Ballistics with Plyometric Power Training

Ballistics
Many athletes involved in dynamic sports often neglect the all-crucial sport specific training that maximizes their hard work in the weight room. Being strong in the gym is one thing, being able to transfer that strength to enhance a real life athletic movements is another. This results of study showed that incorporating ballistic (explosive, power type moments) into resistance training programs maximizes the carry over benefits of strength training to maximize athletic performance.

Sixteen elite male volleyball players were randomly divided into two groups, a control and a ballistic training group. All of the players completed the same pre-season volleyball court training combined with a heavy resistance training program. In addition, the ballistic training group completed eight weeks of power squat jump training. This was incorporated to determine whether ballistic resistance training would increase how high the volley ball players could jump.

The Plyometric Power System was used to perform the ballistic resistance training. This involves a machine that looks like a Smith machine, however the fixed barbell can be moved explosively, and then hydraulic brakes control the decent of the bar. This way the barbell can be thrown, pushed or lifted as explosively as the athletes needs to, with no fear of the bar crashing down on them. All force production and strength curves are monitored by a computer program and feed back is instantaneous.

I was fortunate enough to be involved with the team of researchers that designed this revolutionary piece of training equipment years ago and helped conduct the initial research on prototypes. The Plyometric Power System is the closest thing to date that bridges the gap between conventional strength training in the weight room and dynamic, explosive athletic movements

This advanced form of plyometric training produced a significant increase in all vertical jump tests the athletes performed. The athletes using this explosive type training method along with their resistance training increased overall force output during jumping and, increased their rate of force development. This transferred to greater increases in jump height than resistance training alone.

The results support the effectiveness of ballistic resistance training techniques, they enhance the results of strength training by improving the carry over effect that enhance specific athletic movements.

Ref: Med Sci Sport and Exer. 31(2):323-330,2000.