From SSTM for Coaches! Verk's last book (epic book). Written verbatim, some grammatical weirdness is due to the authors.
(p87-88)
2.4.2 Shock Regime
The Shock Regime is characterized by a sharp, sudden force effort of muscles stretched by a former short, powerful impact against an external opposition. It is used to develop Explosive Strength, Reactive Ability, and Maximal Strength. This regime is characterized by a great training effect on the motor and neuromuscular system and on the central mechanism that regulates muscle contractile function. At the end of the 1960s, after having verified its efficacy in sport practice, it was adopted as special training regime for high-level athletes only.
The Shock Regime was thoroughly investigated in the Y.Verkhoshansky's research in 1960s. The idea behind this method is in the use of the body (or training device) kinetic energy, accumulated in its free fall, to stimulate neuromuscular tension. The neuromuscular tension is provided at the contact after dropping from a specific measured height. The body landing causes a relatively short phase of amortization that causes a sharp 'shock' stretching of the muscles. That brings to two interrelated reactions of the neuro-muscular system:
- increasing the motor neurons stimulation intensity;
- creating an elastic potential of muscle tension.
That assures an increase in speed of the subsequent muscle contraction during the fast switching from pliometric (yielding) to miometric (overcoming) regime.
<skipped info regarding the use of the term pliometric, plyometric, etc>
According to Y. Verkhoshansky, also the use of the term 'pliometric', to define the Shock Method, is not correct; the principal training factor involved in this method is not simply the former muscles stretching in yielding regime, but rather the fast switching from sharp shock stretching to vigorous contraction. The simplest form of performing the exercise in the Shock Regime is the Depth Jump; a vertical double leg jump after a drop down from a carefully measured height.
this part is related to devices similar to the Plyo Swing, but still good info (not as much this next paragraph, but the one after):
A particular form of Shock Regime exercises for training different muscle groups is showing in Fig. 2.12 (picture weights on some pulley system falling on you and then you push them etc, heh). At the start, the weight is freely lowered, approximately 2/3 of the total range of movement, it is followed by a sharp downwards-upwards movement. The consequent fast twitching of the muscles, from yielding to overcoming regime, produce a vigorous acceleration of the load. In order to avoid injury it is necessary to provide limiting devices to block the movement of weight from going further than necessary.
In the preparation of the exercise execution, consider the following:
- The starting position is selected after taking into consideration the position of the body at which the maximum working effort is expressed in the competition exercises.
- The initial pathway should be minimal but sufficient to create the shock tension in the muscles.
- The size of the shock effect is determined by the overload weight and by the height from which it falls. The optimal combination of these two factors has to be empirically determined. However, preference should always be given to greater height rather than greater weight.
- The exercises in the Shock Regime should be executed only after an adequated warm up.
- The dosage for shock exercises depends on the 'quality' of execution and should not exceed 4 sets of 10 repetitions. When the athlete executes for the first time this exercise, than the dosage should not exceed 2-3 sets of 5-8 repetitions.
It must be eemphasized that the Shock Method is not to be taken lightly. Recently, mainly in the USA, variants of depth jumps have been presented by many authors. They often suggest exceeding the optimum dosage of Depth Jumps and the recommended height of the drop-down, as well as their use for low level athlete.
The Shock Method has an extraordinarily strong training effect on the nervous-muscular system; considerably stronger than any other natural method of stimulation of the contractile activity of the muscles. It is, therefore, inadmissible to exceed the optimum dosage and duration of Depth Jumps use in the training process, as well as the recommended height of the drop-down. The Depth Jumps have a strong training effect on the ligaments and joints and, consequently, it is necessary to:
- prepare the athlete in advanced, performing jumping and resistance exercises.
- study the technique of executing exercises in the Shock Regime, especially when the muscles are working in the push-off (take-off) after the drop down. This is not as simple as it may seem so initially;
- never use the Shock Regime when tired (when muscles are sore), when undergoing the treatment for injuries or in combinations of resistance exercises in different regimes.
The Shock Method is for high-level athletes. It should never be applied in the training of low-level athletes. for the latter, there are different and sufficiently effective SST (Special Strength Training) means.
It is incorrect to overestimate the possibilities of the Shock Method. It is only one of many ways of intensifying the work of the neuro-muscular system. Shock Method used alone, cannot replace all the other methods, it should be applied together with other means and methods and have a definite place in the SST system.
(p99-100)
3.4 Depth Jump
Depth Jump or Shock Method Jump is a very efficacious mean for developing Explosive Strength and Reactive Ability. At the present time this is a training means that is popular and its use is widespread all over the world. Although it has acquired many take-off execution variants, its main form is the vertical two leg take-off.
Despite its apparent simplicity, the eecution technique of Depth Jump is quite complex and in many cases, it is performed incorrectly. First of all, this can lead to an excessive load to the knee and tibio-tarsic joint, creating a trauma risk. Secondly, it can reduce the training effect of this exercise on the organism.
This is the reason why, at the beginning of Depth Jump use, it's worth illustrating the correct execution of this exercise. After, the athlete must not think about it: correct execution of this exercise will be obtained to the athlete's correct understanding of the motor trend of this exercise.
Drop Phase - The Drop Jump (stepping off an elevated surface) is an important particular of the tecnique that greatly influences the correct execution of the whole exercise.
The athlete must not step off with both the legs, but rather take a step forward with one leg and, at the beginning of the fall, bring the other leg forward, reuniting the two legs. The athlete must not bend the legs prior to stepping off the elevated surface (legs must be straight) and must not jump, but drop forward - the fall trajectory must be perpendicular to the ground.
Landing Phase - The athlete must land on both legs, on the ball of the feet, and then quickly lean back on the heels. Landing should be flexible with a substantial passage to cushioning and then to take off.
Cushing and Take-Off Phase - The passage from cushioning to take-off is very quick. Before the landing both the arms are put backward and at the moment of the take-off they should move upwards with a quick and powerful thrust. The cushioning and take-off phases should be executed as a single action with a powerful concentrated effort.
Flight after the take-off phase - To reach the highest point of flight after the take-off, the athlete should fix a point of reference (for example, a small flag) to reach for, trying to touch it with one or both hands. After the flying, the athlete should gently land on the balls of both feet with a flexible cushioning.
"Land with a spring and then fly as high as possible" - this should be the motor trend that the athlete should acquire for facilitating the correct technical execution of the exercise. The athlete's understanding of the Depth Jump motor trend determines the correct execution of all its phases and its training effect on the neuro-muscular system. The visual point of reference (small flag) is a very important element; it emphasizes the final goal of this exercise.
The Depth Jump has a very strong effect on the central nervous system and on the muscular-skeletal system. This is why it should be used, above all, in the training of well-prepared athletes and only after a preparation period that includes a substantial volume of bounding exercises and jumps with an overload.
The athlete should begin with low drop height, from 0.4 to 0.5m, and gradually work up to reaching the optimal height of 0.75m. He must not use other jump exercises after the depth jump, especially when tired or suffering muscle pain or traumas that have yet to heal.
(p102)
Improving Reactive Ability
1) Depth Jumps:
- For high level athletes the optimal height of a depth jump is 0.75m
- Athletes of high preparation- dosage in a training session should not exceed 4 series with 10 takeoffs.
- Athletes of lesser preparation - 2-3 series with 6-8 repetitions, with 60cm height.
- The 4-5 minute rest periods between series consists of jogging and relaxation and flexibility exercises.
- During the preparation period, the takeoff exercises after the depth jump should be executed in a fixed quantity, 2 times (at most 3 times), and only after the preparation of preliminary strength (with overload) and the preparation of jumps and bounds.
- During the competition period they represent an efficacious means to maintain the achieved level of special physical preparation. In this period one should include them in the training once a week and then reduce their training frequency to once every 7-8 days before competitions.
so that's from his book SSTM for Coaches.
Also, there's more info in this article on his site:
http://www.verkhoshansky.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=bBhPjzgn%2B0A%3D&tabid=92&mid=426
