2009 Studies & Research Blog

In the world of fitness, it seems as though many people have exercise attention deficit disorder.  Simply put, as soon as some people begin on exercise routine or protocol, they’re already on the lookout for a new one.  Often, exercisers just don’t give their plans enough time and become frustrated at the lack of results.  What they don’t realize is that changing one’s body is more of a marathon than a spring - most alterations are made gradually, and visible evidence of progress can take a long time to develop.  For this reason, a perfectly good workout scheme can gain a bad reputation simply because not enough time or effort was put into the program.  Of course, some programs are poorly designed and aren’t going to deliver lasting results no matter how much dedication one displays.  For just as there are fad diets, fad exercise routines exist, popping up like weeds yet promising that the grass is greener.

At first glance, pylometric training may appear to be one of these fad workout plans.  After all, pylometric training is relatively new and doesn’t quite adhere to traditional strength-training procedures.  One major difference is that pylometric training involves rapid, explosive movements, rather than the slow, sustained lifting and lowering phases that characterize most strength or mass gain programs.  Additionally, pylometric training uses minimal, if any, added weight, relying instead on body weight and momentum to provide the stimulus for developing muscular strength.  And often, pylometric exercises mimic moves used in sports, whereas most weight-lifting exercises aren’t direct translations of athletic movements.

Despite these differences, though, pylometric training is quite powerful, and research has shown that it can be as effective, if not more so, as traditional strength training protocols.  For example, a study from the latest issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared the effects of twelve weeks of a pylometric training routine with those of a traditional strength training program.  The pylometric training consisted of three sessions per week, with exercises such as drop jumps and hurdle jumps.  The traditional training was also performed three times per week and included endurance, core stability training, knee extension and flexion and hip adduction and abduction.

After the twelve weeks, the pylometric training proved to be valuable.  Although the pylometric group had a lower average score in the countermovement jump than the traditional training group at the beginning of the study, the pylometric group ended up outperforming the traditional group by more than 3 centimeters in that jump at the end of training.  In addition, the pylometric group increased depth jump height by 18 percent, while the traditional training group actually performed worse in this assessment after the twelve weeks.  And these measures of explosive strength were not the only category in which the pylometric training produced the most positive changes; the protocol also improved contraction speed more than traditional training.

So if you’re tired of traditional training and want an alternative that can offer increases in explosive strength or improvements in sports performance, pylometric training may be for you.

SOURCE:

Campo, Silvia Sedano, et al. Effects of lower-limb plyometric training on body composition, explosive strength, and kicking speed in female soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2009; 23(6): 1714-1722