Plyometrics are a versatile training technique that can be performed in many directions, velocities, and amplitudes. They involve jumps, hops, bounds, and skips, and are governed by the stretch-shortening cycle, which is the reversible action of muscles. Plyometric exercises have three phases: eccentric, amortization, and concentric, which releases explosive force.

Eccentric Phase:

During the eccentric phase, the muscle is pre-stretched, storing potential energy in its elastic elements.

The eccentric phase can be referred to as deceleration, absorption, loading, yielding, or the cocking phase; When athlete players bend their knees and lower their arms before a jumping.

Amortization Phase:

The amortization phase is a time of dynamic stabilization during which the muscle transitions from overcoming the acceleration of gravity and loading the energy to releasing it.

Concentric Phase:

Unloading the elastic energy occurs in the concentric phase, which adds to the tension generated in a concentric muscle contraction.

This is where the athlete releases the stored and redirected energy, by jumping off the ground.

Plyometric training utilizes the stretch-shortening cycle in the muscle and tendons to improve the reaction time of the nervous system response in that muscle. It results in an increase the overall neural stimulation of the muscle and therefore increase in force output.

One way to make plyometric training measurable is to use Ground contact time (GCT). GCT is the amount of time between when the first part of a foot touches the ground and when the last part leaves.

Plyometric activities can be categorized into two groups based on GCT fast and slow:

Fast:

GCT is less than 0.25 seconds (250 milliseconds or less). Examples include sprinting, pogo jumps, and multiple hurdle jumps.

Slow:

GCT is more than 0.25 seconds (251 milliseconds or more).

Examples include split lunges, jump tucks, and countermovement jumps. Some say that GCTs longer than 0.25 seconds aren't plyometric because the athlete isn't benefiting from stored elastic energy.

Sprinting is a highly effective way to improve overall health and athletic performance because sprinting exposes the body to proper stiffness through the achilles, and through the quad tendon. It enforces proper compliance through the hip tendons as well.

Basically sprinting builds the tendons the way the body was supposed to be.

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