Plyometrics questions

[IronFist]

In my vast knowledge of strength training (haha, whatever), I seem to have learned absolutely nothing about plyometrics. I understand the principle, (I think, I dunno), but what are real world benefits of this "explosive strength" that is gained? Could they help with squats or bench?

How often a week is safe to do them? I've read like 100 different theories on this. "too much is bad" "not enough is bad" "ANY is bad" Someone clarify for me please.

Any training ideas? Here's what I've heard so far (that I remember):

Jumping (clapping) puhups
Pushups going from a box to the floor and back
Jumping Squats (weightless, like jumping hindus squats)

Do I go to failure? Do I mix them with other bodyweight excises?

I guess there's no plyometrics for the "pulling" muscles, eh? I can see how pushups and squating ones would work, but I don't see any plyometrics for biceps or lats or anything, so if you know any, hook me up.

Alright, that does it for my questions I think. Thanks guys,

Iron

[straight blast]

Plyometrics should form part of a Martial Art workout. But they should never comprise the totality. Always warm up. NEVER ever do them cold. For squats for example I like to warm up on the bike, then do a couple of free squats with no weight, followed by some with a little weight before even thinking of plyometrics. I think (not sure) that this is one of the easiest ways to injure yourself working out with weights if not done properly.
I've been into Plyometric training for about 2 years and I wouldn't do it more than once every 3 workouts. It's too potentially damaging. To be honest I found that jump squats (for example) don't really make that much difference in kick speed & power 'cos you're training the muscles to powerfully contract in a jumping motion, not a kicking one. I prefer to run through my kicking motion with my leg attached to cable & pulley weights. I never do this fast though.
Try doing single fast chinups for bicep plyometrics. Hope this has been of some help. :)

Oh BTW, NEVER do them to failure. The first thing to go approaching failure is form, and your form must be perfect to avoid joint damage. And yeah, mix them with others (on different days though)


"Through strength, learn gentleness. Through gentleness, strength will prevail"

[yenhoi]

I found a webpage once that also listed running up and down stairs while jogging as a plyometric exercise that he recomended.

He had a entire plyometric cirriculum(sp?) on his website, had them divided into basic and advanced - mostly just picking different daily activities and having you do them for 10 minutes at a time throughout your day.

Bruce Lee (not a bruce lee plug) specifically names the clapping pushups as a method to gain explosiveness. (In Tao of JKD, anyways)

I also have reservations as to the effectivness of the jumping squats.

strike!

[prana]

I trained in plyometrics in the smaller finger tendons. It usually brings on DOMS, and after the pain is gone completely, I give it one extra day to supercompensate, before training again.

As before, we train plyometrics after a very long warm up, and we stop at the slightest unusual pain. Also our training is usually roundabout 125% maximum one rep and always in the negative repetion.

How it works ? I dunno how practically, but it is theoretically supposed to increase the thickness of the individual muscle fibers by producing micro tears in them (??), and also teachers the fibers to fire all at once. I am trying to use the words that were taught in Sports Sc. So I am not 100% sure myself of what they actually mean.

[Ford Prefect]

Iron,

Get the "Super Training" book by Mel Siff. They sell it at most online book stores and it is the most comprehensive book on plyo's written in English.

Plyo's can help incredibly with your bench and Squat poundages. Westside Barbell Powerlifting Club employs a lifting scheme which is very much akin to plyometrics. They spend two days per week on max effort strength development (one for lowerbody and one for bench) and two days on what they call "dynamic" strength development which is pretty much explosive power. On these days the use only around 55% of their 1rm but do about 8 sets of 2-3 reps very explosively with little rest between sets. They attest this to helping them get out of the hole on their lifts and blast through sticking points.

I think you'd be interested in their work. They have guys squatting over 1,000 and benching over 730 and very little injuries, so you can say that their methods are proven. One of their top guys, Dave Tate, has a website with a lot of articles on it at: www.elitefitnesssystems.com (http://www.elitefitnesssystems.com)

I'd recommend reading "The Periodization Bible: Part 2" first. It pretty much explains their methods and how they combine hypertrophy, max strength, and speed strength into one continuous cycle.

Check it out.

[IronFist]

Thanks. I did some jumping weightless squats last night. ****, at first it was easy, but suddenly it got very difficult. Each time I would go down all the way like in Hindu squats, and as soon as I reached the bottom, I would blast myself back up as fast and as hard as I could. At first I was jumping pretty high, but soon I got tired and was only jumping like 6 inches off the ground. Ouch. I feel myself starting to get sore now about 22 hours later.

Iron

[prana]

Usually hurts most at 48 hours :)

[Ford Prefect]

BTW, "Supertraining" has a lot more than just plyo's. It talks about periodization, recovery, etc etc. It's heavy reading, but if you can't read Russian, then it's the best you'll find.

[IronFist]

hehe, well, I can read Russian, but I wouldn't know what I was saying or reading :) Much like how if you don't speak German, you could still look at a German book and kinda pronounce the stuff, if you knew the rules.
In other words, I think I'll stick with English books :)

Iron