Weights and Plyometrics - Jump Training Efficiency

Well, you need to move fast to move fast so you might not see much improvement unless you used plyos for a couple weeks before testing your vertical.

I think CT wrote about doing plyos for six weeks leading into a season and then cutting them out.

For volume and loading I aim for 60-80 contacts for beginners. A contact is each time a foot touches the ground. Jump up and land = 1 contact. I do 80-100 contacts after the beginner stage and top out at 100-120.

These numbers are per session and I only do two a week. I also start with less intense stuff and progress from there.

60 - 80 contacts — of any plyometric movement/jump you mean?

Yes. Here’s what I’d do to start a plyo program.

3 x 10 double leg lateral hops (back and forth over a line on the ground)

4 x 5 box jumps (land on the box, step down)

2 x 10 step downs (Step off box and land in squat/jump position softly. This requires landing perfectly and absorbing the force.)

The last one is more of a technique drill that improves eccentric strength. No reason to jump if you don’t know how to land properly!

Thank you! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve read that you should focus on lessening the time your foot is in contact with the ground when you land, correct? The rationale being that you should be able to generate force faster at less time, and thus will be more explosive off the ground

Also, it would be better to do them before your workout with weights, correct?

Edit: oh sorry I misread the step downs. I thought you were referring to something like a depth jump where you step off a box and immediately perform a jump

Correct, but check out post 14 here for other methods like the PAP.

Yes. You want to reduce the amount of time you spend in the transition phase (from landing to jumping again). I focus on technique first though.

There’s also a balancing act for performance. I can jump, land, and jump again quickly but I can jump higher if I spend more time on the ground and load up more.

Forgot about post 14. Read this thread a couple of days back. Thanks for the replies man. Will try it out!