All About Plyometrics - Facts You Need to Know and How it Got Started

Even if the word plyometrics is being used often by a lot of dedicated athletes, only a few really know how this performance-enhancing technique works. It started out as a training technique in the enigmatic Eastern part of the world.

At first, it was coined as jump training. But the world only began to take notice of plyometrics when several countries from the East started to dominate various fields in sports. It was believed to be behind most of their victories.

Way back in the 1920s, only athletes engaged in track and field applied plyometrics into their training regimen. They were the first to make use of a systematic approach of using this training techniques. But in the 1970s, other sports started to integrate this technique into their training program as well, particularly those that necessitated explosive power during competitions.

The term was derived from the Greek word "pleythyein," which meant 'to increase' or 'to augment'. Nonetheless, it was Fred Wilt (an American track and field coach) who originally coined the term plyometrics in 1975. It was a combination of the two Latin words "pilo" and "metrics," which respectively meant 'more' and 'to measure'.

In essence, plyometrics is a form of exercise designed to generate fast and powerful movements. Its main purpose is to improve performance in a particular sport. In this type of training, the movements make use of muscle elasticity, strength, and innervations so as to enable an athlete to jump higher, hit harder, or throw farther.

Simply said, plyometric training entails optimum contractions of the muscles at the highest speed possible. There is no doubt that this type of training can significantly improve an athlete's physical performance. Needless to say, the outcome of any of this program is dependent on the athlete's specific training goal.