Sunday, March 7, 2010

Why do I care about Plyos?


Q: Why do I care about plyometrics?

A: Because plyometrics is one of the best ways if not the best way to improve power. To justify this answer lets first look at what is power. Power is similar to strength except you are adding the time factor. Therefore the relation of strength and speed is what we are talking about when we talk about power. A person who can perform a specific resistance movement, such as jumping, bench press etc., the fastest would be said to have more power in that movement. So what we are looking at is not just the contraction of the muscle, but how fast will it contract. It has been shown that a muscle will contract the fastest when it has been loaded. This is why you should be able to jump higher if you crouch down then immediately jump up than if you started in the crouch. So if this is the best way to perform a powerful movement lets practice these movements. This practic e is called plyometrics and has been shown in study after study to decrease the time it takes for the muscles to contract, resulting in more power.

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