Plyometrics

Description

This is the definitive guide for designing plyometric programmes. Plyometrics, also known as jump training, are a group of exercises based on the principle of having muscles exert maximum force in as short a time as possible, with the intention of increasing both strength and power. Plyometric training has become an important element in most sport conditioning programmes over the past two decades. But many athletes are still doing it wrong and getting injured or getting far less than they should from their training. Plyometrics presents only the best science-based and tested exercises and programmes to ensure optimal power with minimal risk of injury. This comprehensive guide also includes sport-specific power training regimes for basketball, soccer, football, rugby and volleyball, and shows how to integrate those plans into a total athlete development programme.

Dr. Donald Chu, PhDPT, ATC, CSCS, FNSCA, is a professor emeritus of kinesiology and physical education at California State University at Hayward, where he taught for more than 20 years. He is director and founder of Athercare Fitness & Rehabilitation in the San Francisco Bay area, which specializes in sport performance training, fitness programs, physical therapy, and clinical psychology. Dr. Chu has developed an extensive reputation in the field of sport rehabilitation and fitness and conditioning. He pioneered research-supported plyometric training in the Western hemisphere and is revered throughout the strength and conditioning community for enhancing modern sports' most defining athletic factor: power. Chu has been credited with bringing plyometric training to the attention of coaches, athletes, and fellow professionals in sport conditioning through his application of theoretical knowledge into practical demonstrations. The author of six books, Chu has also written articles in refereed journals and contributed chapters to many books on sports medicine. More than 140,000 copies of his seminal book on the topic, Jumping Into Plyometrics, have been sold since 1994. He has presented extensively to professional groups around the world and consulted with athletes and teams at every level-including Olympians and professionals-on the development of training and conditioning programs. Dr. Chu holds certifications as an athletic trainer (ATC) from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and as a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has served on the board of directors for both organizations and is a past president of the NSCA. He resides in Alameda, California. Gregory D. Myer, PhD, FACSM, CSCS,*D, is currently the director of research and the Human Performance Laboratory for the Division of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and is also serving as the senior research advisor to the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention. He also maintains his primary faculty appointment in the departments of pediatrics and orthopaedic surgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati and secondary appointments in the athletic training division at Ohio State University. He is a member, lecturer, and honoree of the ACSM, NSCA, and NATA for his breakthrough research, including his defining work on the development of prevention strategies in knee injury. Myer's work in the Human Performance Laboratory allows him to integrate the most advanced research findings into training protocols for athletic development and injury prevention. Dr. Myer works with athletes from preadolescence to professional level and speaks to coaches around the world seeking to update their own training programs. Dr. Myer is the author of Strength and Jump Training for Volleyball and several book chapters related to his research on the biomechanics of sport performance and training for injury prevention. He has also authored over 150 articles in peer-reviewed medical journals. He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio.