Many coaches and athletes today find depth jumps either a modern or even an incomprehensible way to develop explosive strength. This method is much older than most people who are reading this article.
Yuri Verkhoshanskiy was a Soviet scientist and coach who developed this method in the 1960s-70s. He called it “the impact method”. The “impact method” has become a part of the high-level sports preparation system that has developed rapidly over the past 50 years. It has been used in almost all sports that rely on speed or strength, such as weightlifting, martial arts, jumping, throwing, sprinting, and weightlifting.
This training method for explosive strength is based on the instant (impact-like), mechanical stretching of tensed muscle that occurs before active working contraction. The kinetic energy from the falling object can be a sports equipment or an athlete’s own body. This is more effective than traditional weights.
Experimentally, the positive effects produced by the stretching of tensed muscle and the working contraction effect that follows have been proven.
We will see step-by-step what happens when an athlete performs a depth jump (he jumps off a height and immediately jumps up vertically after landing on both feet). In the moment of the athlete’s landing, the extensor muscle absorbs some of the kinetic energy. In turn, this helps to switch muscles into a overcoming mode during the active push-off stage and provides an extra strength boost by increasing the power and speed of contraction.
The impact method has a specific training effect that is directed at physiological mechanisms responsible for working muscle involvement, speed, and power. The magnitude of kinetic energies, i.e. the height at which the fall occurs and the braking depth are what determine the effect.
The impact method of Yuri Verkhoshanskiy has scientifically proven results:
The muscle power and contraction indexes are significantly higher in the push-off phase. The willpower is heavily involved in the mobilization of muscles and their involvement during weighted exercises, whereas the impact method defines it by external factors. The athlete must react with a level of muscle activity so high that it’s nearly impossible to reach during voluntary effort.
The impact method is a training technique that has a very strong effect on absolute and explosive power. It also develops the ability of quickly switching between eccentric and concentric exercises. It is possible to make rapid progress. The adaptation is short-term, compared to the one that you would get by working out with weights. It is important to apply the impact method in a way that ensures a steady growth of speed and strength.
The training loads are easily dosed and counted with the Impact Method. The training is also more emotional.
The impact method is not a systematic approach. Each case is evaluated individually, and determined in accordance with the sports specifications and competition schedule. Depth jumps are recommended not only during pre-competition, but also during competition phase. However, they should not be done more than 2-3 time per year. When using the impact method, the squat training load must be reduced. The number of depth jumps per week should not be more than 3 (every alternate day). Also, the maximum reps for each set in a workout should not be higher than 10. Total depth jumps should be between 380 and 400.
There is also another benefit to the impact method. Overweight is known to increase the risk of spine injury. By using the impact method, you can reduce the number of exercises that require a heavy barbell. This is especially important for weightlifters.
The depth jump is a great way to improve the explosive phase of snatch or clean &jerk.
Depth jump technique.
Step-off. Step-off. Standing at the edge of the dais you should step forward with your right leg, then join it with the left as the fall begins. You shouldn't squat (keep your feet straight), nor should you push yourself forward, or use both legs to push off.
Landing. Landing. Your knees should be bent and your muscles naturally tense at the start of the landing phase.The landing is the most crucial phase of the jump. Landing must be soft and elastic with a smooth transition from amortization. Avoid landing on straight legs as this will increase knee joint load, make the impact harder and disrupt any subsequent actions.
Amortization. The angles of the knees and hips for amortization squats must be determined experimentally. The excessive squatting makes the push-off more difficult, while the shallower squats increase the impact but exclude the full-fledged pushing-off. Both of these situations will result in a dramatic change in the way muscles function and a reduction of the training effect.
Push-off. Push-off. You should push off with the maximum amount of effort. Transition between amortization phase and push-off should be as quick as possible. Delaying the impact mode will reduce training effects. During the step-off, move your hands behind and down. This will help you do a wide and powerful swing up and ahead.
Flight. Flight. You can activate the push off by placing a mark at the highest point that you have to reach with your hand (a flag for example). Land softly with both feet.
Motion preset. The athlete’s ability to tune himself at the push-off is crucial for a good technical execution. The transition from vertical upward jump to amortization and back must be viewed (and performed as) one solid action, with a powerful and focused effort on the push-off. You should train yourself to perform the right depth jump by focusing on a forceful and elastic push-off.
Recommendations for mastering the depth jump technique.
To master the depth-jump technique, first you need to pay attention to a springy landing.
Start practicing the springy landing at a low height (0.3-0.4m). It is important to create the correct motion preset, and then use it in the push-off phase.
Once you master the basics of depth jumping, you can increase your height to 0.5-0.6m. The volume of the exercise should be reduced to compensate for increased skeletomuscular loading.
Barbell depth jumps are a great way to finish off your main workout. It is best to do these the next day.
Before you begin the execution of depth jumps, warm up by performing several sets of vertical leaps and depth jumps at low height.
Rest time is voluntary. Don’t intentionally increase it. It is sufficient to rest for 2-3 minutes. Use this time to relax, shake your muscle, or light jog. All these things will help you recover your workability.
Depth jumps dosage.
The depth jumps provide a training effect that is dependent on the jump height, number of jumps per set and number of workouts.
Step-off height. Weightlifters who are under 100 kg should use 0,7m for the optimal step-off. Athletes above this weight class can set it at 0,5-0,6m.
The number of jumps within a set. The indicator for ending a set is the slow transition from amortization into push-off, and the decrease in jump height. The ideal number of depths jumps per set is 10.
The number of sets per workout. In a workout, 4 sets of 10 depth jumps is the optimal dosage.
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