Hansen Derek - Plyometric Anatomy

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hansen, Derek, 1969- author. | Kennelly, Steve, author.

Title: Plyometric anatomy / Derek Hansen, Steve Kennelly.

Description: Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, [2017] | Includes

bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017011257 (print) | LCCN 2017008863 (ebook) | ISBN

9781492533498 (print) | ISBN 9781492535591 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Physical fitness--Health aspects. | Exercise--Physiological

aspects.

Classification: LCC RA781 .H343 2017 (ebook) | LCC RA781 (print) | DDC

613.7--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017011257

ISBN: 978-1-4925-3349-8 (print)

Copyright 2017 by Derek Hansen and Steve Kennelly

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

This publication is written and published to provide accurate and authoritative information relevant to the subject matter presented. It is published and sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, medical, or other professional services by reason of their authorship or publication of this work. If medical or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

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E6832

To my unconditionally loving family for their endless support and patience. My wife, Carolyn, and my children, Callum, Bridgette, and Hannah, have always been there for me and provide me with the motivation to find better ways of helping people. I also want to thank my parents, Clarence and Carole, for urging me to follow my passions and always put forward my best effort. Finally, I would not be in a position to share my knowledge without the guidance of my mentors, including Al Vermeil, Rob Panariello, Donald Chu, Al Miller, Joseph Horrigan, and Charlie Francis.

Derek Hansen

To my wife Rita, and our children Ryan, Lia, and Mary. Thanks for your never ending love and support and for creating balance in our lives.

Steve Kennelly

The current emphasis on sport science and technology in all areas of human performance has encouraged athletes, coaches, and sport medicine professionals to seek out the most effective ways to train and closely monitor athletic improvement daily. Athletes not only desire to be consistently faster, stronger, and more powerful but also more resistant to injury. Staying resilient and healthy is as important to athletes as performing at a high level, because missed training sessions and competitions only make it more difficult to progress and maintain a high level of output. Thus, you need to take special care when selecting, arranging, and integrating training elements to elicit the desired responses and adaptations. Improving performance is not so much about finding the magic bullet of training but rather about developing a comprehensive approach composed of precise exercises dispensed at the most appropriate times of the training program.

Some of the most effective exercises for improving strength, power, and speed involve little to no equipment. While the sport training and fitness industries are inundated with all types of resistance training machines and speed training devices, the combination of gravity and the human body is all that is required. Over half a century ago, coaches and sport scientists developed an approach to training that took advantage of a system of explosive athletic movements to improve the force production qualities of the human body. This system of training is now commonly referred to as plyometrics. The term plyometricsoriginally coined by U.S. runner and coach Fred Wilt in 1975is derived from the Greek prefix plio meaning more or longer and the suffix metric meaning to measure. While the literal translation of the word plyometric does not provide much information about the details of the system, it does imply a precise anatomical approach to exercise.

In its truest form, a plyometric exercise makes use of the bodys natural response to the rapid lengthening of muscle. This response has also been referred to as the stretch-shortening cycle or myotatic reflex. Research has shown that a muscle stretched rapidly before a contraction will contract and shorten more forcefully and rapidly, creating positive adaptations for strength, power, and speed (Komi 1984; De Villarreal, Requena, and Newton 2010). For example, a basketball player preparing to grab a rebound will gather and lower his center of gravity before forcefully jumping up and securing the ball (figure 1). Similarly, a volleyball player will drop rapidly into a deep knee bend before jumping up to block an opposing players spike attempt. It is a natural human response to load up or gather before an explosive movement. In golf, a back swing actively stretches the key muscles required for the powerful, high-velocity forward movement of the club. A baseball pitcher will wind up before delivering a high-speed pitch over home plate. You witness the benefits of plyometric activity in every sporting event. In some cases, athletes learn to resist resorting to using the stretch-shortening cycle in order to save time, as in starting from blocks in both track sprinting and swimming competitions. In boxing and other combative sports, loading up for a punch can give the opponent time to prepare for an assault.