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Jumping tasks, whether they are vertical or horizontal, should be included regularly in strength and conditioning programs.  Jumps are part of a larger skill set needed to be successful in sport competitions. In some instances, the ability to jump higher or farther than another competitor will determine who wins the competition, while the repetitive nature of jumping tasks in other sports does not determine the winner. In team sports, jumping tasks may be used during rebounding in basketball, spiking/blocking in volleyball, diving in baseball, etc. While impulse may ultimately determine the jumping performance of an individual [1], distinct force-time characteristics may determine the spike and magnitude of the impulse created [1,2]. Greater maximal muscular strength may modify the force-time characteristics of an individual. Specifically, increasing maximal muscular strength achieved through resistance training can alter both peak performance variables as well as the shape of the force-time curve [3-6]. 

1. Garhammer J, Gregor R. Propulsion forces as a function of intensity for weightlifting and vertical jumping. J Strength CondRes. 1992;6(3):129–34
2. Sole CJ. Analysis of countermovement vertical jump force-time curve phase characteristics in athletes [Doctoral Dissertation].Digital Commons: East Tennessee State University; 2015.T. J. Suchomel et al.123
3. Mizuguchi S. Net impulse and net impulse characteristics in vertical jumping: East Tennessee State University; 2012. 
4. Cormie P, McGuigan MR, Newton RU. Adaptations in athletic performance after ballistic power versus strength training. MedSci Sports Exerc. 2010;42(8):1582–98
5. Cormie P, McBride JM, McCaulley GO. Power-time, force-time, and velocity-time curve analysis of the countermovement jump: impact of training. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(1):177–86
6. Cormie P, McGuigan MR, Newton RU. Changes in the eccentric phase contribute to improved stretch-shorten cycle performance after training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;42(9):1731–44.

There is previous literature that has examined the influence of muscular strength on various factors associated with athletic performance and the benefits of achieving greater muscular strength. Greater muscular strength is strongly associated with improved forcetime characteristics that contribute to an athlete’s overall performance. Much research supports the notion that greater muscular strength can enhance the ability to perform general sport skills such as jumping, sprinting, and change of direction tasks. Further research indicates that stronger athletes produce superior performances during sport specific tasks. Greater muscular strength allows an individual to potentiate earlier and to a greater extent, but also decreases the risk of injury. Sport scientists and practitioners may monitor an individual’s strength characteristics using isometric, dynamic, and reactive strength tests and variables. Relative strength may be classified into strength deficit, strength association, or strength reserve phases. The phase an individual falls into may directly affect their level of performance or training emphasis.

Based on the extanted literature, it appears that there may be no substitute for greater muscular strength when it comes to improving an individual’s performance across a wide range of both general and sport specific skills while simultaneously reducing their risk of injury when performing these skills. Therefore, sport scientists and practitioners should implement long-term training strategies that promote the greatest muscular strength within the required context of each sport/event. Future research should examine how force-time characteristics, general and specific sport skills, potentiation ability, and injury rates change as individuals transition from certain standards or the suggested phases of strength to another.

Suchomel, Timothy J., et al. “The Importance of Muscular Strength in Athletic Performance.” Sports Medicine, vol. 46, no. 10, Feb. 2016, pp. 1419–1449.

 

We prefer to utilize a variation of contrast training to elicit a higher level of explosive strength and reactiveness in the athletes that train here at Zelos Athletics. The method is designed to apply more stress on the athletes, provoking greater neurological and physiological adaptations to maximize explosive strength and speed. It works by performing a heavy, multi-jointed exercise followed by a plyometric movement that is biomechanically similar. A heavy set followed by an explosive exercise that is typically deloaded, meaning you can use assistance, or resist the jump. This combination of exercises that are paired together increases the amount of muscle fibers that are recruited to perform a movement, as well as the speed at which those fibers are recruited; bringing about potentiation. For example, the multi jointed lift can be a squat, followed by a box jump. This increases the speed at which your muscles can produce force; leading to an increase in the rate of force development the athlete can produce.

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