Tag: Plyometrics

Why Contrast Training is Beneficial for Athletes

By: Ford Wilder

The first question you may be wondering is, what is contrast training? Contrast training is pairing a heavy strength movement with a high-velocity, explosive exercise. For example, I might do a heavy squat set and then follow it with a set of box jumps or short sprints. The idea is to use the heavy lift to activate my nervous system, then immediately jump into the activated state to improve power and speed through the explosive plyometric or speed movement. As an athlete, the weight room should not be used for just strength purposes. It should be used to become faster, get more explosive, jump higher, and be a better overall athlete. Training for pure gains and aesthetics will lead to injuries within one’s sport. Also, lifting for only strength will cause one to develop stiff and inflexible muscles. Lacking the necessary fast-twitch fibers and coordination that you need to be a great athlete. 

I began contrast training at the beginning of my junior year. I knew it was necessary because of the heavy workload of playing a big role in three different sports throughout the year. I also knew I was going to have to make athletic plays on the court and field. Which would be hard to do if I stuck to my old training habits. As the year went along, I stayed in great shape, got stronger, and did not overly fatigue myself with this new way of training. Contrast training elevated my performance on the football field, basketball court, and track.

Many people believe the main goal in the weight room while in season is to maintain strength without becoming fatigued. I believed this until I began contrast training myself. Through this method, I become faster, stronger, and more explosive throughout the whole course of the year while still being able to perform to my capabilities in game. This allowed me to peak during the postseason of each sport. I played some of my best games/track meets near the end of each season.

Ultimately, I believe once an athlete becomes comfortable and trusts this way of training, they will see their performance skyrocket. Being an athlete is not just about doing sport-specific work. Putting in work in the weight room is where athletes separate themselves from the average. Contrast training is the new and improved best enhancer for athletes

The Benefit of a Athlete Doing Plyometrics 

By: Andrew Howle

To begin with, many people have little to no knowledge about plyometrics in sports and the vast benefits the exercises reap. The training consists of particularly jump training that advocates for explosiveness on the field. The training involves the rapid extension and contraction of the muscle that helps make quick movements on the sports field. The exercises are very helpful in sports such as football, track, tennis, soccer, and basketball. Many athletes typically start with basic exercise like pogo jumps and acceleration sprints.

I do the jump exercises to build my explosiveness in football and track. The movements are very useful and helpful in football when breaking down to make a tackle. It teaches you to chop your feet and pop the person in front of you using the drive from your whole body. Many people typically try to ankle bite, diving low on someone to tackle rather than rolling their hips into someone, extending their entire body into them. This helps prevent major injuries by having the correct tackling form on the field.

Also, I use the exercises to train my strides on track. This is beneficial when kicking out of blocks in races like the one-hundred-meter and two-hundred-meter dash. It teaches you to propel your body out, which helps you get a better start to the race. I also like to use plyometrics when jumping, especially during long jumps. It helps extend my leg muscles in mid-air, allowing me to land a farther jump in the sandpit. There are plenty more events in which this exercise could be helpful, such as hurdles, high jump, and triple jump. It is a great way to improve your athletic ability in your sport of choice. I highly recommend plyometrics to track athletes specifically.  

To conclude, many athletes should bite the bullet and do plyometrics. It may seem dumb or strenuous at first. However, it is worth it for the athlete to take it seriously while training. I’m optimistic that it will improve their performance in the given sport. All the athlete has to do is give the training a chance, and they will reap the benefits.