Shock Tactics! Drop Jumps for improved speed, power and jumping ability

[@drsaintdc]

Best explanation of this I have seen before.

[@markphillips4682]

You are exactly right!

[@nickx4475]

Been doing this exercise for years but so many nuggets of gold in this video. Much appreciated ✊🏾.

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

Great and glad to help. All the best!

[@parveensehrawat3362]

A lot of love ,respect and thanks coach !

[@nealwright5630]

Was doing these in the 80s. Plyometrics wasn't really a term then but we did them. I had a grad assistant coach who was leading edge.

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

In Europe I think we may have been doing these a little longer. It sounds like we are about the same age, as I recall going to the library in the eighties and getting a long jump book out and doing these types of plyos. I also have some training info from the seventies that includes this type of work. Thanks for the comment!

[@nealwright5630]

@@Johnshepherdtrackcoach Probably true. The word plyometrics was not used back then. the common term was "jumping drills".

[@nealwright5630]

I'll be 54 this year. I was a 7' jumper in the 80s and a 6'3" jumper in 2002 at 36. I've been behind a desk for years. I'd like to redevelop my fast-twitch fibers... get some spring back in my step. Priorities change though, right?

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

Neal Wright Yes, they do, I've been on and off desks as it were through my working life too... now I'm doing more coaching though and the odd jump and run... A few years back I used to do masters but the coaching has now taken over. Managed 23.66 for the 200 at 45, which I was proud of... keeping going is the key. Start light, enjoy the training and you never know re your comeback!

[@joelanno5166]

Fantastic explanation, really opened my eyes. Love your stuff. Thank you, John. Just curious, I assume this type of training would translate well for ice hockey/power skating type athletes that rely so much on explosive reactiveness? If so is there any restriction on age of athletes that should be considered? (I focus on 11 to 16 yr old hockey players)

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

Many thanks for your comments. Of coursed plyometrics will be of benefit to virtually all sports and definitely ice hockey and ice skating where powerful jumps, cutting and stopping movements and overall speed are needed. I use plyometrics with athletes from 12 upward ... I introduce lower intensity ones first e.g. low hight (20cm) drop jumps and skipping drills too. Look for signs of fatigue and truncate the session if this creeps in. Fatigue can lead to poor form and therefore injury. Mind you I'd assume that for ice skating and hockey fatigue would be a factor ... so. with training mature and specifically conditioned skaters you could introduce plyometric circuits. Hope this gives you food for thought and thanks for passing by.

[@Coachbintu]

Thanks coach

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

Many thanks, if you think of something else you’d like to find out about the subject (or others) let me know as it’s not always possible to cover everything in a short video. Plus sometimes I think I could have added something else.

[@azamgaming5531]

Yes i am 💯

[@GetReal505]

Good stuff and well explained.

[@brandonpatanao9135]

When doing drop jumps should I aim to not let my heel touch the ground or should I aim for a flatter foot?

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

There's a debate around this... most of my group will land on their forefeet, the reaction is then more akin to the sprinting contact. Some coaches argue also for a more flat foot contact as this is potentially closer to the take-offs in the long and triple and high jumps. I've found that landing this way from a drop jump can send a shock through the athlete's back, so we tend to land forefoot. Having said that if you also include hops and bounds then you will be contacting the ground in a way that's much closer (identical) to what's required, for example in the triple jump. Thanks for the comment.

[@markphillips4682]

Excellent video!

[@rycoco2]

Thanks a lot for all what u do for sports ,coach. By the way does ur book exist in French......??

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

Many thanks and no I'm afraid. Some have been translated into Spanish (and Chineses!) though. I'm planning to do a course for CoachTube for the autumn on the long jump so do look out for that. There's one on the triple jump on their website at the moment.

[@harindrakushwaha3956]

Good video..

[@rich24561]

Your athletes have quite a bit of variation in their foot contact. Some on the forefoot and some flat. When they are reacting more vertically they are generally on their forefoot and when moving horizontally more flatfooted. Do you have a systematic approach to the weighting of the two? My belief is that one transfers more to sprinting and the other to jumping. Do you have the same belief? Do you also use hurdle hops which are really a series of reactive drop jumps more in line with sprinting where men are coming down from 75cm and women 50cm? In a similar way jumps for height without boxes are the same as coming off a low box and exploding vertically flatfooted up to a metre for men. I think the platforms have a greater role in developing the correct posture and release angle of takeoff in the runoff of the triple jump. I am not trying to be critical I am just interested in your thoughts 😊

[@kierankinsella7047]

Great video, many thanks. Quick question, how many sets/reps would you advise for a beginner to this type of training and what sort of recovery in between?

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

Start with a "less is more approach" and take plenty of rest between sets and 30-40sec between reps. Start also with the lower intensity plyo options and then progress to the more intense ones such as hopping from a run-up (over time!). So, good plyos for a beginner would be jumps in place, such as straight leg jumps and reactive tuck jumps. Low height drop jumps could also be a good start - drop down from 30-40cm and then react to the ground as quickly as possible (land on two feet). I'll look into making a more detailed video on this subject in future. Thanks for the comment.

[@kierankinsella7047]

@@Johnshepherdtrackcoach Thank you!

[@nikhillsonone]

Hello coach..!What is the difference between the drop jump and depth jump..?

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

This is an interesting one ... and I admit that I can use the terms inter changeably when perhaps I shouldn't. The drop jumps are the ones you'll see the most on my channel - quick near straight leg reactions from boxes up to about 70cm high. You'll see that we also do lower ones - 20cm. Depth jumps are similar but use higher drops 70cm plus and a more flat-footed landing (not an exclusive determining factor though). However, this is in part due to what I understand to be the key difference and that's the intent on the part of the athlete to gain height. Thus they may drop from a box, land and then jump to touch a basketball ring. Due to the need to go vertical more contact time will result. Some coaches/sports scientists differentiate the two styles by a shorter (drop jump) or a longer (depth jump) stretch-shortening cycle. There are figures in m/s to fully provide delineation. I - and this is not to decry their value - have not had my athletes do depth jumps. Thanks for your question and I hope this helps.

[@Mr.Monkey853]

Can you suggest/provide any off session training program of triple jump please?

[@danikhan1411]

Dear john.I am currently in my offseason now.I aim to increase my max velocity so for that i doy neural workouts more.I want to ask is it safe to go close to a very LOW volume 105% assisted sprints workout once or twice a week for the entire offseason.Because i believe to go further than previous level a sprinter has to show the body a higher velocity all year round. Am i correct with my concept?

[@olivermendes5696]

sir what if there comes a plateau in vertical jump while training plyometrics, do you suggest weight training or other types of plyometrics to overcome the plateau

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

Yes, when you reach a plateau you do need to change the emphasis of your training. There are so many ways to do this. You can choose different exercises, different volumes and different intensities for example. Sometimes a rest can also beat a plateau. For example, you could reduce your plyometrics and replace with some sprinting workouts. For vertical jump improvement I would complex/contrast train. The combination of the two types of training has been shown to improve power output. Hope these brief suggestions help. Good luck

[@olivermendes5696]

@@Johnshepherdtrackcoach thankyou sir you are a boon for people like me who do not have access to proper athletic coaching

[@lukasj921]

thanks, informative video! how much rest would you recommend between sets?

[@nealwright5630]

Rest for full recovery. Plyometrics should never be aerobic. 3 to 5 times longer than your reps.

[@lukasj921]

@@nealwright5630 thank you ;)

[@mrmajkel6841]

I've got probl3m with height of my long jump. Could you mak3 a film about how to improve height? How to put foot? How about penultimate and ultimate step? Sorry for my english =)

[@rich24561]

Improve your eccentric and isometric strength especially unilaterally

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

See Richard's comment below re the strength component and this video on the channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6W0dZKFotNlnZY Additionally you will also need to work on your take-off mechanics. See this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWXJlpacmLqmrMk

[@mrmajkel6841]

@@Johnshepherdtrackcoach thank you!¡

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

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[@thzlaurix4821]

1:58 Is a 110cm Drop not too much?

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

That would work more on the strength component as the contact would be slowed. We work around 40-80cm in the main. However it’s useful to add some variation (bit like weight training loads can vary). Of course the athlete needs to be suitably conditioned to withstand the forces involved. Thanks for passing by 👍🏽

[@thzlaurix4821]

@@Johnshepherdtrackcoach Thank you!

[@AB-hl3ry]

Sir i am planning of sprint practice at afternoon in very sharp sunlight . Is it beneficial for me ? Could you tell me what should i eat and drink just after practice ?

[@decathlete2000]

hurdle hops can be considered drop jumps right? for eg when u do 5 hops over 5 hurdles

[@curlrain]

I have a question. If an athlete has a vertical of say 80cm what is the purpose of doing drop jump from a height substantially lower than its max since i can easily match those height by just jumping?

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

But can the athlete with a counter-movement and very quickly with little knee bend? Drop jumps are primarily designed to improve rate of force development. Although the athlete may be able to jump 80m vertically quickly ... it's unlikely to be as quick as the time taken to take-off for the long jump 1100ms or from a lower height drop jump... drop jumps were designed to optimally develop that capacity by the former Soviets and they came up with designated jump heights for speed v strength (if I recall it was 70cm for speed and 1.10m for strength). Also, even with a good vertical jump a person might have trouble running from a 10 step approach and doing two hops and a jump, for example. The rate of force development and the single leg nature of the activity would likely be the issue. I hope my answer helps explain the rationale. Having a good vertical would provide a useful foundation for more specific long jump plyometric work, for example. Many thanks for the question.

[@curlrain]

Thanks for the answer. That is very much appreciated. I understand the rationale, but I believe I didn't express myself precisely enough : In the video I see some athlete performing drop jump form height as low as 20cm as @4:45. I believe that an athlete can easily do pogo jump over hurdle of that height for example. So I was wondering about the benefit in those specific instances. Or maybe it was just to test the RSI or something in that particular case. Thanks again for the answer.

[@valeristoimenov1985]

Drop jump and depth jumps are different exercises. The shock method is dept jumps not drop jumps. The depth jumps have longer ground contact and are done for a different reason not speed or short ground contact. Jumping from 10 and 40cm is not shock method.

[@lukaivicic7205]

How much drop jump can I do per one training?

[@Johnshepherdtrackcoach]

Luka, I go on signs of fatigue ... so we will do maybe 6 x 6 drop jumps, plus some other plyo drills in a session ... if the athlete begins to tire and their reactions slow for example, then we stop the session or increase recovery to see if this helps. I think that if you regularly include plyometrics in your training (as we do 3-4 times a week) then you can do more than is sometimes recommended in text books where they talk about so many ground contacts. Always use quality and speed of performance as your guide. Good luck,

[@sommerday77]

this drop-jump drill has nothing to do with developing a dominant fast-twitch sprinters ham (says guy who had crazy speed)