Video summary
Stop Doing Plyometrics (Until You've Earned Them)
Main summary
Key takeaways
Key wellness / performance strategies (training focus for higher verticals)
Don’t start with plyometrics too early
- If you’re under ~35 inches of vertical, plyometrics may be the wrong emphasis at your current level.
- Doing advanced plyometrics before earning the prerequisite “base” can lead to:
- Injury
- Reduced jump performance
Use the force–velocity curve to plan training
Training should progress from general → specific instead of picking exercises randomly across the curve.
Core idea:
- Eccentric contractions: faster lengthening under tension tends to produce more force
- Isometric contractions: can produce the highest force (aside from eccentric actions)
- Concentric contractions: faster shortening produces less force
Practical rule:
- “Surf” the curve starting just right of the isometric section, moving toward higher velocity + force, while still sampling pieces of the whole curve throughout training.
Progress by “stacking” phases
Use a phased progression where earlier work increases tolerance and responsiveness to later, more intense methods.
Suggested sequence of adaptations:
- Concentric work → builds capacity to handle maximal isometrics without “blowing up”
- Isometrics → trains the nervous system + increases tendon stiffness
- Super-maximal isometrics → “turbocharges” the nervous system stimulus
- Fast isometrics → helps convert tendon/nervous adaptations into a higher vertical
Respect the “Law of Individuality”
Different athletes respond differently to stimulus.
- Race-horses: stiffer tendons / faster force production; may need less “base”
- Work-horses: need a bigger base to benefit from specific/advanced work without injury
Both can reach elite levels, but progression should fit the individual.
Use training stimuli sparingly (“golden bullet” concept)
- Each advanced stimulus is most effective the first time you do it.
- Early training should be general and boring.
- Save advanced methods (e.g., super-maximal eccentric / advanced plyo progressions) for later macrocycle years (often year 2–3).
Train cyclically (repeat with more complexity)
A sample cycle pattern:
- General → more specific → general again → more specific again (stepwise progression across macrocycles)
After each cycle:
- Taper / back off for 2–3 weeks
- Restart with updated or advanced variations
Workout / program structure (bullet plan)
Warm-up plyometrics (low-level)
Use general sprint-development drills instead of maximal jump plyometrics:
- High knees
- Butt kicks
- A-skip
- B-skip
- Sprinting
Goal: get general plyometric volume while preserving jumping quality for the main work.
Month 1: General work
- Moderate weights
- Higher volume
- Focus on work capacity
Month 2: Concentric focus
- Keep the same movement patterns, but:
- Lower reps
- Higher intensity
Month 3: Power work
Designed to align with the target region of the force–velocity curve.
- Use:
- Weighted jumps
- Olympic lifts
- Include maintenance volume of max strength work to keep strength while increasing rate-of-force development.
Next month: “Elastic cycle”
- Add 1–2 high-intensity plyometric exercises
- In the weight room:
- Go back to moderate weight / higher volume to keep joints feeling better while plyometric intensity increases
After the macrocycle
- Taper off / back off for 2–3 weeks
- Restart with new variations or more advanced progressions (e.g., maximal/supermaximal isometrics, eccentrically overloaded jumps)
Self-care / injury-prevention angle (implicit but emphasized)
- Earn advanced plyometrics first by building:
- force tolerance
- isometric tolerance
- tendon stiffness tolerance
- Avoid early high-intensity advanced plyos to reduce injury risk and prevent performance drops.
- Use more joint-friendly weight room choices (moderate weights / higher volume) during the elastic cycle.
Presenters / sources
- Mike Young (referenced as a coach on a podcast)
- THP / Teachue Strength team
- Training principles and program referenced
- Site: teachuestrength.com