It’s been another year of learning on HMMR Media. In 2022 our 36 contributors produced 52 podcast episodes, over 100 articles, 4 premium video lessons, 6 site themes, 20 detailed research article summaries in our Sports Science Quarterly, and dozens of new exercises to our movement library.
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At beginning of this year we penned our thoughts on the hamstring injury phenomena and illustrated how a reductionist approach to reducing hamstring injuries just doesn’t work. A complex problem can’t be solved by something as simple as getting stronger; it demands a more holistic interpretation. Below we turn our attention to a similar injury trend: injuries to the calf complex.
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Throughout May and June we looked at team at jumping. Our team of contributors put together 1 new video lesson, 4 new podcasts and 6 new articles on the topic from 9 contributors. Find links to both our new and archived resources on jumping below.
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Bounding is a core component of track and field training and one of the most powerful forms of plyometrics. As with any powerful tool it is a double edged sword. Used effectively it can be one of the best tools to develop reactive strength. Used poorly it can hinder mechanics or lead to injury. In our latest video lesson, coach John Pryor looks in detail at bounding and discusses how he uses bounds effectively for his athletes. Below are four key lessons that I took away from him.
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When I think of jumping for throwers, Werner Günthör is the first athlete that comes to mind. The 130-kilogram Swiss shot putter could almost fly and this explosive strength helped him capture three world titles. Jumping is perhaps the ultimate expression of power and can play an integral role in preparing throwers. But as with anything, it needs to be adapted to the needs of the sport and athlete, especially in a sport whether athletes can be massive. Below are a few considerations for integrating jumps into the physical preparation of throwers.
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As strength coaches we focus a lot on exercise selection. But exercise execution is just as critical: perform the same exercise differently and you can train two entirely different physical qualities. On last month’s GAINcast with Professor Warren Young we got one great example: how you intrust an athlete to perform a drop jump can lead to drastically different execution.
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Jumps come in all different forms, and so does jump training. By tweaking how we perform jumping movements in training, we can focus on different physical qualities and skills.
For example a standard countermovement jumps or squat jumps are more knee dominant, primarily utilizing power from the quadriceps to extend the knee. Allow athletes to use their arms and they can create more momentum from the shoulders as well. Reactive drop jumps, on the other hand, are more ankle dominant. Top performers have great ankle stiffness that allows them to have shorter ground contact time despite the higher eccentric forces. But what about the hips? The hips play a central role in nearly all athletic movements, but jumps training often neglects the action of the hips and core.
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We often think of explosiveness as just one quality, but the fastest sprinter isn’t always the best bobsledder or long jumper. Explosiveness can be expressed in different ways. Olympic bobsledder Ben Simons is well known on social media for his jumping exploits. On this week’s episode he talks about optimizing your plyometric training, the demands of bobsled training, and much more.
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Jumping is one of the cornerstones of athleticism and plays a central role in the athletic development for early every sport. On this week’s episode we look at introducing jump training to athletes, our progressions, how to make jump training sport-specific, and testing protocols.
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With the spring season nearing an end, many coaches are looking toward summer training. With summer training comes testing as well. Several of the football and rugby players that I coach will be subjected to a battery of fitness tests that include various jumps: depth jump, countermovement jump, squat jump, and single leg jumps.
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