Jumping exercises are now widely known by the term plyometrics. The actual words plyo and metrics stand for measurable increases.
The secret behind plyometrics is that it works with both the speed and power of a muscle to increase power. Plyometrics are exercises that focus on developing the most strength possible in the shortest amount of time.
When you brain tells your muscle to fire it does so by sending nerve impulses to the muscle fibers which causes a chemical reaction. When you bend down prior to jumping, your muscles react without any conscious thought on your part.
The greatest jumpers actually don't spend much time on the ground. They realize that the longer they are on the ground the more energy is lost and that same energy could be used to jump higher.
So to teach people how to jump higher you must focus on being in contact with the ground for a shorter period of time. This is why plyometrics exists, to teach muscles a faster reaction time.
Bending down before take off is often referred to as the loading phase. This loading phase is crucial to jumping higher because it gives the muscle more power.
Muscles can be compared to rubber bands to an extent. A stretched rubber band will go farther than a non-stretched rubber band.
Think about when you knee tendon is tapped and your leg kicks. The tendon was stretched which caused your muscles to react with a lot of power just as they do in the load phase of a jump.
The fastest reaction of a muscle occurs when it is stretched first. Although the speed of said reaction doesn't really improve with training, you can improve the strength with which the contraction occurs which in turn increase jump height.
The secret behind plyometrics is that it works with both the speed and power of a muscle to increase power. Plyometrics are exercises that focus on developing the most strength possible in the shortest amount of time.
When you brain tells your muscle to fire it does so by sending nerve impulses to the muscle fibers which causes a chemical reaction. When you bend down prior to jumping, your muscles react without any conscious thought on your part.
The greatest jumpers actually don't spend much time on the ground. They realize that the longer they are on the ground the more energy is lost and that same energy could be used to jump higher.
So to teach people how to jump higher you must focus on being in contact with the ground for a shorter period of time. This is why plyometrics exists, to teach muscles a faster reaction time.
Bending down before take off is often referred to as the loading phase. This loading phase is crucial to jumping higher because it gives the muscle more power.
Muscles can be compared to rubber bands to an extent. A stretched rubber band will go farther than a non-stretched rubber band.
Think about when you knee tendon is tapped and your leg kicks. The tendon was stretched which caused your muscles to react with a lot of power just as they do in the load phase of a jump.
The fastest reaction of a muscle occurs when it is stretched first. Although the speed of said reaction doesn't really improve with training, you can improve the strength with which the contraction occurs which in turn increase jump height.
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