Are you

ready
to JUMP?

Tim Sunderland
 Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

With the growing popularity of functional training programs, high intensity

programs & around the gym  oor I’m seeing more and more plyometric
training which is AWESOME!! Box jumps, broad jumps, burpees etc, I
guarantee plyometrics will take your athletic ability from average to great. 
But to the “untrained” or “newbie” to these gyms and programs people are
dropping out injured before any great results come.

I call this the 8-10 month drop out marker where people start at a gym or a
program that assumes you are moving perfectly well and are ready for any
kind of training at any rate of intensity.

Wrong!!

You don’t buy a used race car without going to the mechanic rst, do you?

It usually takes about 8-10 months of high intense work before a dysfunction
in movement will present pain, this is why doing a few months of corrective
work with proper coaching on how to load joints and distribute ground
reaction forces safely has the upmost importance to insure everyone stays in
the gym as long as possible without injury.

So, i’m going to discuss three components of a jump that aren’t often taken
into consideration. How the force is distributed throughout the body, what
strength protocols that should be met before going into plyometric training
and how they t into a workout program.

Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

 Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

Force distribution

With a box jump everyone puts all their effort into the jump, which 8-9 times
out of 10, doesn’t cause too much damage other than repetitive collapsing of
the knees and foot arch in the power phase or not reaching full hip
extension.  But that’s a whole other post, in this post, I’m going to discuss
the landing phase. Poor technique used to land a box jump is what causes
injury, mainly knee, ankle and lower back. Jumping off the box to the
ground, in my opinion, requires more strength and technique than jumping
up, and has just as much, if not more, importance in your performance.

There are 3 stages of a box jump rep: eccentric (landing), amortization

(contact time on ground), and concentric (coming back up).  Because not
many people have the strength to control the eccentric phase, it is this
phase that will cause damage and ruin your amortization phase, which is the
whole point of the box jump. A box jump is to express how quick and
ef cient you can load force on the landing (amortization), then how well you
can use the ground reaction force (the energy gathered from landing) to
jump back up.

When landing a box jump you are sending up to 20x your body weight
through your patellofemoral joint (knee). Knowing that number makes me
cringe when I watch how some people dismount a box jump with locked
knees, rolling ankles etc, and knowing that all that force is being shot
through your tendons and locked joints, not the elastic, energy soaking
muscular sling systems you should use.

Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

 Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

You’re putting a lot of undue stress on the Achilles (tendon behind your
heel) and patellar tendons (tendon under your knee cap) and limiting your
ability to cushion with the hip extensors (glutes). Additionally, you’re really
increasing the amortization phase, therefore killing the very elastic response
you’re trying to train. Defeats the whole purpose of the jump.

If you can’t load it, don’t do it.

Strength & Volume

So, how do you know you’re ready for box jumps?

First, if you walk into a gym or go to a trainer and are given box jumps within
your rst 1-6 months without any coaching on how to properly load your
joints to take and use the ground reaction forces, or haven’t done the
necessary strength work for your muscles and tendons to actually handle
that huge load turn around and run away… run far away.

Before starting any plyometric exercise or program there are some strength
protocols to reach.

Box jumps, being lower body plyo, the athlete needs to be able to perform a
squat 1.5x their body weight, the speed requirement is squatting 5 reps at
60% bodyweight in 5 seconds or less and balance being holding a single leg
half squat for 30 seconds without falling. (David H. Potach, Donald A. Chu of
the Florida A&M University)

Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

 Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

Volume in plyometric training is expressed as contacts per week, which have

protocols too.  If you’re jumping off the box to get back down, you’re actually
performing a second plyometric movement and those contacts should be
counted as well. Jump up then jump down = 1 box jump but 2 contacts.

For the weekend warrior or un-trained athlete these protocols are essential,
as the tendons aren’t strong enough to be taking high volume with high
load bashings. Beginner: 30-80 contacts per week, Intermediate: 100-140
contacts and advanced: 140+. Rest periods are 2-3 minutes between 2-6 sets
of 1-6 reps max!!!!!

Programming

Box jumps are a way more advanced movement than people may think, and
are often placed in the wrong phase of programming. We do box jumps to
move our limbs faster and therefore lift more, not as a conditioning tool.
Using box jumps for conditioning/fat loss tool at high volume and/or speeds
leads to a breakdown of form leading to battered shins, twisted and broken
ankles, knee injuries, lower back compression injuries and other injuries
we’ve discussed. Additionally, it ingrains poor movement mechanics. A box
jump is programmed to improve your squat mechanics and performance,
not make it worse.

Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

 Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness

In addition, jumping for high reps and pushing the tempo minimizes full hip-
extension, which doesn’t do you any favours. Full hip-extension is the
primary driver of a solid vertical jump and transfers to activities like running
and the lockout of a deadlift or squat to name a few key movements.

My advice is to just step down off the box, or if you must, work at a low
height and focus how your landing, soaking the weight and recoiling the
energy back up.

If you would like more advice on technique and proper programming, or if

you’ve pushed  plyometric work too hard and have caused damage email
me at truetechnique tness@outlook.com and I’ll do my best to help.

Are You Ready to Jump? – True Technique Fitness