Maximizing jumps and sprints -- the posterior chain

[Kevin Davies]

Plus, high jumpers use the calves and achilles tendon specifically to utilize the muscle elongation-conctraction (mediated by the muscle spindles) for the stretch-shorten cycle to store large amounts of energy for jumping higher. More mass can be detrimental to this.

Steve, is there anyway you could expand on this concept?  I was trying to understand how this works and what role this can play in jumping in this thread http://www.americanparkour.com/smf/index.php?topic=10279.msg124501#msg124501 and never quite came to a conclusion.

[Steven Low]

Plus, high jumpers use the calves and achilles tendon specifically to utilize the muscle elongation-conctraction (mediated by the muscle spindles) for the stretch-shorten cycle to store large amounts of energy for jumping higher. More mass can be detrimental to this.

Steve, is there anyway you could expand on this concept?  I was trying to understand how this works and what role this can play in jumping in this thread http://www.americanparkour.com/smf/index.php?topic=10279.msg124501#msg124501 and never quite came to a conclusion.

Replied. Interesting discussion I suppose. I think the studies are misguided... explained a bunch of crap.

Also, if you see something interesting in movements (or any other forum not in this section aka WODs, training logs, gen fitness, injuries) feel free to post up in this forum if you want comments from me. I usually don't check there anymore.

[Kevin Davies]

Thanks, Steve. +1 for you.

[Zach Morgan]

This is great, helped me alot... Thanks!

[AF Stryker]

Although i am no expert on the subject by any means, olympic lifting is the way to go.  I have challenged many of my friends who talk about verticals to do cleans a cuople times a week for like a month and come back and talk to me.  And sure enough, nearly everytime, they put on 3" or so to their vertical leap.

Having run into Steven on a couple different sites now, i believe you would not be doing something detrimental to your training by following these guidelines.  Especially cause i have not experienced any training that gives as much improvement as the oly lifts do.  My favorite is the power clean, but that is just me;-)

good job Steve

[ATK PK]

I read this page a while back, around when it was posted, and ever since then I have referenced it many times, and cited it even more, It eventually led me to a 30in standing vertical jump. I give this five out of five, if that means anything. 

[BelatuCadros]

Box jumping is the most relevant jump to parkour... getting over an obstacle with a jump.
How nice is it to just hop over a 4 1/2 foot fence, no touching it?

[Benwini]

Great stuff!

I do a lot of olympic lifting with my v-ball team.  I've taken a few courses from a guy named Jimmy Radcliffe.  He's got a great book Functional Training for Athletes at all Levels (ISBN: 978-1-56975-584-6).  It even has pictures... oooo.

Also, my physiology training is limited, but I believe an added benefit to throwing the hammies in there is it increases knee durrability and stability.  I'm sure most of us would like healthier knees.  A note on that... make sure you keep your heels on the ground when doing squats.  Going up onto your toes can place undue stress on the knees.

[dmotta]

I don't have the link handy, but recent research is showing the biggest gains in vertical are achieved when plyometrics routines immediately follow the leg strengthening work out. So hit the weights and then go right into plyometrics. It'll be a little wobbly at first so take it easy.

[Chris Salvato]

erm...i have serious doubts about that for many reasons...

a link here would be nice as I would be interested in reading their methods....

[Steven Low]

I don't have the link handy, but recent research is showing the biggest gains in vertical are achieved when plyometrics routines immediately follow the leg strengthening work out. So hit the weights and then go right into plyometrics. It'll be a little wobbly at first so take it easy.

Link would be nice.

I could believe some of it as the nervous system is DEFINIETLY active afterwards...

But a full plyometrics workout? I don't know about that. If it's a partial plyometrics work with maybe one or two different exercise I could understand. That would make some sense if the muscles aren't too fatigued.

[Benwini]

http://www.coachr.org/Plyometrics%20Roundtable.htm

A couple of experts weigh in on the subject.  It seems that the evidence supporting plyos on the same day as oly lifting is mostly anecdotal.  But another benefit is that you're not doing high impact plyos on a day you're supposed to be recovering from lifting.

[Callim105]

thanks, helped alot. Does this also apply to long jumps?

[Chris Salvato]

Long jumps are mostly technique.  While strengthening your posterior chain will absolutely help with long jumping the real limiting factor in that skill, for most people, is technique.

[MeKa360]

lol,  i read the article.  it was awsome

i did some squats.(without weights)   noticed  how out of shape i was  -.-

[Uracow]

I have no idea what some of these exercises are, 
 can someone please explain them; or if they were already described on another thread a link would be nice c:

[FastGuppy]

get starting stength

That's a hard question to answer. You must know what a bench press and a back squat is so what specfic lifts do you not know?

[Steven Low]

Youtube... although I won't vouch for the quality of technique on youtube..

[Spencer B]

Youtube... although I won't vouch for the quality of technique on youtube..

There are plenty of videos I've seen where Rippetoe himself is coaching people on form, wouldn't these be fairly solid in form?

[FastGuppy]

he doesn't have many lifts and he does the obvious ones.