Topic: Plyometrics, agility questions

[gadget23]

i was looking at this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics and i have absolutely no idea what it's talking about. i want to build fast-twitch muscle fibers (what exactly are those?) so that i can have more agility, because i am by no means an agile person.

so my question is: how exactly would you go about doing a plyometric workout? the way wikipedia describes it is really confusing.

also: i read that plyometrics builds quick, explosive strength. would doing pylometrics lead to a decrease in endurance? because i am currently training to become an endurance runner.

that last question is especially important, because i don't want to lose my long lasting strength for explosive strength. that being said, it'd be awesome to have both 

[Charles Moreland]

If you want to be an endurance runner than these aren't the exercises for you...perhaps.

In response to your first question, there are two types of muscle fibers. Type I (slow twitch, primarily aerobic, high resistance to fatigue, and smallest diameter) Type IIa (fast twitch, medium diameter cross section, has both aerobic and anaerobic qualities, moderately resistant to fatigue) and Type IIb (fast twitch, greatest diameter, anaerobic only, quickest to fatigue).

I can't say too much how fast twitch fibers will help agility. Agility always struck me as a primarily central and peripheral nervous system characteristic.

I trained plyometrics in high school because I was a triple and long jumper. It seems counter-intuitive to me to train quick fast movements when your goal is to be a fatigue resistant, long distance running machine.

[Alissa J. Bratz]

I'm with Chad here. I see agility as more of a coordination-training question. If you want to become more agile, do things that require agility: agility ladder work, hopscotch, precision drills, ballroom dancing, that tire drill thingy that American football players do, etc.

As to how to design a plyo workout, my guess is that Steve's "How To..." would be a good starting point.

My personal feeling is that an all-around athlete should have both: endurance and explosive power. There is a point of diminishing returns, of course. If you go too far one way you will lose skill in the other area and vice versa. But if you are well balanced in both, you will be more adaptable, although not necessarily outstanding, in either. That said, being competent and balanced in both will make you outstanding as an all-around athlete, if that makes any sense.

I guess my main question is, why are you interested in plyometric training? I don't directly see the relationship between plyo and agility. And if you are concerned about training for endurance, I don't think plyo will "hurt" that so much as simply detract from training time that you could be using to work on endurance.

[Charles Moreland]

Also, I wouldn't go about forming a routine around plyometrics with out some knowledge of proper technique. My leg work plyometrics were performed on a 20inch box to which we would precision onto, slightly drop off and upon landing immediately jump as high as you can. You can also use things like medicine balls for other parts of the body.

Most plyo's are done with this characteristic involving gravity to supply the force and utilizing very quick and explosive movements to carry out the exercise. It's relatively safe, however, it's fairly easy (this is along the same lines as to why large drops are dangerous!!!) to injure your muscles if the force you are providing for the exercise is too great for your muscles or if you have improper technique.

[Steve Low]

If you're a distance runner you should not be doing plyometrics. You *may* have to lengthen your stride a bit to optimize your running ability, but it shouldn't take plyometrics to do that.