do you plan on replacing it with additional CNS stimulation from another component, or are you going to reduce the overall CNS volume?
I would like to temporarily hi jack this forum just to ask how often would you use plyos in season on a week to week basis. What is needed to get results?
The speed work has been continous a modified version of the short to long approach with reduced volumes, I have been doing plyos throughout the winter in the form of complexes with the weights it has worked well. The statement i am refering to is an week plyo programme in line with my current components of speed, weights and jumps ( which is the component that has been greatly reduced to allow for the increased demands of the plyos) This 8 week stint has involved more bounding and depth jump type plyos including hurdle hops with relatively low fc volumes max foot contacts peaked at just over a 100 so its not excessive but it is significant. I have already felt the effects from the bounding and new depth jump/drop type drills my ground contact is more dynamic and quicker as is my drive through each stride.
my question i guess is i plan to maintain the stimulus of plyos in season i just needed an advanced 8 week concentrated block of plyos to really break through plateues in training. and it seems to have worked everything has been carefully adjusted for work loads and cns stimuli, in fact i have come through woithout any set backs in training oi deaed legs etc apart ftrom early adaptation.
so with that said do i need to taper off over two weeks or so when i am starting the competitve season in 1st week of may and hence do i maintain the stimulus with a much reduced plyo work load only 40-50fc (half of what i was doing )
i was planning to incorporate the plyos outlined by yourself charlie in the phase three i.e up and down depth jumps onto a 80cm-1m platform i have responded well to them over the past three weeks upto 40cm.
this with some reduced 1-2 take of drills throught the season?
I wouldn’t stay away from the plyos fr more than 5 days do that you don’t get adaptation stiffness due to a noticeable layoff. Just modify the numbers to allow the speed to come up.