Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

How and why do verticle plyometrics help top end speed?
which ones woould be most benificial directly to top end speed?

Vertical plyos will help top end speed because at MaxV it is actually vertical forces which are most important. Forward momentum is developed through the acceleratin phase and once top end speed is reached the net horizontal force production is actually close to 0 or may even be negative (the cause of deceleration). Once forward momentum is developed maximally (VMax is achieved) the body will want to remain moving forward at the same velocity as long as outside forces (friction, air resistance, braking foot contacts, etc.) don’t decelerate the body. Vertical forces are what help maintain the system’s forward momentum. Once VMax is achieved, and if vertical force production is great enough, the system will act like a spring-mass or elastic model system. That is, it will keep bouncing along at the same velocity. Deficient vertical force production (or more accurately impulse) will lead to the system acting less perfectly elastic and consequently momentum will be lost and deceleration will occur unnecessarily premature.

you hit it right on the head, Mike. I think (and Dave Kerin wrote about this as well in his article) that this is one one of the misunderstood values of plyometrics and plyometric activities. part of the limiting factor at top speed is the ability to
1) have a “good” turnaround time
2) to maintain it

so part of what plyo type activities develop is the ability to withstand vertical forces w/high effiicency.

So this is why hurdle hops high and low can be beneficial. One simply works turnaround time and “stiffness” whereas w/ higher heights you get to work on the ability to “take” the impact.

i could on about this, but i’ll leave it at that…,it’s impt as Dan and Boo always say to look at training things in a spectrum.

Ktolbert, what kind of volume would you use.

I have often struggled with how best to manipulate heights and distances of hurdles when performing hurdle hops�?��?��?�in the past, I have used:
1. High (42-45�?�) and close (5-6�??) for speed development, and low (30-33�?�) and far (10-12�??) for acceleration development.
2. Gradually increasing height, then distance throughout the training year �?? peaking both around the end of April, then decreasing both throughout the competitive season.
3. Constant heights and distances, regardless of theme of session
4. Varied heights and distances within the session, and within the row of hurdles itself
I�??m not convinced that pairing high and close (more vertical force application) necessarily leads into improvement of vertical force @ maximum velocity�?��?�.I�??d like to see the research that shows this.  Likewise, pairing low w/ far (more horizontal force application) would seem to theoretically compliment acceleration development�?��?�again, though �?? I�??d like to see the supporting research.

My athletes have had the most success with number 2 above �?? I stuck exclusively with this protocol during the 1999 season, and both of my high performance sprinters enjoyed their best competitive seasons�?��?�when April came around (the beginning of the outdoor competitive season), both could jump over 5 hurdles 42 inches high and 12 feet apart �?? they felt they could jump through the roof, and psychologically, I know this held them in good stead when it came around to sprinting.

Mechanically, hurdle hops are, obviously, very different to sprinting �?? I feel that, technically, basic rudimentary hops promote a better bleed, specifically concentrating on appropriate yielding responses from the ankles, knees, and hip.

Following the advice of Dan, this year I have been playing with varied heights and distances within the row of hurdles�?�..the theory being to improve responses to differing parabolic curves, thereby helping with rhythm development�?��?�.have not had enough experience to make an informed personal decision on this yet, however.

I would be interested in hearing how many of you manipulate the �??hurdle hop variables�??, and what sort of success you have seen�?��?�anyone doing weighted hurdles?

Stu McMillan

The qualities that Kebba and SMcMillan are very specific and can be argued that they are overspecific to sprinting and do not transfer at all. The "general" thought process is that they (the details of the plyos) will help with the only the overall adaptation of the nervous system (example increasing the quanta of neurotransmitter release.) while the "specific" train of thought would debate the carryover of specific motor programs to help with the end performance such as rhythm.

I personally believe in both trains of thought with the specific work being a very nice long term adaptation or skill. For example I feel that hurdle mobility must include great precision as well as the obvious range of motion. This will start leaking into all phases of training if done religiously and many times good coaches are unaware of their own brillance.

Some of the motor skill work can be seen in the weight room such as in the olympic lifts. I feel that power ball throws can improve performance from indirect qualites. The direct would be of course the training stress from the load of the ball and the effort, either elastic or starting strength, but the effort to relase the ball with linking all of the limbs and timing the joints can help improve skill capacity.

But…..just like the skill capacity that develops over time, so can stress injuries to tendons and joints from heavy loads of plyos. I think that this can be eliminated if tempo work(the hypospeed work) is don before and after training to heat the avascular tendons and improve synovial fluid viscosity.

Originally posted by SMcMillan
I have often struggled with how best to manipulate heights and distances of hurdles when performing hurdle hops in the past, I have used:
1. High (42-45?) and close (5-6?) for speed development, and low (30-33?) and far (10-12?) for acceleration development.
2. Gradually increasing heigt, then distance throughout the training year ? peaking both around the end of April, then decreasing both throughout the competitive season.
3. Constant heights and distances, regardless of theme of session
4. Varied heights and distances within the session, and within the row of hurdles itself
I?m not convinced that pairing high and close (more vertical force application) necessarily leads into improvement of vertical force @ maximum velocity??.I?d like to see the research that shows this.  Likewise, pairing low w/ far (more horizontal force application) would seem to theoretically compliment acceleration development??again, though ? I?d like to see the supporting research.

fI feel that, technically, basic rudimentary hops promoI have beeI would be interested in hearing how many of you manipulate the ?hurdle hop variables?, and what sort of success you have seen??anyone doing weighted hurdles?

Stu McMillan

i haven't varied hts much within the row itself…. although i like the idea —variety is good and can challenge timing responses.

i have changed within the session, however, with good results. i still think that we're missing something in our (i include myself) elusive quest for specificity. what "specifically" are we looking for? are we looking to duplicate ground contact times, rate of force development, power of signals sent, postural maintainence under vertical loads when there a million distractions (very imp in big races—this could be another reason to change hts within the set of hurdles), foot contact patterns, relaxation cycles (fire.. relax…fire.. relax),  extensor qualities…... 

i don't have the answer to this question… but I believe more and more that "speci
can be gained in many more arenas than traditionally thought.
re- weighted hurdles… yes but i haven't done them higher than 33"—usually only 8-18"—and very small reps… i tend to thing that if i want to increase the vertical load why not just go higher…..
again, i think more and more that spectrum with diff emphasis for diff indiviuduals at diff times of the year is most impt.

i tend to do farther apt during Accel Days and closer together during Vmax days as well…. but with certain developmental kids it simply works best to start low and close and move higher and farther apart as training progresses.

Stuart, i don't know how mucb research we'll find… but when i've combined hurdle hops w/sprint work in the same session i've seen the results… frequency goes up,  ground contacts are better…

Originally posted by Phoenix
This will start leaking into all phases of training if done religiously and many times good coaches are unaware of their own brillance.

Some of the motor skill work can be seen in the weight room such as in the olympic lifts. I feel that power ball throws can improve performance from indirect qualites. The direct would be of course the training stress from the load of the ball and the effort, either elastic or starting strength, but the effort to relase the ball with linking all of the limbs and timing the joints can help improve skill capacity.
y.

i like the idea of leaking… like the components of training spill together to create the athlete… good image….

I wish I could take credit for that. Boo in the level three school said that about negative aspects leaking into technique. He likes to hit the weight room more if the skill is high. (Level III school 1999) I thought if bad things could leak in, why not good habits?