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Plyometrics can be defined as a movement whose goal is to produce maximal force in the least amount of time and relying on the natural elasticity and recoil properties of muscles. Muscles have a rubber band like quality in that they can “snap” back more forcefully the greater they are stretched. So for training athletes we need to use plyometrics to enhance our training and improve sports performance.
Plyometrics are a maximal force application exercise and in order to do them properly the athlete must work at full intensity and be fully rested. In order to assure these two necessities, an athlete must perform plyometrics exercises at the very beginning of a workout. If an athlete is slightly tired, say after doing a couple exercises first then they are not working at maximal power and maximal intensity. This will defeat the purpose of doing plyometrics which is to work at maximal power, intensity and velocity. The only way to do this is to do plyometrics first in an exercise program. After completing the plyometric portion of a workout, then the athlete can move on to the other aspects such as agility drills, strength training or conditioning.
If you look at the human body as a gas tank then it helps with the understanding. The tank can only hold so much and when it is empty there is no more “go”. Plyometrics require a huge amount of fuel and need to be done when the tank is full to ensure the tank doesn’t run out while in the middle of the drills. You don’t want to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere with no gas stations in sight.
So we do plyometrics first since they require full power effort and a lot of fuel. Moving at half speed or with very little fuel left in the tank will not be good enough to produce improved results and therefore can be deemed simply as a waste of time. We can’t afford to waste time since athletes have very few seasons to play at their peak. Days wasted add up to seasons wasted and if enough days are wasted lead to a playing career wasted.
So what kind of drills are plyometric? Plyometric drills rely on the natural elasticity of muscles to produce greater force. So drills using this natural recoil can be considered plyometric if maximal force is applied. Box jumps can be a great example of a plyometric potential exercise. If the movement is at maximal speed and maximal power AND uses the natural recoil of the muscle at the transfer phase between the lengthening and the shortening of the muscle then it is a plyometric drill. This transfer phase is known as the amortization phase or the linking stage. It is this phase where potential energy used for force can be lost if the transfer takes to long. The longer the transfer takes then the more energy is burned off as heat and heat wasted decreases force output. By minimizing the transfer phase we maximize the amount of force that we can produce and the recoil of the muscle allows for even greater force. This is the basis for using plyometrics properly. Most people do apply the short amortization phase but rarely do people apply the maximal force also required. For that reason exercises such as jumping rope are not plyometrics. They might be great exercises but unless a drill combines maximal force and a short amortization phase then it simply doesn’t fall under the protocols for plyometrics.
Plyometrics are a very important aspect of an athlete’s training and when an athlete is physically ready to perform plyometric drills then plyometrics must be included in the programming to achieve improved sports performance. However, the advanced nature and skills needed for plyometrics do not lend themselves to be deemed proper for everyone. One must take into account many factors before beginning plyometrics. Strength, conditioning, speed, mental and physical maturity are some of the factors that must be considered before starting plyometrics with an athlete. When all the prerequisites are met then plyometrics under careful supervision will be a valuable tool to improve athleticism. Only then can an athlete properly ensure safety while improving sports performance and game readiness. Stay tuned for future discussions on plyometrics and proper exercise selection of appropriate plyometric drills.
Anyone in the San Diego area is welcome to drop in at our studio at 2949 Garnet Ave. 3rd floor, Pacific Beach, CA. We would love to put you through our workout. Please feel free to call or email Annalise Evans of TrueFitness with any questions: (760) 809 1848 annalise@truefitness.biz and join her fan page on Facebook: TrueFitness Annalise Evans.
Article written by Spencer Aiken, CSCS, CEO, TrueFitness
The Women’s Rugby team won this weekend against Wake Forest. It was a close game, but Elon managed to get 3 tries and 1 kick, thanks to some great breakaways. They played well as a team and their last try was in the last ten minutes of the game. Their next games will be at the Cherry Blossom tournament, starting April 7th.
For the most up to date news about the women’s Collegiate game, hover over Competitions on the Navigation bar and then choose the division you would like news on. Or use these links to view the D1 and D2 Collegiate rankings.
The Cal Women’s rugby team played a strong second half but couldn’t overcome a slow start in a loss to Stanford on Sunday February 28th. Throughout the first half, the Bears struggled against Stanford’s fast backs and quick turnovers, and stymied themselves with penalties and sloppy play from both forwards and backs. Stanford capitalized on Cal’s mistakes to jump to an early 36-5 lead at the half. The Bears came out with a more intense and organized defense in the second half and managed to hold Stanford to one try, but were unable to mount a comeback. Flanker Zully Camacho scored a try in the first half after flanker Kathy Sprowles blocked a kick, prop and captain Julia Diskin punched in a try in the second half, and eight man Jen Sever converted a penalty kick to round out Cal’s points.
For the most up to date news about the women’s Collegiate game, hover over Competitions on the Navigation bar and then choose the division you would like news on. Or use these links to view the D1 and D2 Collegiate rankings.
“A Giant Awakens” is a 60 minute HD sport documentary that explores 130 years of rugby in America.
Rugby, the worlds’ contact sport, is played in over 100 countries on 6 continents by men and women of all ages. What surprises most sports enthusiasts in America is that the Rugby World Cup is the 3rd most watched sporting event in the world, only behind the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games.
The success of rugby in America has been referred to as the “sleeping giant” that would considerably improve world rugby because of its large athletic population, affluent consumer base, successful professional sports franchises, and a deep connection to major international businesses.
Through the lens of award winning filmmaker Sylvain Doreau, the essence, spirit, and challenges of American rugby are captured at all levels from youth to the USA Men’s National Team. This documentary takes you on a journey from Olympic glory in the 1920’s, to rugby’s 50 year hibernation in the US, to the USA Eagles capturing the hearts of all rugby fans at the 2007 World Cup in France.
American rugby today is about a few hundred thousand passionate players, coaches, referees, administrators and fans sharing the love they have for the game and developing that giant into the international powerhouse of the past. This is their story of passion, commitment, sacrifice, hope and success.
With highlights of key events and interviews with players, coaches, and administrators, “A Giant Awakens” is a “must see” for any sports fan.
Help the next generation of American rugby Olympians defend the gold. Buy your copy of “A Giant Awakens” and share your love of the game with new players and supporters. Volume pricing available for resale or team fundraising.
20% of the films profits go to support youth rugby in America.
A GIANT AWAKENS: TREASURE HUNTING FOR OLYMPIC HISTORY
“A Giant Awakens: The Rise of American Rugby” has gone through numerous phases in its development. The HD sports documentary initially planned to include a very brief introduction about American rugby history and then connect with the USA Eagle’s qualifying for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Few people in the US are aware that Gridiron American football evolved from rugby. Virtually no one knows that rugby was the number 1 collegiate sport in the US in the early 1900’s, that rugby was ever in the Olympics, and the US is the reigning gold medal winners. Some have no clue the sport even exists. This is a fascinating and unheralded part of US sports history that director Sylvain Doreau wanted to uncover. Surprisingly, the main source of documents was not in the US, but in France.
Thanks to the rugby blog community, Sylvain found a French collector, Frederic Humbert, who has one of the most complete blogs about rugby history ( www.rugbypionneers.com). Sylvain sent him an email requesting anything related to US rugby history. To his surprise, Frederic uncovered dozen of rare photos prints of the early days of rugby in the US.
This fantastic collection of pre-WW1 college rugby photos when the collegiate finals could bring 35,000 spectators to a rugby game in the US. He also had an extensive collection of photos from the 1920 and 1924 Olympics and connected Sylvain with an Olympic historian, Pierre Vitalien, who wrote a book (in French) about rugby at the Olympics. Sylvain also filmed at the University of California, Berkeley Club house, a goldmine of rugby memorabilia.
While the photos were incredible, this was a film and not a slide show. Somewhere there had to be footage filmed at the Olympics. Then Frederic Humbert mentioned to Sylvain that he recently bought some old 8mm newsreels from 1924 at an auction that may include footage of the Olympic final. Sylvain immediately jumped on the opportunity and Frederic graciously printed and digitized the newsreels in a specialized lab in Paris.
When Sylvain downloaded the footage sent by Frederic, he cried of joy. With Frederic, Sylvain helped uncover an amazing piece of sports history! Beside few scratches, the print is incredibly detailed, and the action is filmed from the sideline and behind the posts. It has an incredible emotional power, like “Chariots of Fire”, like you’re actually running with these guys! Also, you can see from the build of the American players, that that team, composed of Californian college players, was made of exceptional athletes.
The historical footage totally changed the direction of the project, and there is now a 10mn intro on US rugby history. We also included more interviews about the inclusion of Sevens Rugby for the 2016 Olympics.
The West U23 Local Area Union Tournament was this past weekend and it showcased the best of the best in the West Rugby Union. With only three unions participating this year, Texas Rugby Union (TRU), Eastern Rocky Rugby Football Union (ERRFU) and the Heart of America (HOA), the format was a bit different than in years past. Since this is mainly a selection venue, on Saturday all three teams played once and then on Sunday the West coaches split the teams up into motley sides. The West coaches in attendance were Angie Cranmore, Head Coach, Traci Schmitke, Fowards Coach and Wendy Young, Backs Coach.
The first match of the day on Saturday featured the hosts Texas against ERRFU. This match was very intense and incredibly close the whole 80 minutes. The ERRFU pack was incredibly mobile and Texas struggled with tackling and rucking in the beginning of the match. ERRFU was able to take advantage of this early in the match and put five points on the board. Katie Thompson, Rachel Ryan and Becca Knappe from ERRFU were unstoppable off the edge of the fringe, gaining meters on every run. During the second half the Texas backs, Kandis Ruiz, Autumn Murrill, KC Curl and Alex Davenport began to get clean ball and they showed their speed and evasive running to put 5 points on the board. Texas was able to hold ERRFU back from opening the gates and the score ended ERRFU 15 Texas 5. View the video below, or go here.
The second match of the day pitted the Heart of America vs the Eastern Rocky Rugby Football Union. ERRFU brought the most players of all the teams, so we got to see some fresh faces in this match. ERRFU scored very quickly at the beginning of the match off of a driving maul. But HOA had some great forward support and they were able to steal ERRFU ball and capitalize on it themselves. Towards the end of the first half, HOA’s inside center, Cari Squires, cherry picked a pass and 80 meters later put HOA on the board. HOA was able to put another score on the board in the second half, but ERRFU continued to score as well with three tries in the corner from Emma Parenteau to bring the final score to ERRFU 22 HOA 10. View the video below, or go here.
The last game on Saturday was voted as the match of the day by all. HOA took on Texas for a nail biter of a match. HOA got off to a quick start with two tries from Cari Squires and at half time the score was HOA 26 Texas 0. Texas finally responded at the start of the second half with big hits, runs and scores. The Texas backs were able to get fast ball often and were passing well and this resulted in several tries in a row. Not to be undone, the Texas forwards played smart in the red zone and were able to dot a few tries down as well. The final score of this match was Texas 51 HOA 26. Unfortunately the battery ran out in the camera and this game was not filmed.
Overall the weekend was a success and the level of rugby was the highest seen in the West in quite some time. With 81 girls attending, the West coaches will have a chore choosing players to bring to the Invitational only tryouts in late April or early May. After that the West coaches will need to pick the best 28 players to attend the 2010 National All Star Championships in June.
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