Choose the method to fit the sport
The golden rule of any conditioning programme is specificity. This means that the movement you perform in training should match, as closely as possible, the movements encountered during competition. If you are rugby player practising for the lineout or a volleyball player interested in increasing vertical jump height, then drop jumping or box jumping may be the right exercise. However if you are a javelin thrower aiming for a more explosive launch, then upper body plyometrics is far more appropriate. As I am a footballer then the leg plyometrics would be far more suitable than the upper body plyometrics.
Purpose of exercises
Because these training sessions will be specific this will mean that they will improve my skill development as well as a physical change. As my speed and power increase it will help provide a basis for my skill that I will improve on therefore making it get better.
Plyometric Exercises
The following are examples of lower body and upper body plyometric exercises.
Lower Body
Drop Jumping: - This exercise involves the athlete dropping (not jumping) to the ground from a raised platform or box, and then immediately jumping up. The drop down gives the pre-stretch to the leg muscles and the vigorous drive upwards the secondary concentric contraction The exercise will be more effective the shorter the time the feet are in contact with the ground. The loading in this exercise is governed by the height of the drop which should be in the region of 30-80 cm. Drop jumping is a relatively high impact form of plyometric training and would normally be introduced after the athlete had become accustomed to lower impact alternatives, such as two-footed jumping on the spot.
Bounding and hurdling: If forward motion is more the name of your game, try some bounding. This is a form of plyometric training, where over sized strides are used in the running action and extra time spent in the air. Two-legged bounds reduces the impact to be endured, but to increase the intensity one legged bounding, or hopping, can be used. Bounding upstairs is a useful way to work on both the vertical and horizontal aspects of the running action. Multiple jumps over a series of obstacles like a hurdle is a valuable drill for athletes training for sprinting or jumping events.
These exercises are all aimed at the lower body, but a variety of drills can be used to make the upper body more explosive.
Upper Body
Press ups & handclap: Press-ups with a handclap in between is a particularly vigorous way to condition the arms and chest. The pre-stretch takes place as the hands arrive back on the ground and the chest sinks, and this is followed quickly by the explosive upwards action. Once again, to get the best training effect keep the time in contact with the ground to a minimum.
Medicine Ball: Another means of increasing upper body strength popular with throwers is to lie on the ground face up. A partner then drops a medicine ball down towards the chest of the athlete, who catches the ball (pre-stretch) and immediately throws it back. This is another high-intensity exercise and should only be used after some basic conditioning.
Benefits of Plyometric Training
- Increased power production
- Increased speed of movement
- Increased voluntary muscle contraction (strength)
- Increased proprioceptor and kinaesthetic awareness (body position sense)
- Increased quickness
- Decreased reaction time
- Increased ability to change direction more efficiently and quickly.
Principles of Plyometrics
- Plyometrics are a series of repetitive hops and jumps designed to increase strength, speed and power.
- Perform plyometrics at the beginning of the workout session so that your legs are rested. This will increase the effectiveness of the workout.
- Perform simple plyometric movements first and gradually increase the exercises in intensity.
- Perform 75-100 total repetitions in a workout session.
- Do not use plyometrics as a conditioning exercise. The exercises are only effective in building power if used when you are rested.
As I will mainly concentrating on the leg muscles I have take a list from the Internet for lots of different leg plyometric exercises and I will be able to build a training plan from this.
Bounds
How to perform the drill
- Jog into the start of the exercise
- Push off with your left foot and bring the leg forward, with the knee bent and the thigh parallel to the ground
- At the same time, reach forward with your right arm. As the left leg comes through, the right leg extends back and remains extended for the duration of the push-off
- Hold this extended stride for a brief time, then land on your left foot
- The right leg then drives through to a forward bent position, the left arm reaches forward, and the left leg extends backward
- Make each stride long, and try to cover as much distance as possible
- You should land on the sole of the foot (flat footed), allowing energy to be stored by the elastic components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
- Keep the foot touch down time to the shortest time possible
How much
- One to three sets over 30 to 40 metres
- Allow a full recovery between each set
- Quality of bounding is far more important than quantity.
Hurdle Hopping
How to perform the drill
- Jump forward over the barriers with your feet together
- The movement should come from your hips and knees
- keep your body vertical and straight, and do not let your knees move apart or to either side
- Tuck both knees to your chest
- Use a double arm swing to maintain balance and gain height
- You should land on the balls of the feet, allowing energy to be stored by the elastic components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
- Keep the feet touch down time between hurdles to the shortest time possible
How much
- One to three sets using 6 to 8 hurdles
- Allow a full recovery between each set
- Hurdles should set up in a row, spaced according to ability
- The height of the hurdles should be in the region of 12 and 36 inches high
- Quality of hurdle hopping is far more important than quantity
Single Leg Hopping
How to perform the drill
- Stand on one leg
- Push off with the leg you are standing on and jump forward, landing on the same leg
- Use a forceful swing of the opposite leg to increase the length of the jump but aim primarily for height off each jump
- You should land on the ball of the foot, allowing energy to be stored by the elastic components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
- Keep the foot touch down time to the shortest time possible
- Try to keep your body vertical and straight
- Perform this drill on both legs
- Beginners will use a straighter leg action where as advanced athletes should try to pull the heel toward the buttocks during the jump
How much
- One to three sets over 30 to 40 metres
- Allow a full recovery between each set
- Quality of bounding is far more important than quantity
Box Jumps
How to perform the drill
- Assume a deep squat position with your feet shoulder width apart at the end of the row of boxes
- Keep your hands on your hips or behind your head
- Jump onto the box, landing softly in a squat position on the balls of the feet
- Maintaining the squat position, jump off the box onto the ground, landing softly in a squat position on the balls of the feet
- Jump onto the next box and so on
- Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
- One to three sets using 6 to 8 boxes.
- Allow a full recovery between each set
- The height of the box should be in the region of 30-80 cm.
- Quality of box jumping is far more important than quantity.
Depth Jumps
How to perform the drill
- Stand on the box with your toes close to the front edge
- Step from the box and drop to land on then balls of both feet
- Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
- Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
- One to three sets using 6 to 8 boxes
- Allow a full recovery between each set
- The height of the box should be in the region of 30-80 cm.
- Quality of depth jumping is far more important than quantity.
Tuck Jumps
How to perform the drill
- Begin in a standing position
- Jump up, grabbing both knees as they come up your chest
- Return to the starting position landing on the balls of the feet
- Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
- Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
- 1 to 3 sets
- Allow a full recovery between each set
- 5 to 10 repetitions/set
- Quality of Tuck Jumps is far more important than quantity
Two legged Hops or Bunny Hops
How to perform the drill
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower into a squat position and jump as far forward as possible.
- Land on then balls of both feet
- Try to keep your body vertical and straight, and do not let your knees move apart or to either side
- Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
- Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
- Use quick double-arm swings and keep landings short.
How much
- 1 to 3 sets
- Allow a full recovery between each set
- 5 to 10 repetitions/set
- Quality of Bunny Hops is far more important than quantity
Designing my plyometric training program
When I start my program I should begin with a period of preparation and move into time frames, or cycles, with specific goals. I am doing a 4 week cycle with 2 sessions a week that begins with a pre-test and has the goal of increased speed over 60 metres. The cycle would end with a test to see if the goal was achieved. An effective program accomplishes specific goals through the manipulation of four variables: intensity, volume, frequency, and recovery.
Intensity Of Exercise
Intensity is the effort involved in performing a given task. In weight lifting, intensity is controlled by the amount of weight lifted. In Plyometrics, intensity is controlled by the type of exercise performed
Plyometrics ranges from simple tasks to highly complex and stressful exercises. Starting out with skipping is much less stressful than alternate bounding. Double leg hops are less intense than single leg bounds.
The intensity of Plyometric exercises can be increased by adding light weights in certain cases, by raising the platform height for depth jumps, or simply by aiming at covering a greater distance in longitudinal jumps. Various Plyometric exercises have been rated from low to very intense. The exercises here are rated low to high. Any attempt to classify exercises by intensity is imperfect at best, but the guidelines provided here should help you in your program design. The below chart depicts the scale of intensity for jump training exercises.
Volume
Volume is the total work performed in a single workout session or cycle. In the case of Plyometric training, volume is often measured by counting foot contacts. For example, an activity like the standing triple jump, comprised of three parts, counts as three-foot contacts. Foot contacts provide a means of prescribing and monitoring exercise volume.
The recommended volume of specific jumps in any one session will vary with intensity and progression goals. A beginner in a single workout in an off-season cycle could do 60 - 100 foot contacts of low intensity exercises. The intermediate exerciser might be able to do 100 -150 foot contacts of low intensity exercises and another 100 of moderate intensity exercises in the same cycle. Advanced exercisers might be capable of 150 - 200 foot contacts of low - to - moderate intensity exercises in this cycle.
The volume of bounding (exaggerated running) activities is best measured by distance. In the early phases of conditioning, a reasonable distance is 30 metres per repetition. As the season progresses and the abilities of athletes improve, the distance may be progressively increased to 100 metres per repetition.
Number of foot contacts by season for jump training.
Low intensity exercises used during warm - ups are generally not included in the number of foot contacts when calculating volume. Thus warm -ups should stay low in intensity and progressive in nature so they do not over - extend the athlete.
Frequency
Frequency is the number of times an exercise is performed (repetitions) as well as the number of times exercise sessions take place during a training cycle. Research on Frequency in Plyometrics is obscure.
There seems to be no conclusive evidence that one frequency pattern is the means of increasing performance. Practical experience and some writings lead us to believe that 48 to 72 hours of rest is necessary for full recovery before the next exercise stimulus, although the intensity of the exercises has to be taken into consideration. Skipping as a Plyometric exercise is not as stressful as bounding and will not require the same amount of recovery time. Beginners should have at least 48 hrs of recovery between Plyometric sessions. If the athlete does not get enough recovery, muscle fatigue results in the athlete’s being unable to respond to the exercise stimulii (ground contact, distance, height) with maximal, quality efforts. The overall result is less efficient training for athletic development.
These are varied methods for establishing frequency in Plyometric training. Some coaches prefer to use a Monday to Thursday schedule during the preparation cycle (see table below). Using the principal of 48 to 72 hrs of recovery for lower extremity training, one can easily see the many program variations that can be developed. Running programs can also be integrated into the training cycle along with or replacing weight training on certain days, although it is recommended that weight training be a priority in developing and maintaining the strength base necessary to carry out a successful Plyometric training program.
Because of the stressful nature of Plyometrics and the emphasis on quality of work, Plyometric exercises should be performed before any other exercise programs. They can be integrated into weight training (this combination, is called COMPLEX TRAINING, is described later) at a later cycle in the training year if desired, or they might comprise the entire workout. This is quite conceivable, in fact, if the athlete is involved in track and field, where the Plyometric training might be very specific to the event or to skill development.
Samples of frequency of off-season/pre-season plyometric training
Recovery
Recovery is a key variable in determining whether Plyometrics is developing power or muscular endurance. For power training, longer recovery periods (45 to 60 seconds) between sets, or groupings of multiple events, such as a set of 10 rim jumps, allow maximum recovery between efforts. A work: rest ratio of 1: 5 - 1: 10 is required to assure proper execution and intensity of the exercise. Thus, if a single set of exercises takes 10 seconds to complete, 50 - 100 seconds of recovery should be allowed. Remember, Plyometric training is an anaerobic activity. Shorter recovery periods (10 to 15 seconds) between sets do not allow for maximum recovery and develop muscular endurance.
Less than 2 seconds of recovery time in exercise of 12 to 20 minutes makes a workout aerobic. Exercise for both strength and endurance is usually achieved through circuit training, where the athlete continues from one exercise to another without stopping between sets.
The preparation (off season) cycle for a Plyometric program should involve general gross motor exercises, such as skipping for co-ordination or simple jumping, without specific skill training, like change of direction. As the pre-season cycle approaches, exercises should become more specific to the sport.
If the sport itself is specific to Plyometric training, as in long, high, and triple jumping, Plyometrics can be carried through the in-season cycle. However, for sports dominated by vertical jumping, like basketball and volleyball, it may be advisable to reduce the amount of Plyometric training to a level consistent with the development of the athlete. For example, a professional basketball team that plays a schedule of three or more games a week with constant travel may find it impossible to train plyometrically during the season. On the other hand, the men’s national volleyball team conducts plyometric training of up to 400 jumps while training during the season because they play a limited match schedule. Common sense must play a role in determining whether the athlete should continue Plyometrics in- season.
I will integrate speed plyometrics and plyometrics used for football in my training schedules.
Training Plan
Week 1 – Week 4
Tuesday - Improve My Sprinting Power
Speed and acceleration are required for dozens of sports... soccer, football, tennis, basketball, hockey and baseball to name a few.
1.Warm-Up
Tuck jumps 2x10 (2 sets of 10 repetitions)
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
2. Jump up and bring your knees to your chest.
3. As you land repeat immediately keeping ground contact time to a minimum.
4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Depth jumps* 2x10
1. Stand on a box, bench or sturdy chair approximately 30-40cm high.
2. Step off the bench (don't jump off) and as soon as you land explode vertically as high as you can.
3. Try to minimise ground contact time i.e. don't sink down into a deep squat before jumping up.
Bounding 2x10
1. Mark out a series of small cones or obstacles about 3 feet apart in a straight line. The number of obstacles depends on the number of repetitions you are performing.
2. Start behind the first obstacle in a semi squat position.
3. Jump as high and far as possible over each obstacle. It's a good idea to practise first to gauge how far apart you should set the markers. Again try to minimise ground contact time.
4. You can use anything to jump over, a training top or even just a line on a track.
Hurdle jump with sprint* 2x10
1. Place 3 hurdles a few feet apart. Set them to knee height to begin with.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart behind the first hurdle. Knees should be bent in a squat position.
3. Jump over the first hurdle. As soon as you land jump the next hurdle. Keep ground contact time to a minimum i.e. don't squat right down as you land.
4. As you land after the final hurdle sprint for 20 yards.
5. As with all plyometric exercises rest thoroughly (3-5 mins) before repeating.
2. Cool Down
Thursday - Soccer Plyometrics
Soccer involves many powerful movements... accelerating to the ball or away from a marker, jumping for aerial challenges, shooting and twisting and turning.
1. Warm-Up
Jump running 2x10
This is one of the easiest plyometric exercises. Simply run in 'slow motion' landing on alternate feet. Try to achieve as much height and distance with each stride as possible.
For every right and left foot strike, count one repetition.
Ricochets 2x15
1. Mark out a small box shape on the floor (about 2 feet square) with paint or chalk.
2. Keeping your feet together, start at one corner of the box and perform small jumps from corner to corner in a random manner.
3. For this exercise the emphasis should be on speed and rate of leg movement rather than height.
4. Each ground contact is 1 repetition.
Bounding 2x10
1. Mark out a series of small cones or obstacles about 3 feet apart in a straight line. The number of obstacles depends on the number of repetitions you are performing.
2. Start behind the first obstacle in a semi squat position.
3. Jump as high and far as possible over each obstacle. It's a good idea to practise first to gauge how far apart you should set the markers. Again try to minimise ground contact time.
4. You can use anything to jump over, a training top or even just a line on a track.
Lateral jumps 2x10
1. Stand alongside a bench, box or cone approximately 30cm high.
2. Keeping your feet hip distance apart jump sideways as high over the obstacle as possible.
3. Immediately jump back to the start position minimising ground contact time. This counts as one repetition.
4. You can use anything to jump over, a training top or even just a line on a track. Just make sure you discipline yourself to jump as high as possible.
Depth jumps* 2x10
1. Stand on a box, bench or sturdy chair approximately 30-40cm high.
2. Step off the bench (don't jump off) and as soon as you land explode vertically as high as you can.
3. Try to minimise ground contact time i.e. don't sink down into a deep squat before jumping up. On the Saturday on the last week I will then test myself again using the 60 metres dash to see if I have improved and by how much.
2. Cool Down
Warm-ups and cool downs will be undertake before and after each session.
Implementation for my weekly training plan
Diary and ongoing evaluations of training sessions
Week 1
This week I started my training sessions and I thought that they went quite well considering that this was my first planned session. I knew that starting off they would be quite hard as I had never done plyometrics before and they lived up to my expectations. I completed both sessions in the week and took all the session plans into consideration. I performed the tasks safely and applied my knowledge of training and stretching into my warm ups and cool downs so as not to hurt my self. As the training was all right and not over strenuous I will carry these training sessions as planned.
Evaluation - I completed the training that was set and I thought that even though this was my first time doing I coped very well. Although I completed the training and set myself in good stead I was quite tired and my legs were really aching. Even though I did a cool down the lactic acid build up was quite terrible and I knew that I would have to do more training like this for me to get better and no have such a build up of lactic acid.
I thought that my tuck jumps were the best and this was probably due to them being a lot easier than the rest. I seemed to have a good ability for performing these as I tucked my legs in and completed them with ease. I will need to work on my lateral jumps to get them better in future because I seemed to be performing them but I think that I might have been doing them wrong. This was probably due to them being done for the first time for me. I found the Plyometrics for soccer easier because they didn’t seem as strenuous as the sprinting sessions and I think that this is due to me being more soccer related than sprinting. I think that my body has become more specific to soccer than sprinting as I work more on soccer than sprinting.
Week 2
I seemed to perform these sessions this week with a lot more confidence because I knew exactly what i was doing and I seemed to perform the plyometrics without any trouble. I completed the sessions this week a lot faster than last week and they seemed to be pulled off a lot easier. That is why for next week I will change some of my training sessions. I have now upped the intensity of the weaker plyometric moves like the tuck jumps and depth jumps. I have increased the repetitions of them and this will start next week. I think that this will help my next week because I don’t want to be training at the same level because I will end up with a training plateau and my skill level will not get any better. I performed the tasks safely and applied my knowledge of training and stretching into my warm ups and cool downs so as not to hurt my self.
Evaluation - This session seemed to go a lot better than the first and I seemed to perform the training more easily than the first. I completed the training faster than week 1 and there didn’t seem to be as great a build up of lactic acid as the first. Although there would not have been any improvement at this time I think that the training give me more confidence so it felt as though the training was working.
There was no real difference about which jumps were easier for me this session as the tuck jumps are the easier of the plyometric training. Because of this I have now upped the intensity of the weaker plyometric move like tuck jumps and depth jumps. I have increased the repetitions of them and this will start next week.
Week 3
This week I seemed to get a lot more out of my training sessions as I increased the training intensity. Although they weren’t very strenuous they seemed to be a lot better then when I did the session last week. I seemed to be able to feel an improvement although I hadn’t actually had a test to prove this. If I keep going on like this I think that my training will get better until I will have to vary the training so as I do not plateau. This week I will up the intensity of all the jumps for next week just to get a good final training session I before I do the test again. This should help me far greater as I was finding the training quite easy when I got to week 3. I will change the height on some of the jumps and I will increase the repetitions. This will give me great stead for the last session and I hope that it will be all right so that I can get better. I performed the tasks safely and applied my knowledge of training and stretching into my warm ups and cool downs so as not to hurt my self.
Evaluation - This week was by far the easiest of the training sessions. There didn’t seem to be any real trouble with completing the training sessions, as the Plyometrics seemed a lot easier to pull off. I think that this is due to my body acclimatising and getting use to the training.
This week I will up the intensity of all the jumps for next week just to get a good final training session I before I do the test again. This should help me far greater as I was finding the training quite easy when I got to week 3. I will change the height on some of the jumps and I will increase the repetitions.
Week 4
I thought that this week was the best and I was right to up the intensity and height because I seemed to be breathing more heavily and I was sweating a lot more than on previous weeks when I had completed sessions. I completed the final test and these are the results.
Results after 4 weeks of using plyometric training
60 Metres Dash Testing
I performed the tasks safely and applied my knowledge of training and stretching into my warm ups and cool downs so as not to hurt my self.
Evaluation - This training session I thought was best of all. Not because I completed it faster because I didn’t but because I thought that I got the best out of myself. I could feel the lactic acid coming back again so I guessed that I upped the intensity far enough because I didn’t want to go over the top so as to cause injury to myself. I think that this training is great for me because I seemed to get better in a short space of time and I can only get better the more I train. If I do end up at a plateau then I will end up have to vary my training by maybe bringing in some interval training or circuit training.
Summative Evaluation
I thought that the training that I achieved went very well and as I progressed through the weeks me level of training increased. I thought that I would have needed to do this because at the beginning the training seemed to get easier after 2 weeks. I took a test at the beginning to see what my 60-m dash time would be and with the training that I did I thought that I improved quite well. I thought that this skill has improved and I can actually feel the difference when I am running.
This has seemed to be a great help. As I am in the associative stage of learning I felt that I would not need any guided instructions to what I needed doing although I asked on how I could have performed these tasks safely and efficiently.
I think that these training techniques have improved my skills in sprinting and I think that they will help me in the future if I want to get even better at running. Also my fitness levels seemed to have increased due to the training and I think that this is a great help in the sport that I do, as you need to be quite fit. As the training went on my level seemed to increase so that I got better. Because my sprinting got better I thought that my all-round skills got better.
The tasks that I were doing I seemed to performed more easier. The aim of my training program was to improve my speed and strength, which are two integral components of fitness, and I seemed to have done this because my sprinting time had increased. I thought that my training was very specific to what sport I do and I thought that it was a great help to my game. I now seem to be able to get to the ball faster and I am now quicker in a one on one situation with a defender whereas nine times out of ten I will get the ball first.
This would have resulted in my performance greatly increasing due to just the plyometric training and nothing else. As I already had a good overall speed I think that the time that I bettered on was all that I could do with the time that I was given. Because of my natural speed it could me that I have a greater percentage of fast twitch fibres in my muscles.
Fast twitch fibres contract rapidly and can exert great force. Plyometrics use two physiological properties of muscle, the stretch reflex and storage of elastic energy. When a rapid lengthening of a muscle occurs just prior to rapid shortening, a more powerful contraction results.
There are two types of fast twitch fibres:
Type II A fibres
These fibres called fast oxidative fibres contain very large amounts of myoglobin, very many mitochondria and very many blood capillaries. Type II A fibres are red, have a very high capacity for generating ATP by oxidative metabolic processes, split ATP at a very rapid rate, have a fast contraction velocity and are resistant to fatigue. Such fibres are infrequently found in humans.
Type II B Fibres
These fibres called or fast glycolytic fibres, contain a low content of myoglobin, relatively few mitochondria, relatively few blood capillaries and large amounts glycogen. Type II B fibres are white, geared to generate ATP by anaerobic metabolic processes, not able to supply skeletal muscle fibres continuously with sufficient ATP, fatigue easily, split ATP at a fast rate and have a fast contraction velocity. Such fibres are found in large numbers in the muscles of the arms.
There would have been a few factors that would have affected my sprinting time; things like my technique and equipment but on the whole in a football match you don’t have time to think about your technique. I think that this training regime was a good choice because Plyometrics is one of the best ways if not the best way to improve power. Power is similar to strength except you are adding the time factor. Therefore the relation of strength and speed is what we are talking about when we talk about power.
A person who can perform a specific resistance movement, such as jumping, bench press etc., the fastest would be said to have more power in that movement. So what we are looking at is not just the contraction of the muscle, but how fast will it contract. It has been shown that a muscle will contract the fastest when it has been loaded. This is why you should be able to jump higher if you crouch down then immediately jump up than if you started in the crouch. So if this is the best way to perform a powerful movement lets practice these movements. This has been shown in study after study to decrease the time it takes for the muscles to contract, resulting in more power.
I thought that the effectiveness of these training methods that I used were great although I would increase the intensity a lot and maybe the height in future as I am still growing. I will have to take other factors into consideration as well if I use the methods again such as my body type when I am older.
Appraisal of Program
I thought that this training program for me was great. It was that good because not only did it increase speed it also increase strength as well. These are two factors that come together to create power and this is defiantly what I was looking for to improve my game of soccer. The training as well was greatly specific to what I was doing and this was a huge factor to me choosing it. It seemed to have paid off and I am pleased with my progress. I feel a lot healthier both mentally and physically and I seem to perform tasks like sprinting for a football easier.
This is a great improvement on my game as I was a quite averaged speed athlete who could only probably get to the ball. But now I feel that 9 times out of ten I will get the ball instead of the defender. It seems to have lifted my confidence levels as well, which I did not expect and has come as a surprise. I think that this is an added boost, as my game will benefit from all these factors.
My legs just seem to be a lot stronger now and I think that with more of this training they can only get better and better. This I think is a great training session for all footballers not just for sprinting but for leg power as well. Because my leg power has increased as well due to the training my shooting has by far improved.
Not by they actual accuracy of the shot which was already the but by the actual power and pace of the shot. I seem to be able to get more speed and generate more power behind the ball, which can only bee good for me, as I am a centre forward. All in all I think that the training has benefited for me greatly and I will carry the training on until as far as I can get by reaching a training plateau. I will then vary my training so that I can get better and improve.
This PEP could be used in the future for people who have or wanting to improve the same techniques and abilities as me and could be used to implement a main training program including lots of other factors such as strength, stamina and suppleness.
