Jump training

I need some suggestions about jump training.  I do martial arts and I need to improve my jumping techniques for competitions. 

I know that coach's recommendation is to strenghten and mobilize the legs first, but at what point can we start plyo workouts?

Thank you!

Hey Etienne,

Great question. Wait until you have mastered the single leg squat AT LEAST. 

Hi Etienne a little more theory from you. jumps and plyo refer to the field of rebounding and absorbing. when an acceleration it is presented the connective tissue does the most of the work. when training on this tissue you have 2 possibilities:

-train closer to maximal strength  and you will immediately fail to accelerate the weight with bigger injury risk

-train far from the maximal strength. the higher the maximal strength, the higher the acceleration you can use for a lower weight.

at the end of foundation four for legs, you will have the double of your bodyweigth as general strength so you will train the acceleration workout at the 50% of the maximal strength. not a case the plyometric work needs to be trained at the 40-50% of your maximal strength. BUT if your maximal strength it is your bodyweight you cannot train it, if you maximal strength it is the double of your BW...well things change.

2 hours ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

Hi Etienne a little more theory from you. jumps and plyo refer to the field of rebounding and absorbing. when an acceleration it is presented the connective tissue does the most of the work. when training on this tissue you have 2 possibilities:

-train closer to maximal strength  and you will immediately fail to accelerate the weight with bigger injury risk

-train far from the maximal strength. the higher the maximal strength, the higher the acceleration you can use for a lower weight.

at the end of foundation four for legs, you will have the double of your bodyweigth as general strength so you will train the acceleration workout at the 50% of the maximal strength. not a case the plyometric work needs to be trained at the 40-50% of your maximal strength. BUT if your maximal strength it is your bodyweight you cannot train it, if you maximal strength it is the double of your BW...well things change.

Hi Alessandro, thanks for the explanation!  So, overall, like Everett and you said, as I understood, it is suggested to wait to get the single leg squat before starting plyo work?  So, no plyo at all before that?  

It's pretty hard for me since many techniques rely on jumps...

17 hours ago, Étienne Lajeunesse said:

So, overall, like Everett and you said, as I understood, it is suggested to wait to get the single leg squat before starting plyo work?  So, no plyo at all before that?  

Yes, for sure.