Accelerated Plyometrics By Cal Dietz and Ben Peterson Edited by Daniel Raimondi

Approximately 15 years ago, I was fortunate to come across a motion analysis system that our

mechanical engineering department possessed. This device contained nine cameras placed

systematically such that it could detect a multitude of human movements and joint angles to find

out what was really going on in sport. While utilizing this system, I analyzed a number of

athletes in the weight room and on the field with this elite camera system. To be clear, I couldn’t

set these cameras up myself. Our strength and conditioning staff had to have biomedical

engineering students assemble the entire system in order to run these tests and analyze various

movements.

One day while analyzing the data, I began to realize that during the second and third step in

running and skating, I couldn’t mimic the speed qualities that took place during those steps in the

weight room by using conventional plyometric exercises. At that point, it dawned on me to

unload the human body while it did those jumping movements to mimic the speed at which the

second, third, fourth, and fifth step in skating and running took place. Keep in mind, I usually use

double leg plyometrics with this particular accelerated method because of the speed involved in

the extension of the hips and knees. I realize that many strength coaches think single leg

plyometrics are more sport-specific because sports are played mainly on one leg. This is an

opinion I can’t disagree with. However, what I will disagree with is that a single leg plyometric,

as shown by this motion analysis machine, is so much slower in producing forces that it doesn’t

mimic what is taking place in sports. In real life, single leg plyometrics are beneficial in teaching

the human body to be more explosive for the same reason that double leg plyometrics teach a

constant load (body weight) to accelerate faster. With double leg plyometrics, it must be noted

that because the weight per limb is distributed, there is a higher potential for developing speed

because of the shorter amortization phase, and thus, a more explosive rebound.

Most coaches are incorrect in their programming because they place single leg plyometrics after

double leg plyometrics. They believe this to be the logical training progression because the single

leg requires more strength. Within a block scheme, the programming of plyometric jumps should

look like this:

1. Single leg plyometrics

2. Double leg plyometrics

3. Single leg accelerated plyometrics

4. Double leg accelerated plyometrics

Right there you have four blocks of training utilizing the natural progression of least sportspecific

to most sport-specific for peaking an athlete. Single leg plyometrics should be viewed

more as a strength plyometric whereas double leg plyometrics develop speed. In closing, when

using the accelerated plyometrics, one must keep in mind that to get the speed and explosive

qualities to transfer to the sporting field, you must provide movements that mimic speed and

joint angles of what is taking place in the sport you’re training.

A 6 Week Step Progression for Accelerated Plyos