Aerobic plyometrics are a great way to decrease the risk of soft tissue injuries in sports that have lots of running.
Sharp transitions between the off season, the pre season, and the competitive seasons often correspond to soft tissue injuries. This is because the lower body training stress is not increased gradually enough during these preparatory phases.
Aerobic plyometrics help to improve the elasticity and durability of lower body tissues, which increases their ability to handle stress over time.
General guidelines for the aerobic plyometric method are:
Use a low to moderate hurdle height
Aim for 8 - 15 sub maximal jumps in between hurdles
Rest 10 - 30 secs before repeating the hurdle jumps
Perform a short work period of 3 - 5 mins and gradually increase to 10 - 12 mins.
Focus on proper jumping technique and minimal ground contact time between jumps.
Movements should appear fluid and elastic and the athletes upper and lower body should remain coordinated.
There should be enough rest between sets to avoid fatigue.
As athletes develop greater elasticity overtime, you can increase the number of hurdles and the jump height. You can also vary the distances between hurdles and the complexity of the jumps.
Use this method more frequently as you get closer to the competitive season.
Next up.. Alactic intervals to develop explosive power!!
Jono