Jump training and the specificity myth in athlete development with Håkan Andersson

Pacey Performance Podcast

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is speaking to Håkan Andersson. Håkan has been on the podcast before (here) discussing resisted sprinting and plyometrics. But in this episode we are focusing on jump training and the specificity myth. Just because a sprinter puts 6x his/her bodyweight into the floor, does that mean we need to provide exercises that match or far exeed that?

In the first half of this episode we chat about low amplitude plyometrics and how they fit in the programme for a sprinter or a team sport athlete. How can we make the most of these types of low level jump exercises to not only build jump volume but also enhance our injury prevention strategies? Håkan then details his thoughts on Polish boxes and whether we can get a similar stimulus by performing low amplitude plyometrics in nature.

The second half of the episode, we speak explicitly about specificity and why it is sometimes too much an emphasis when programming plyometrics and jump training. We discuss this in relation to bounding and its demands in comparison to max velocity sprinting. Håkan then gives us an insight into some of the projects that he's working on with ice hockey players and athletes from less traditional sports.

If you're interested in plyometrics and jump training, and optimising how you programme these for your athletes, this episode is for you.

Main talking points -

• Håkan's Sportsmith speed conference presentation
• Where do low amplitude plyometrics fit in your programme?
• Would this change when working with team sport athletes?
• Do you incorporate Polish boxes? What are the benefits of using them?
• How “specific” do we need to be with plyometrics?
• The “specificity” and “functional” myth
• What are your thoughts on specificity as a principle of training?
• What are the common misconceptions about specificity?
• When speed is the aim, how specific do we need to get with the majority of sprinters? Does this change for team sport athletes?