Believe it or not, I do read more than just comic books and muscle magazines. This was an interesting study that I came across that would be useful for fitness trainers that work with athletes.
The
Effect of Six Weeks of Squat, Plyometric, and Squat / Plyometric Training on
Power Production
Purpose
Adams et al from Oregon State University
performed this study in order to determine if squat training, plyometric training
and squat/plyometric training could improve physical power production as
measured by use of the vertical jump assessment.
Subjects
The study used 48 subjects divided into 3
groups of 16. The subjects were intermediate level weight trainers with no more
than a year of being in a weight room environment. The subjects had minimal
exposure to plyometric training or power training.
Protocol
The subjects were tested before and after
for power production using a vertical jump assessment as per the Sargent jump
test or the CSEP PATH. The subjects performed 3 jumps from a stationary
parallel squat position with full recovery between each jump. The best score counted
as the official height achieved. The 3 groups were put on a 7-week training
program consisting of 2 workouts per week. The squat group trained with
parallel squats. The plyometric group
trained with depth jumps, double leg hops and split squats. The
squat/plyometric group used the same exercises together with the same intensity
but a reduced volume.
Results
All 3 study groups improved with
statistical significance on the final vertical jump assessment. The squat group
improved by an average of 3.30 cm. The plyometric group improved by an average
of 3.81 cm. The squat/plyometric group showed the greatest improvement with an
average increase of 10.67 cm. The study concluded that squats and plyometric
training can both improve vertical jump height. The greatest improvement occurs
through a combination of squat training and plyometric training. Further
research is needed to determine conclusively if this vertical jump increase
corresponds to greater explosive muscular power in other activities. It seems likely that it would.
For safety purposes, you would want to assess your client for any muscular imbalances or dysfunction before putting them on either a heavy lifting or plyometric program. Corrective exercises might be in order before moving on to power or strength.
Squat Exercise
References
Adams,
Kent. O’Shea, John P. O’Shea, Katie L. Climson, Mike. The effect of 6 weeks of
squat, plyometric and squat-plyometric training on power production, 1992,
Journal of Sport Science Research volume 6, no. 1; p. 36-41
Until Next Time, Keep Fit
Little Bobby Strong
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