Posted In: Jumps
can someone give me key exercises for long jump explosiveness?
if i did these exercises seriously for 2 months how much improvement can i expect to see? state championships are in 2 months and i just want to know how much improvement i can expect by lifting seriously from now until states
There are many posts on here about this stuff…
LONG JUMP
Sprint fast (up and down hill and on flat)
Squat
jump squats
cleans
snatches
step ups
bounding
hopping
box jumps
hurdle hops
med ball throws
You must train explosive to be explosive.
if i started doing all this now how much improvement would i see in 2 months? just give me an estimate
if you’ve never done it before…then the improvement could be great…
But only if the exercises were prescribed correctly…otherwise it could also hurt you!
i’ve never seriously lifted in my life. the most i lifted before was maybe 3 or 4 times a month AT MOST. currently a senior long jumping 21’1″ without any serious lifting. would it be realistic to expect mid 22s to maybe low 23s in 2 months?
If you train correctly and you have talent (which we can’t exactly see) then i would say 22 feet is easily achievable.
To determine if you do have “talent” maybe you could do some basic tests…
Squat max (3 rep max is ok)
Hand time 30m sprint
Standing Long jump
Standing 5 bounds (last bound land in the sand pit)
These could give us an indicator…
haha! Yeah for real…lol.
If you train correctly and you have talent (which we can’t exactly see) then i would say 22 feet is easily achievable.
To determine if you do have “talent” maybe you could do some basic tests…
Squat max (3 rep max is ok)
Hand time 30m sprint
Standing Long jump
Standing 5 bounds (last bound land in the sand pit)These could give us an indicator…
Besides giving us an indicator of your talent this data would also show what direction your training needs to take. If you’re strength dominant you will need to train differently than if you are speed dominant.
Dudes….he said he has 2 months and your all asking for numbers he doesn’t have.
2 MONTHS… get off the strength training because 2 months is not enough time. Great advice for further advancement but not for his shortened time period.
If you want it fast then just add plyos. You should be in a “Specific Prep” phase and relating most of what you do to your event.
Your body takes 4-6 weeks to adapt to a load. That’s month 1. Month 2 will already be shortened because you necessarily don’t want to lift right up until your competition. Plus since your body hasn’t yet adjusted to month 2 yet you will only be competing with 1 month of training.
I suggest you plyo and keep changing it up to keep your body guessing.
Plyos will be the safest and fastest no questions asked. Instead of going to the weight room throw on a weight vest to mix thing.
Done.
Sorry to burst your bubble…
But i could write an 8 week program for him right now which would have your “add some plyos” program beat hands down…
8 weeks is alot of time. Especially for someone who has never trained properly. And trust me, it will take this guy no more than 1 week to start adapting to a new training program…
Your idea is a sure fire way to get a stress fracture.
I disagree with you but it is health too.
I have a female with a stress fracture in her back and we can’t do any weight training. Got her as a 5’0” high jumper 8 months later 5’7”
ALL WITHOUT the weightroom. Everything we do is body weight only!!
I can write a program without the weight room what will beat your weightroom program hands down….
Haha! OK…good stuff.
Of what you listed here is my list by importance…
1. Sprint fast (up and down hill and on flat)
2. hopping/bounding
3. hurdle hops
4. box jumps
5. med ball throws
6. jump squats
7. snatches
8. cleans
9. snatches
10. squats
11. step ups
Understand that my order would change if you had more time but this is considering the 2 month timeframe
Iam not saying that weightroom is not needed but I feel it is certainly not the most important. Hence my “add some plyos” comment.
Your order is not ideal.
You can not have this kid doing a lot of plyo workout with out knowing his strength levels. Strength work is safer on the body than lots of jump work straight away. Much more injuries occur on the track than in the weight room.
And if you have 8 weeks then a good set up would include developing triple extension in the weight room while doing low level plyos. You could even do 4 phases of 2 weeks with a systematic change throughout the 8 weeks. There are many better options than just throwing in a bunch of plyos…
My list would be…
1. Sprint fast (up and down hill and on flat)
2. hopping/bounding
3. Cleans/ Snatches
4. Squats
5. Jump squats
6. box jumps
7. hurdle hops
8. step ups
9. Med ball throws
I’d say there is no single magic exercise but i would jump high. Unfortunatley the long jump is a much more complex skill than a vertical jump.
Your order is not ideal.
You can not have this kid doing a lot of plyo workout with out knowing his strength levels. Strength work is safer on the body than lots of jump work straight away. Much more injuries occur on the track than in the weight room.
And if you have 8 weeks then a good set up would include developing triple extension in the weight room while doing low level plyos. You could even do 4 phases of 2 weeks with a systematic change throughout the 8 weeks. There are many better options than just throwing in a bunch of plyos…
Well I wouldn’t suggest a strength training program either without knowing strength levels. Levels which he doesn’t know or have.
As a long jumper I am sure he already has some kind of plyo base. He already mentioned that he hasn’t lifted seriously.
His progress is already further along with what I am suggesting that wieght training. You have to take into account the learning curve with first learning how to conduct lifts properly. I dedicate 1 month to this during my fall training.
I’d say there is no single magic exercise but i would jump high. Unfortunatley the long jump is a much more complex skill than a vertical jump.
Safe answer…
You sound like a politician. 1 excercise, lift, whatever…what would it be?
I person comes to you and says I want to Triple Jump….you don’t say “OK well lets start with snatches”
You start with bounding, hopping etc. Because it is the most important and specific to the task.
Someone comes to you and says I want to jump farther in 8 weeks. Why does that idea then change to “OK well lets start in the weightroom
As for what ‘magical” exercise I think that it would depend on the athlete as we all have different attributes. I also believe that what Nick is saying is right on base as well. I had a female jumper add 2m on a triple jump consistantly by implementing a solid weight training schedule. Plyo’s are a great training tool as well, but again as Nick said plyo work would have most likely been touched upon. Especially since many track athletes are multi sport athletes. So many of the athletes would already have a running start in that area. As For the 2 months. I liked what Nick wrote up, and also like the idea of plyos being mixed in. Best of luck to you, and jump far!
The fact that he hasn’t a strength base is all the more reason why he should start to develop one. If his “plyometric” levels remain the same, but his strength increases dramatically (which it could in 8 weeks with him being a novice) his will jump substantially further…
during the 8 weeks i am also suggesting he includes plyos as i previous mentioned and other speed power developers and with strength gains his power levels will also increase.
A combined program has been proven over and over again to be better than just plyos so i can’t see your angle on this…
[quote author="Nik Newman" date="1239782531"]I’d say there is no single magic exercise but i would jump high. Unfortunatley the long jump is a much more complex skill than a vertical jump.
Safe answer…
You sound like a politician. 1 excercise, lift, whatever…what would it be?
I person comes to you and says I want to Triple Jump….you don’t say “OK well lets start with snatches”
You start with bounding, hopping etc. Because it is the most important and specific to the task.
Someone comes to you and says I want to jump farther in 8 weeks. Why does that idea then change to “OK well lets start in the weightroom[/quote]
Because you have 8 weeks. And all bases start with strength. Build from the ground up. A stronger athlete has more ability to produce the forces he needs to be more powerful. Simple.
Makes no sense to me…
stop thinking I am saying NO weights. I am saying that plyos and excersises and drills specific to long jump are more import than the weightroom.
I flat out disagree that the wieghtroom takes precedence here. Especially given this would first need to learn how to move weight properly before serious training can happen.
How many days a week would you perscribe in the weight room?
How many days a week would you perscribe some kind of plyometric work?
A solid strength program must be a constant in the 8 week program is what i’m saying…
I totally agree that LJ specific technical work and plyo type elastic developers must also be present.
In terms of importance as you mentioned…i do not think you can really label that.
Okay finally something we agree with….
You can’t/shouldn’t label importance but that is exactly what the OP asked for.
Besides I would be on the track leg conditioning more days a week than I would perscribe being in the weight room. Hence my reasoning for putting plyos first
Given a 6 day training week here where I would start.
Weightroom 2-3 times a week
1. Sprint fast (up and down hill and on flat) (2-4x per week)
2. hopping/bounding (2-3x per week)
3. hurdle hops (2x per week)
4. box jumps (1-2x per week) / performed in weight room
5. squats (1-2x per week)
6. snatches (2x per week)
7. cleans (2x per week)
8. jump squats (1x per week)
9. med ball throws (1x per week)
10. step ups (1x per week)
As you can see I would put weight training into my program but time dedication would be higher in plyometric/body weight movements
by the way I am having fun Nik. No hard feelings
I like your suggestion and wouldn’t necessarily (sp) disagree…
My change would be that i wouldn’t use ALL of the exericses ALL of the time. For example, snatches, hurdle hops and step ups would be incorparated towards the end (4-8th week in this case) Med ball throws and box jumps would phase out as well…
i enjoy this talk as well!
I always use medballs on my mid-week recovery days.
I would phase out hurdle hops and bring in more box jumps as I would be working toward a more maximal force.
I would also either phase out step ups or work toward making them more dynamic toward the end. I have not fully bought into their importance yet.
This is actually a really good thread. Most of the athletes that most HS coaches are dealing with are not making a career our of T&F. Some might go on to college, at which point they build longer structured programs.
Most athletes are like this guy: Just finished Basketball season, have some raw talent: regardless of tests, anyone jumping 6.50m+ (Did the conversion for you Europeans 🙂 has talent; wants to do the best he can in a limited time frame. Also remember, we’re talking about an 18 year old, who’s body can adapt quickly, and recovery will be better than us old guys.
My point of view:
Get Baseline Test Marks: I’m less sophisticated than others – would say: SLJ, VJ, 40y. Doesn’t hurt to do mini time trials each week on these. Also, will be at least 1 meet per week – serve as pretty good testing grounds! Maybe throw in some of Nick’s tests – love all his variants and am doing a mini test day tomorrow myself!
Do a 2 cycle lifting, plyo, running routine. (Two 3 week cycles of different routines). Gives time for heavy technical work and rest in weeks leading into state.
Measure everything – Try to beat last week’s mark on each exercise – higher intensity (speed, height, distance, or weight)
Then focus on where you can gain the most – your actual jump…. The biggest gain will probably be achieved in 2 areas – the speed you carry to the board, and the degree to which it is converted. Measure this speed in last 10m of approach. Measure conversion of speed to distance using plyos and video (get that foot position right and don’t decelerate!).
I always use medballs on my mid-week recovery days.
I would phase out hurdle hops and bring in more box jumps as I would be working toward a more maximal force.
I would also either phase out step ups or work toward making them more dynamic toward the end. I have not fully bought into their importance yet.
Phasing into dynamic step ups is what i was reffering too…
Box jumps phasing OUT becuase they are much more fatigueing than hurdle hops and during competition phase are not appropriate especially for younger athletes…
Med ball circuit? Yes i agree…thought you meant ballistics with them. I’d phase those out…
Btw the Matt…
I was that guy you referred too…exactly!
Ok, i see that…
I’d phase out from 2 day/wk to 1 day/wk and volume would be cut a lot also…Box jumps would be kept early in the week also. Hurdle hops might be neural prep pre meet day…although i prefer cleans for that…
WashedupDec: “Then focus on where you can gain the most – your actual jump…. The biggest gain will probably be achieved in 2 areas – the speed you carry to the board, and the degree to which it is converted”
In two months, speed (accels progressing to 30m to 40m runs at “speed”) but with the “tests” so as to judge change, as previously stated the last 10m esp, technical work (so as to make full use of whatever speed there is in 2 months…who knows there could be enough speed already in place with the correct technical work TO/landing) and tie those two features together with some simpler (under control) plyo.
I too am not against the strength improvement but question the sincerity if that will actually happen (given the little info we have, athlete’s statement about never having done it “seriously”) and wonder of the time commitment if strength is included is in the cards and even if it is, whether that same amount of time could not be better spent? [If the time in the weight room means sacrificing something else.] Would med ball and plyo be the compromise “solution”? 4x per week of something is 32x practices until you consider a lessening load maybe the last two weeks, so 28 to 30 sessions, not a lot of time.
And it sounds a bit anal but two days have gone past since the original question, two days the athlete will not get back. Can’t lose one more day to time wondering.
Haha…
After day 0 we gave him enough info to get starting…Were we asked to design the entire program for him?
I’m sorry if we didn’t help the kid…But i think we did a lot.
We could have said, mon/wed/fri do 100 contacts of bounding work, 150m of speed work and 8 sets total of squats and cleans. tues/sat long jump from short approach. Thurs do tempo (6×150 @80%). He would improve with this type of program.
Better?
Nik: wasn’t a shot at anyone, I found the advice good and discussion interesting but I have run into it perhaps too much already this past month or so where someone asks something (me, in person, in particular) and gets what I figure is a well thought out reply and then at the end of the same week, the same question is asked only in perhaps a slightly different way…
my point was that if one is really pushed for time, no time can be lost…
sorry, somewhat grumpy >:( over the amount of time spent trying to help and then being told, oops, sorry, don’t need that program for the entire summer at all…trying to figure out how to get someone hurdling at full spacing who until 2 weeks ago had never hurdled at all and now has to or they can not do the combined event they want in less than 2 months
Ok, i see that…
I’d phase out from 2 day/wk to 1 day/wk and volume would be cut a lot also…Box jumps would be kept early in the week also. Hurdle hops might be neural prep pre meet day…although i prefer cleans for that…
Agree with you but I will only allow experienced MALE athletes lift for a meet prep. I have found that with my training females and beginners do better with hurdle hops
Nik: wasn’t a shot at anyone, I found the advice good and discussion interesting but I have run into it perhaps too much already this past month or so where someone asks something (me, in person, in particular) and gets what I figure is a well thought out reply and then at the end of the same week, the same question is asked only in perhaps a slightly different way…
my point was that if one is really pushed for time, no time can be lost…
sorry, somewhat grumpy >:( over the amount of time spent trying to help and then being told, oops, sorry, don’t need that program for the entire summer at all…trying to figure out how to get someone hurdling at full spacing who until 2 weeks ago had never hurdled at all and now has to or they can not do the combined event they want in less than 2 months
Yeah i understand. The questions asked are very complicated though. What i mean by that is the answers could be really detailed and most of the time there isnt one answer…example ther are many ways to train a jumper…
Another thing to consider with this kid is that with high school track comes dual meets and invitationals possibly 3 times a week so getting some solid training over the next two months might be difficult to do…just a thought
thank god for other coaches lol. my coach never realized that i was deccelerating at the board. another (better) coach from another school saw this at a tri-meet yesterday. i got my first jump in which was 20’10” which was in first by a lot. the other coach told me to stop deccelerating and to stop worrying about fouling (he said this is probably why i deccelerate). i did what he said and fouled my 2nd jump. did it again my 3rd jump at PRd by 8 inches. went from a pr of 21’1″ to 21’9″ from a technical mistake me and my coach didn’t even know i had.
with more jump specific workouts i’m very confident i can get close to 23′. 22′ is pretty much a given now. the other coach usually has the best jumpers but kind of has a drought this year. he knows a lot about jumping. he said i’m capable of bigger jumps because he was amazed i was jumping 21s with not-so-perfect form and an ok run-up.
conference championships next friday. i’ll get an update by then
Good job man. It’s crazy how much you can improve with one little Q like that, same thing happened with me in high school I was HOLDING the shot wrong and a coach told me to hold it right and it added two feet to my PR.
Exactly like learning to you your legs in the discus throw! lol
What about mixing short apps with extensive tempo (15×100 @ 60%) on the same day?
What should the speed progression look like?
4 weeks 6x40m 3 x weekly, then s-f-s or 60´s ?
I have found that besides developing great acceleration capabilities with 30´s and 40´s I have a very hard time transferring it to the runway due to the fast switch to fully upright running mechanics and I am not the only one with this type of issues. How to deal with this?
” date=”1239833232″][quote author="Wisconman" date="1239832769"]Good job man. It’s crazy how much you can improve with one little Q like that, same thing happened with me in high school I was HOLDING the shot wrong and a coach told me to hold it right and it added two feet to my PR.
Exactly like learning to you your legs in the discus throw! lol
What about mixing short apps with extensive tempo (15×100 @ 60%) on the same day?
What should the speed progression look like?
4 weeks 6x40m 3 x weekly, then s-f-s or 60´s ?
I have found that besides developing great acceleration capabilities with 30´s and 40´s I have a very hard time transferring it to the runway due to the fast switch to fully upright running mechanics and I am not the only one with this type of issues. How to deal with this?[/quote]
I run in-and-outs for this.
On the runway we drive out of the back run tall in the middle and accelerate into the board.
An in-out replicates this well: accelerate 20-30m, cruise 20-30m, accelerate 20-30m
Nice job long jumper…
Incorporate some of what we’ve told you and i’m also confident you can jump further! good stuff.
I run in-and-outs for this.
On the runway we drive out of the back run tall in the middle and accelerate into the board.
An in-out replicates this well: accelerate 20-30m, cruse 20-30m, accelerate 20-30m[/quote]
When you talk about this running tall in the middle are you still accelerating or just mainting? And by accelerating into the board, is this a sudden burst to help quicken your steps or what? I am just wondering what you mean by this.
Running tall= stepping over the knee (just emphasis knee lift/heel recovery and the rest will take care of itself) I have learned not to tell the athlete to maintain because then they usually back off.
Accelerate into the board= still running tall but only stepping over the ankle (yes, quickened steps because a shorter cycle.
More Europeans use this model than Americans which more often opt for a gradual acceleration into the board.
I am American but teach the European approach to horizontal jumps at my university. The learning curve is much greater but my results have been enough to throw out the American model.
