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Departments of Exercise Science and Physical Education, and Athletics, University of Massachusetts, Boston,
Massachusetts 02125.
68
Acute Effects of Plyometric Exercise 69
ometric exercise on maximal squat performance ill j strength-testing sessions. All measurements for test
trained athletes. ing were made with the same test administrators and
with the same positioning on the squat exercise. After
Methods each testing session subjects performed several stretch
ing exercises.
Experimental Approach to the Problem
During the first testing session, subjects performed
In this study we wanted to examine the effects of :l a series of sets with increasing weight until their 1RM
different testing protocols on 1RM squat performance. squat was determined. The subjects rested for at least
A group of male athletes were tested on the squat ex 4 minutes between the 1RM trials. The 1RM was re
ercise on 3 different occasions at least 6 days apart. corded as the maximum resistance that could be lifted
During the first testing session, subjects performed a through the full range of motion, using good form
traditional warm-up protocol before 1RM testing. only once. If the weight was lifted with the proper
During the second and third testing sessions, the sub form, the weight was increased by approximately 1
jects performed either tuck jumps (TJ) or depth jumps 10 kg, and the subject attempted another repetition.
(DJ) before attempting a 1RM lift. This approach al The increments in weight were dependent on the effort
lowed us to individually assess 1RM performance on required for the lift and became progressively smaller
each testing occasion and to carefully monitor the re as the subject approached the 1RM. On average, the
sponse of each subject to the testing protocol. 1RM was determined within 6 trials. Failure was de
Subjects fined as a lift falling short of the full range of motion
Twelve male athletes ([mean ± SDj age: 20.5 ± 1.4 in at least 2 attempts spaced at least 4 minutes apart.
years, weight 87.4 ± 11.6 kg, height 179.1 ± 11.1 ern) Throughout all testing procedures, an instructor to
volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects were subject ratio of 1:1 was maintained, and all testing
informed about the nature of this study, and they took place in the afternoon in a university strength
signed an informed consent form approved by the In and conditioning center. Uniform verbal encourage
ternal Review Board for use of human subjects at the ment was offered to all subjects.
university. Subjects were screened for any medical or During the second and third testing sessions, sub
orthopedic concern that would limit participation. All jects performed either 3 double-leg 1J or 2 OJ 30 sec
subjects had previous experience in strength training onds before each 1RM attempt. The order of treat
(mean 5.2 years) and at least 1 year of experience per ments for the second and third testing ,sessions was
forming plyometric exercises to encourage consistent counterbalanced, i.e., during the second testing session
jumping performances. Eleven of the 12 subjects (92%) half the subjects performed the TJ first and the other
played collegiate baseball and participated regularly in half performed the OJ, and during the third testing
baseball practice, which included agility drills and session half the subjects performed the OJ first and the
speed training. No subject performed strength-train other half performed the TJ. The double-leg TJ is a
ing or plyometric exercises for the lower body during medium-intensity plyometric drill performed by ex
the study period. The mean vertical jump of the sub plosively jumping upward while quickly pulling the
jects was 59.9 ± 13.9 cm. knees to the chest. The OJ is a high-intensity plyome
tric drill performed by stepping from a box to the floor
Testing Procedures with both feet and then immediately jumping as high
All testing sessions took place during a 3-week period. as possible. For the purpose of this study, a 43.2-cm
Each session consisted of a general warm-up of low box was used. The double-leg TJ and OJ are biome
intensity aerobic exercise (5 minutes of stationary cy chanically comparable to the squat exercise and are
cling at a "comfortable" pace) followed by 6 lower described in detail elsewhere (5). All subjects had pre
body static stretches (each stretch was held for 20 sec vious experience in performing the plyometric exercis
onds and performed twice). After the general warm es used in this study.
up procedures, the 1RM was assessed on the
free-weight back squat exercise as described previous Statistical Analyses
ly (2). Briefly, the plate-loaded barbell (York Barbell A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with re
Company, York, PA) was placed above the posterior peated measures was used to determine whether any
deltoids at the base of the neck, and the downwa rd significant differences existed between the 1RM scores
movement phase continued until the thighs were pa r a fter the 3 testing sessions. When appropriate, Bonfer
allel to the floor. Before attempting a 1RM lift, subjects ron i posthoc comparisons were used. The statistical
performed a series of submaximal sets of 8, 5, 2, and power for the N size used ranged from 2 to 63%. Sta
1 repetitions with increasing loads. TIll' afon-nu-n tistical significance was set at p :s; 0.05, and analyses
tioned warm-up procedures did not chang,: during till' were conducted using the SPSS statistical package
3 testing sessions. As such, all subjects pcrlornu-d xl.r (version 10.0, SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL). All values are
tionary cycling and static stretching before l'o1l'il of fill' presented as mean ± SD.
70 Masamoto, Larson, Gates, and Faigenbaum
plyometric exercises. In our investigation 2 repcti tilillS weight training programs on selected physical fitness test
items. Percept. Motor Skills 56:919-922. 1983.
of a D} exercise performed 30 seconds before a 11\M
Ill. FOWLES, J., AND D. SALE. Time course strength deficit after
attempt enhanced squat performance in strength maximal passive stretch in humans. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 29:
trained male athletes. This is not to say that 1RM test 526.1997.
ing without a plyometric warm-up is not optimal. but II. GULLiCH, A, AND D. ScHMIDTBLEICHER. MVC-induced short
rather that coaches and trainers should consider the term potentiation of explosive force. New Studies Athletes 4:67
81. 1996.
potential impact of pre-event exercises on muscular 12. KOKKONEN, J., A NElSON, AND A CORNWELL. Acute muscle
performance. Also, the same wann-up protocols stretching inhibits maximal strength performance. RQES 69:
should be performed during pre- and posttraining 411-415.1998.
strength testing sessions. 13. KOMI, P. Stretch-shortening cycle: A powerful model to study
normal and fatigued muscle. J Biomech. 33:1197-1206. 2000.
It must be underscored that all the subjects in this
14. KYROLAINEN, H., AND P. KOMI. The function of the neuromus
study had performed strength-training exercises and cular system in maximal stretch-shortening cycle exercises:
plyometric drills previously, and most of the subjects Comparison between power- and endurance-trained athletes. J.
were college baseball players. As such, the testing pro Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 5:15-25. 1995.
tocols used in this study are not recommended for be 15. LINNAMO, v., K. HAKKINEN, AND P. KOMI. Neuromuscular fa
tigue and recovery in maximal compared to explosive strength
ginners or athletes with limited strength-training ex training. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 77:176--181. 1998.
perience due to the potential for injury. In addition, 16. MACDoUGALL, J., H. WENGER, AND H. GREEN. Physiological
the results of this study may not be applicable to wom Testing of the High-Performance Athlete (2nd ed.), Champaign, IL:
en because all the subjects in this study were men. Human Kinetics, 1991.
17. MALARECK, 1. Investigation on physiological justification of so
Further studies with a larger sample size to increase called "warming-up." Acta. Physiol. Pol. 4:543--546. 1954.
statistical power are required. In addition, future stud 18. NElSON, A., A CORNWELL, AND G. HEISE. Acute stretching ex
ies should examine the precise underlying neuromus ercises and vertical jump stored elastic energy. Med. Sci. Sports
cular mechanisms that may explain the performance Exerc. 28:5156. 1996.
enhancing effects of plyometric exercise on maximal 19. NElSON, A., AND J. KOKKONEN. Acute ballistic muscle stretch
ing inhibits maximal strength performance. RQES 72:415-419.
strength training. 2001.
20. RADCLIFFE, J., AND L. RADCLIFFE. Effects of different warm-up
protocols on peak power output during a single response
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21. VERHOSHANSKY, Y. Speed-strength preparation and develop
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6. CLUTCH, D. The effect of depth jumps and weight training on Acknowledgments
leg strength and vertical jump. Res. Q. Exerc. 54(1):5-10. 1983.
7. DESCHENES, M. Short review: Rate coding and motor unit re This research study was supported by a grant from the
cruitment patterns. J. App/. Sports Sci. Reu 3(2):34-39. 1989. College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of
8. EBBEN, W. A review of combined weight training and plyome Massachusetts-Boston.
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18-27. 1998. Address correspondence to Dr. Avery Faigenbaum,
9. FORD, H. Benefits ~f three combinations of plyometric and avery.faigenbaum@umb.edu.