In soccer, being an explosive player can be shown in you getting to a ball faster than your opponent, getting a breakaway on an attack, or out jumping your opponent to get your head on the ball. Many advanced training techniques exist to increase the explosive ability a player may put forth, but perhaps the most effective is plyometrics
What Plyometrics Do
A plyometric activity works your muscle similar to the action of a spring. Muscles have elastic properties that allow them to store energy when they become stretched (like pulling a spring apart). This allows for more force to be generated when the muscle becomes active (releasing the spring). This is considered the mechanical component. Also, to prevent damage, when a muscle is stretched it will send a signal to increase the activity of the muscle being stretched. This is known as the neurophysiological component.
How Plyometrics Work
A plyometric exercise combines both components by overloading a muscle. The muscle will both store energy and signal to increase muscle activity. This will result in a greater concentric muscle action (the shortening of a muscle which produces force). The resultant increase in concentric muscle action will cause adaptations in faster muscle activation and can cause an increase in strength.
Safety Considerations
Athletes performing plyometrics should be well-conditioned and have previous strength training. For lower body exercise, athletes should be able to squat a minimum of 1.5 times of their body weight for a one repetition max (1 RM). They should also be able to squat five repetitions in five seconds at 60 percent of their 1 RM.
Other safety considerations include an inadequate warm-up, inappropriate volume or intensity, poor shoes, improper training surface, and lack of skill (balance). Training surfaces to avoid include concrete, tile, hardwood and trampolines. Acceptable surfaces include grass, a suspended floor or a rubber surface not more than 6 inches thick.
Plyometrics in Training
Plyometrics should be the first exercise completed after the warm-up is concluded. Performing plyometrics once fatigued can increase risk of injury and decrease the effectiveness of the training. The type and intensity of the exercise should depend upon the athlete's level of development and conditioning. Frequency should be between two to four training sessions per week, with 48 to 72 hours between sessions. Recovery during exercise should be at a 1:5 to 1:10 ratio, depending upon intensity. Integrating all components of training is essential to maximize gains and avoid overtraining.
Examples of Plyos
Two lower-body plyometric exercises are box jumps and bounding. A box jump increases vertical jumping ability such as going for a header during a corner kick. An athlete will stand in front of the box (an actually squat or jump box is recommended, but a stable object with a solid surface may work) feet shoulder-width apart. The athlete will lower his body into a quarter-squat position (just beyond a slight knee bend) and will immediately jump onto the box. The athlete should land softly onto the box and step down (do not jump down).
Bounding is an exaggerated running exercise. It will increase sprinting speed by increasing stride length. An athlete may begin at a jog for momentum. The athlete will push off one leg forcefully while driving the opposite arm forward (push left leg, drive right arm). The athlete will then repeat with the opposite leg and arm. Focus should be placed onto the athlete's forceful push and air time between steps.
Benefits
Athletes can see gains in power output as well as a decrease in the amount of time to generate power. This allows a soccer player to be more explosive in agile movement, jumping, and sprinting. Soccer players may also see increases in kicking power and reaction time.
Plyos should not be substituted for a strength training, but when added to a proper strength and conditioning regimen, plyometrics can give a player an added edge against an opponent.
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