SPECIFIC STRENGTH TRAINING FOR THE YOUNGER JUMPER [17-20 years of age]
Over my many years of coaching I have constructed 'thousands' of strength programmes for jumpers of all ages and abilities. Strength programmes are individual and their construction must be given a lot of careful thought.
A question I am often asked on my Coach Education Courses is 'When should a younger jumper begin any form of structured strength programme?
Let me give you a practical example based on one of my younger jumpers in my group
Example 1: Jamie is a 17 year old male jumper who has a personal best of 6.61 [at present]. He is in the 15-17 age grouping and next season will become a junior athlete in the 17-20 age range. He also has a 100mt pb of 11.08secs. I'm hoping that he will jump 6.75mts this season............
So in order to compete in the junior age grouping with a performance goal of 7.00mts and a sub 11.00secs 100mts Jamie has to become a lot stronger and faster.
So how do I construct a Specific Strength Programme which will start this Autumn 2010 which will enable Jamie to realise his 7.00mt performance outcome?
To see this Specific Training Programme for an U20 Jumper you will have to SUBSCRIBE to my BRAND NEW SUBSCRIPTION NEWSLETTER
I use a combination of specific body weight circuits, traditional weight training and plyometric exercises to develop that explosive, elastic and reactive strength required by all jumpers.
Having coached speed and jumps for over 30 years I'm now comfortable with the strength programmes I plan for my groups.
Yes, I've made mistakes and the performances in the competitive season have not have been as good as expected and planned for. After discussion with individial jumpers within the group you analize the preparation phases and attempt to identify what might have gone wrong and how it can be improved upon.
If the strength programe is identified as a possible weakness you modify and refine and adapt so that no mistakes are made in the following winter preparation period. This requires a good working knowledge of basic physiology and an understanding of the energy systems within the human body.
Because jumpers possess a large proportion of 'fast twitch fibres' then it makes sense that the strength programme reflects the develop of the elastic, explosive and reactive qualities of these fibres.
We must ensure that the 'right' type of strength is developed.
My book highlights in detail how I finally arrived at specific strength programmes that work for me and work for my jumps groups.
As I've already stated above - I use a combination of specfic body weight circuits, traditional weight training and plyometric exercises to enhance the ATP/CP energy system.
Let me break this down
We normally start back training on October 1st after the regeneration period. For the next 13/14 weeks up until the end of the year we lay the foundations of the essential components of fitness. This is the period whereby all the 'dirty work' is done and the 'pain' shared by all the group.
A lot of running and body weight circuits are done. I tend to split phase 1 into two segments. The initial 6 weeks are very general with me as a coach adopting an authoritarian style of coaching. I'm virtually a 'telling' coach. But once this 6 week block has gone, the training units become a little bit more specific and begin to reflect the needs of the actual event.
ALL OF THIS IS DETAILED IN MY BOOK
Click on the Button below and follow the simple instructions. My Long Jump Manual costs £9.97
After 6 weeks the weights programme begins and sits alongside the plyometric programme. The circuits as I've already stated become more jump specific. After the first phase has gone the strength programme begins to change and more specific programmes are introduced which COMBINE weight training and plyometric work.
These are called complex exercises. I "discovered" complex training over 10 years ago and have structured jump specific training programes based around the Jump Squat.
See the film clip below of a 20 year old female long jumper who I technically advise. Also, take a look at the 'gym' she trains in.....!!!!!!
Here she is demonstrating the 'reactive jump squat'
In this next clip she is demonstrating the 'paused jump squat'
NEW
Below is a typical strength/speed session that my jumpers would do in this competitive season to maintain reactive and explosive qualities........
NOTE: Its the second exercise in the film clip - what it doesn't show is the drop from the platform to the floor and pausing for 2 seconds in a quarter squat position.
As part of my strength attainment programme I combine a traditional resistance exercise [weight training] with a specific plyometric exercise. This is called "complex pairing". Both exercises should have the same movement patterns with the fast twitch muscle fibres being the primary target - especially the type IIb fibres.
In Pages 56 to 70 in my book I outline in detail my rationale behind this type of strength work and how it has worked for me. I also include samples of my own training programmes.
I've been working with plyometrics for 30 years when it was simply called bounding. I have studied it in detail over the years and am now comfortable with how I intergrate plyometrics/complex training into my strength programmes.
Its not something that you can simply 'introduce' into your programme. You have to understand the basic physiological implications that underpin it.
Also, plyometrics and complex training are not stand alone systems. They run parallel with other strength and speed based training units and complement them.
One example of a complex pairing would be:-
10 x reactive jump squat with a 30k loading coupled with 10 x jump up a 60cm platform.
Obviously there is protocol for performing this pairing and for each jumper it might be slightly different ie: resistance loading/angle of flexion behind knee/recovery between exercise and height of platform. A great deal of thought must go into your pairings. Because each pairing are so specific and dynamic you have to ensure that you get the 'mix right'. A basic of knowledge of muscle anatomy is recommended if you want to get the best out of the system.
A typical complex session might have 4 pairings and the jumper would work from exercise 1 to 4 and then repeat.
Complex training develops that type of reactive and explosive speed that all jumpers require.
Another such pairing might be:
10 x quarter or half squat with a 50-60% loading coupled with 10 x hurdle jumps
The jumper squats quickly and explosively with the aim to 'recruit and fire' the fast twitch fibres. The bar is then racked.
These 10 loaded repetitions are followed immediately by the jumper driving vertically from the floor in front of a hurdle [60ms-90cms]. The jumper drives up and over the hurdle and lands on the floor on the other side of the hurdle. He/She quickly turns around, adjusts and repeats the exercise in the opposite direction.
