“Benefits of Weightlifting for jumpers”  

The performance of the jumper is based on the need to develop power, which is the product of force and velocity. The generation of power in many sporting contexts, is created by the stretch- shortening cycle, or plyometric response.

In order to train the recruitment of a maximum number of motor units (a motor unit is a motor nerve and all fibers innervated by the nerve) the multi-joint and multi-muscle exercises must allow maximum force generation in minimum time, and therefore it is necessary to create a new training program for each jumper.

The snatch, clean and jerk and their derivatives are some of the major training exercises to develop the power of jumpers.  I want to clarify that apart from these exercises, triple jumpers have specific weight exercises just for them, whose specialty is to develop power and reaction, and these exercises are made specific for each individual athlete. Only coaches with experience and knowledge of kinesiology and the basic mechanics of the training are able to do and plan this type of weight training. I also want to emphasize that these workouts require effective transfer between action training and athletic performance and it is important that the movements used in this training facilitating plyometric actions.

Why it is that explosive weight are important for Jumpers?

Effective training of power to the jumper begins with knowledge of the basic mechanics of training movements. The kinesiological analysis (the study of muscle actions, and joints in a movement) of any sports movement, indicate that the primary basis of the training exercises for strength and power for an athlete, should be closed kinetic chain exercises, which allow the development of maximum strength in major muscle groups (especially in the legs, hips and trunk) in a minimum of time.

It is particularly important before starting with the weight programs, that the warm-up each athlete must perform specific explosive exercises with light weights.  It is also really important to plan a good weight training program.  Each program must be made for each of the athletes according to their physical quality. Weight training must be in balance, according to the athlete's jumping power.  It doesn’t make sense put to work an athlete, for example, with 200kg squat, when the athlete is struggling to pass 7m in long jump or 16m in triple jump. I always believe that everything has to be balanced- speed, strength and explosiveness must be accompanied by almost 100% technique- then we would have to consider whether it is necessary for the athlete to work more intensively with the weights.

             The warm up for long jumpers and triple jumpers

If we want to prevent injury, keep your body in good condition and have the body prepared for any type of sporting action, the warm-up is the essential medicine to keep our body always healthy.

Here, I would like to explain clearly, for athletes of any level, exactly what the warm means and what it should entail.

The warm-up is the set of actions and exercises prior to the great efforts of the training sessions and competitions, that athlete do to prepare the body and ensure their efficient operation during the main effort, to avoid a crisis of adaptation, and the accumulation of waste products in the tissues.

It has two main objectives: to help prevent injuries and to prepare the athlete physically, physiologically and psychologically for the start of more intense activity than normal.

Warming up is something really important and it is most important before a competition. After the huge time devoted to the preparation, it would be crazy to enter the set-up for a competition with stiff muscles, cold body and with a lack of positive mental attitude. We must protect everything we have accumulated in training, by warming up properly and coming to the competition with the necessary adjustment of mind and body to achieve optimum results.

Most of the jumpers and especially the triple jumpers or long jumpers, do ​​a bad warm up, as they generally doing it in a mechanical way, and copying what they see other athletes doing, without experience or knowledge of what they should be doing. Some warm up too much, unaware that they are doing so, while others fall short, in the belief that a long warm up it will subtract energy from training or competition

The warm up, either for training or for a competition must be considered in two parts: one general and one specific.

The general part is done through gentle runs, fluency exercises and coordination, aimed to stimulate the circulation, so that the large muscles and the joints become warm.

The specific part, as the name suggests, provides movements directly related with the skills of the long jump or triple jump. Generally, we use technical exercises of the training, whose purpose is to tune the neuromuscular system and review the techniques to use.  The result of these exercises is a very active nervous system.

In general, the warm-up should look like a miniature workout using exercises with a limited number of, reps and distances.

The volume and intensity of warming up varies between disciplines, and also according to the weather conditions. The triple jump or long jump involves a tremendous  effort, and needs a more voluminous and intense warm up in those situations where starting techniques require more caution, for example, athletes have to warm up more on cold days, than in the hot days. 

 A very important factor to consider when warming up for a competition, is the time elapsed between the completion of the warm up and the start of the competition.   A well-trained athlete can recover from a warm up within five minutes, therefore it makes sense to keep the time gap between warm up and competition around this optimum time of 5 minutes, as a longer break could ruin their physiological values.  However, experience shows that a warm muscular system can be retained for much longer as long as the athlete is sheltered properly. Either way it is advisable to conclude the warm up between 3 and 8 minutes before the competition in order to make tactics reviews and to recover the breathing a little.    

                        WHY DO WARMING UP?

Ø Improves your neuromuscular performance

Ø Reduces the risk of injury

Ø Allows the body to go through a series of modifications that ensure a supply of oxygen, nutritive materials and optimal metabolic functioning.

Ø Increases a mental attitude for training or competition. Many athletes influence adversaries thanks to the exercises performed during warming up.

            

         WARMING UP EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE

With the passage of time, discussions have arisen about whether warming up is beneficial or not to sports performance. In addition to these discussions, most coaches are agree that warming is essential for the athlete. Maybe coaches will be more aware of the values ​​of warming up if they know the effects it produces in the body, predisposing it for better performance.

The warming effects vary depending on several factors, among which we can mention:

Ø Rate of warming process

Ø Existing Motivation

Ø The state of physical condition

Ø Athlete performance  level

Ø Heating load (volume and intensity)

Ø age

Ø The time of day

Ø The environment.

Ø  The temperature and other climatic factors

                  WHAT PRODUCES HEAT EFFECTS IN THE BODY?

If the warming is well made ,it produces in the body varied and positive effects to increase performance during the main part of the training or competition.

Ø Increased body temperature

Ø Decreases the viscosity muscular

Ø Increases the pulse frequency

Ø Increases blood pressure.

Ø Intensification of breath

Ø Release of glucose into the circulation

Ø Stretching of tendons and ligaments

Ø Enhanced blood circulation in the capital

Ø Increased stroke volume

Ø Dilation of the arteries and capillaries that supply blood to the muscles.

A good warm up for a jumper, must have duration of between 45min to an hour.

The best way to achieve the step

There are many ways to train the step and as I've always said it depends on the athlete biotype, their physical, and especially the quality level. There are three very important things in the triple jump which are very essential to take an athlete from 16m to 17m +. These three things are coordination, sense of rhythm and speed between jumps. Definitely there are other things that are also important to get results, but these three in my view are essential for proper development of the jumpers.

A jumper can often jump up to 16m, despite having difficulty with the rhythm, speed or coordination. (When I talk about speed I'm talking about the speed between jumps) Mostly this is because many athletes use the running speed as the most essential to achieve the distance. From one point of view this is not bad, but the triple jump is a discipline where everything must be in balance.

There are two types of triple jumpers, the speed jumper, and the power jumper. The Power Jumper is physically strong with personal record in the 100m from approximately 10.20 -10.50m/s and typically, they jump from 7.20 - 7.30m in the long jump. These athletes generally use the speed of the approach to power their jump, but the technique between jumps is mostly bad.  The result of poor technique generally brings injuries that in many cases can be serious.

 The Speed ​​Jumper, also uses the speed of the approach and although the technique is not good, they  are able to maintain good speed between jumps and generally almost always reaches  the 16m sooner  than  the  power jumper. One of the good reasons why the speed jumper can better the power jumper at a distance of 16m, is because they are able to keep the body light during jumps.

 Moving from 16m to 17m + is a job where the athlete needs to have a good sense of rhythm, coordination and be prepared to maintain speed between jumps. Many times there are athletes with a very good technique and have almost all the qualities to jump over 17m, but they are still not able to jump over 16.50m. When an athlete is in this situation, he urgently needs to analyze the following;

- The system and training programs,

- Motivation.

- Emotional control.

- Responsiveness (external feedback)

- Analytical (internal feedback)

- Concentration.

- Confidence.

There are also many athletes that don`t rest for the hours necessary to recover his body for the next day's workout. There are athletes who drink alcohol at least three times a week, or even a day, or who go partying before a major competition , thinking that their body is adapted to these stresses to the system, but what they don` t know is, that they are stopping the development of their physical ability and destroying their special talent. Such lifestyle patterns can be a major block to an athlete reaching the distance of the 17m.

I just received a letter from an athlete who trains triple jump on his own. In his letter he told me - “I train very hard with the training program that my coach sent me on-line  also I train with training programs that I find on the Internet and I jumped 16.05m on my own, but after jumping 16.05m, I haven` t been able to make progress and I don`t see any results in my development”.

I want to clarify to all those who have in their hearts to be triple jumpers and want to reach the elite of this discipline- triple jump is a very difficult discipline and therefore a coach by your side is absolutely essential. Please take note that anyone can be a coach but when it comes to carrying an athlete to 17 m + the quality of the coach should be very good and would have to possess a lot of knowledge in this area. Training on your own is a really hard work, and on top of that the athlete on his own cannot see or record the quality or the maximum power of the training.

Mario- thanks for sending me your letter, I really appreciate it. I want to explain to you that training a triple jumper is based on the individual qualities of each jumper. I mean the training program must be specific to develop strength, speed, explosiveness, reaction, coordination and the natural rhythm of each athlete; this can be accomplished only with a good coach by your side. On the internet you can find all the programs that you want about the triple jump. As explained before this is an unnatural discipline and you have to realize that your technique should be almost perfect.  Every program that you find on the Internet is based on the general experience of different coaches or athletic organizations who are trying to expand this discipline via media like the internet. They are also trying to make programs more accessible to those who want to expand their knowledge to a new level. Of course there is nothing wrong with that, but when it comes to training for the elite, these on-line programs are not effective enough for the development of an athlete to the next level.

In my life as a professional coach I've noticed that many coaches only recognize the athletes who already have results but they have no idea of the qualities and the talent of the athlete. For example, if an athlete jumps 15.50m for the first time without practising this discipline before and he is 18 years old, for many coaches he's a very talented triple jumper. But they forget the fundamental thing, which led the athlete to be a triple jumper; his movement, strength and natural technique, rhythm etc.

This ignorance means that many athletes in the world can only stay for a short time practising this discipline and have to finish their career with serious injuries only because of the lack of knowledge of the coach. Also I have to say that many big talents with the qualities to be top jumpers didn't reach their goals because of the same problem that I spoke of previously. I have seen very talented jumpers with a very bad technique and when you talk to them, they all have the same answer-“I did not have a good coach when I was young.”

 The new coach of course is looking for results, forgetting that every athlete, no matter the age or sex. has to work on the basis of the triple jump.

My advice to you; if you want to get to the elite level, then you have to try to find a good coach with capacity to lift your qualities and develop your talents as an athlete.  Above all, work on the fundamentals basis of the triple jump. If you don` t have the opportunity to have a good coach at least try to find someone with a little knowledge on that field, able to see your personal qualities ,and who can implement training programs according to your special ability. Please try every three months do a test to see if your program is effective or not. If you do not see progress, you have to sit down with your coach to analyze where the problems are. Remember he is the only one who knows what you do and as such, should be in the position to recognize perfectly the movements of your body.  

How do we perfect the hop in continuation with the step?

One of the most important exercises for triple jumpers is “Plyometric” When I`m speaking of the term plyometrics, I am speaking of the use of the deep jumps in their most natural variant, I mean double contact. However from this variant, there are also other variants which can serve for practical work for coaches with a view to developing the power of the jumpers.

All of them are closely linked with Athletics but this doesn't mean they couldn't be used by other sports specialists.

I`ll show you these simple examples that can be used by high performance athletes and also by young people who begin their life as a jumper.

Deep jumps with double contact

This is the most recommended option for athletes who are new to the practice of this kind of jump. In this sense it should be included at the end of the general preparation phase and the beginning of the special phase preparatory period in order to create a foundation of strength that continues the use of the remaining deep jumps variants with simple contact.

Example: (static position), from the box, jump off with both feet-  landing on one leg and perform two explosive jumps, I mean a big hop followed by two low explosive jumps.

After the fall, we can perform the following combinations:

Perform a long jump, and keep the lunge position in the air,

Overcome two hurdles consecutively, with the proviso that the last hurdle must be of greater height

Touching an object hanging above the site of the fall

Deep Jump (double contact) with additional counterweights, such weight or weight vest

During the execution of this exercise, unlike the previous one, the coach shouldn't ever lose sight of the height of the fall; this should be about 40 cm or less. However, the coach must pay close attention to gender and skill level of the athletes when selecting this variant. Many athletes use a box of up to 50 cm height, thinking they can improve the impact strength after landing of each jump, and what they don` t know is that they are destroying the power of reaction and increasing the risk of bad injuries. In my experience as a professional coach, it is not the height which determines the power improvement of the athlete, but the technique with which the exercise is being applied, for each of the jumpers.

Deep jumps (single contact) after the fall do the following combinations:

Example: 1 execute a long jump (hop jump)

This version starts with the technical execution of a "hop" and after the fall, performing a long jump into the sandpit for the proper execution of the exercise. So I recommend calculating the distance from the place of the fall to the sandpit. Here the indicator is, the horizontal distance overcome in the second jump.

Example: 2 overcoming an obstacle after the fall

This is the second variant used in the training of jumper’s (mainly triple jumpers), and from it, we can make other combinations with the approach run. The initial move in this variant also begins with the execution of the technique of a "hop". After the fall, the athlete must overcome a certain obstacle placed at a certain height in contrast with the previous exercise.

Example: 3 From 6 strides, perform a hop jump.

This exercise is a very difficult exercise for all the jumpers. If an athlete has never worked on the basis of development for the triple jump, it will be difficult to perform this exercise at 100%. The athlete will have to spend at least 8 or 9 months to realize it in perfection.

Example: 4 perform a triple jump (static or standing position) using cone,

The technical implementation of this exercise is similar to the triple jump without approach run, using cones to work the distance in combination with the pace.

These are a few easy examples of plyometric exercises, and I will discuss this topic further in my next blog post.

Part (II)-Hop

The hop is what really tells us if we can make a good jump or not. Why? It is our first contact with the ground and the triple jumper almost always lose the speed in his first fall, so to maintain the continuity from there to the end the athlete will  have to keep the speed between jumps. There are athletes who are able to correct this mistake by putting in balance the technique with the rhythm and in most cases they can finish with a good jump. To achieve this goal, the athlete must have worked 95% technique and the approach has to be 100%

There exists many exercises, but here I want to give you 3 simple example of what a triple jumper can do to develop the quality since the first fall,

Please Note: these exercises are for athletes with a high level, and I want to explain that these exercises don` t work for all athletes, it is best that you consult with your coach to find what you need to improve your jumps. These exercises you can work only in the first phase of the first cycle.

Example:

1-    50m, continuous bounding in the sand but with shoes (When we use the shoes, not only we are working on the reaction but also with the balance and stability in the athlete    In addition we are strengthening at the same time, knees and ankles). We usually work in the sand without shoes to strengthen your feet, ankle and knee, but my experience taught me that the athletes only get, 60% power of reaction, and that reaction is not good enough to make the jumps 100%

2-    50m continuous single leg hops in the sand with speed (shoes) (Here we also work on balance and stability but at the same time we are working on combination speed with the endurance). It is very important that the athlete starts to recognize when he is losing or wining speed between the jumps

3-    Perform these two exercises, between hurdles, to work the distance.  The hurdles must be more or less than 3.50/4m.  This distance also depends on the level of athlete.

For elite athletes, also they can work these two exercises with weights.

Never forget that working in the sands with shoes has a lot of risk, so it is very important that your coach is always watching every workout of this type that you perform in the sand.

Important: to perform these exercises very well, the athlete must have the core very strong.

The Hop in Triple Jump

The triple jump is a specialty which is divided into the approach, hop, step and the jump; today I want to talk about the hop. When an athlete performs the hop very high, usually the distance at the end of the jump is poor, and the same happens when the hop is very low.  Technically, to make a good hop, the jumper must jump horizontally.

However, it is not only the height of the hop which can impair the distance, there are also other technical elements such as incorrect co-ordination between the arms and legs, not being able to maintaining the pendulum (high knee) and the foot horizontal to the ground, and   most importantly in my opinion, not knowing how to lead the jump to the front.

There are many Coaches who think that when an athlete doesn`t cycle very well, this can affect the jumps completely. Theoretically, this is a problem but in practice, all depends on the coordination and the rhythm of the athlete and how he biomechanically can make the movements. Not all athletes have the same elasticity or the same ability to perform the exercises fluently. However even with this drawback, many can jump 17m +. The reason being that they can keep the speed in the second two phases and this is the most important and at the same time the most difficult thing in the triple jump.

What is the best way to train the hop? Many athletes train the hop combined with the long jump- the goal is to use the “walking on air” technique and land with one foot in the sand pit.  Bounding is also used in order to refine the hop, but it is often forgotten that everything in the triple jump is about balance. As I said earlier if you make the hop too high, usually on the landing you will break down and if you make it very low, you block the  landing. By this I mean you lose the momentum and the transition and this problem causes that the jumper loses the speed between jumps.

Therefore it is very important that an athlete not only works with the bounding or uses the long jump to improve the hop, but also works with plyometric jumps for action and reaction, and for uphill and downhill, together with many special jumping exercises with hurdles for triple jump. Also needed, are plyometric work with boxes in different positions, and especially the work of fiber. Fiber is what gives an athlete the reactive power of the jump, so it is very important that the coach applies exercises for each individual athlete according to their qualities to prevent injury.

If anyone has any questions or queries about the topics I cover in this blog, you are welcome to post them here and I will be happy to respond to them.

The Triple Jump- one of the hardest disciplines in athletics

For almost everybody triple jump is the most difficult and complicated discipline in track and field, and its athletes have to go through one of the most rigorous training programs.  If you, as an athlete decide to practice and get to the top,   the first thing you have to do is work unconditionally on the fundamental basis of the triple jump.  For example you have to learn the basic principles of coordination, work on obstacles to implement time and space, especially the sense of rhythm.  

If your aim is, like I said before, reaching the elite, you have to be prepared to train at least 5 or 6 days a week in total 18 hours a week. Why?  The training programs to get to the elite are composed of a lot of jumps including plyometric jumps, speed, media resistance, strength, weight explosive, weights circuit for the triple jump, and technical work jumps with speed. One very important thing that you have to work on is the work “on fibers”, this is what gives you the possibility of reaction between jumps, I mean the ability to be as little as possible on the ground- and for a triple jumper, the less time you're on the ground, the farther you're going to jump the distance.

“Fiber work” is an area where the coach has to have a lot of experience and knowledge of how to implement the jumper's reaction in continuity with the speed and almost perfect technique.       If you as a coach make mistakes in the training program intended for  Fiber, the CONSEQUENCES for the athlete may be catastrophic, with injuries such as    

      

-        -   groin strain

-        -   Distension / rupture of the hamstring

-         -  Chronic inflammation of the patellar tendon (jumper's knee)

-         -  Injuries of the lateral ligaments of the ankle and others.

Fiber is an area of work that the coaches have to maintain in all seasons, as are many of the exercises that the athlete performs during the preparation phase. Many coaches change the training system, according to phase and cycles, but my experience as a professional coach, convinced me that many of the exercises that athletes have made ​​in the preparation phase are fundamental exercises for the triple jumper development. Like I said triple jump is not easy and people have no idea what an athlete must do to jump a centimeter.  Triple jump is a discipline with a 90% risk of injury, but the technical work reduces that risk to nearly 10%. if you have a good coach, working on the technical basis and the development of new exercises designed for each individual athlete and who works intensively the technique such as the coordination of arms and legs, the knees, feet and body position, also of course fiber work, you will develop the skills, between strength and power, and so, you will create a perfect balance as jumper.

Psychological factors, which are involved in the performance of an athlete

One of the traditional concerns of physical and sport educators has been how to instill in their students a love of training and competition.  We find from an early age some boys and girls who don` t waste  a chance to be present in the PE class and yet others for whom it is a real suffering to attend . Besides this, although physical education in many parts of Europe is part of the educational system, for the most part this is not done by true professionals in this field.

Although motivation is essential for success in all fields, many don` t understand very well what it is. The successful coach requires a deep understanding of motivation, including the factors that influence it, and methods for improvement ,both in individuals and in groups. In fact, on many occasions what separates the good coaches from the mediocre is not their technical knowledge of the sport but his ability to motivate his athletes. There are many psychological factors involved in the performance of Athletes, researched over many interviews with various coaches and athletes themselves, however here, I would like to list what , in my opinion, are the six psychological factors  that could be considered the basis of a good psychological functioning in the athlete.

- Motivation.

- Emotional control.

- Responsiveness (external feedback)

- Analytical (internal feedback)

- Concentration.

- Confidence.

But right now, I want to focus only on motivation;

 According to the Theory of Achievement Motivation by

Atkinson (1964) and McClelland (1961),( parents of the theory of achievement), achievement, as in sport, is motivated by both personality and situational factors.

Major personality factors  are: the motive to achieve success and the motive to avoid failure.

Situational factors that influence our achievement behaviors are: the likelihood of achieving success or failure, and the incentive value associated with the success/failure.

These two reasons are the result of early socialization experiences that teach subjects to avoid failure or seek success.

They are universal and independent, because a person may have a high need to avoid failure, but not achieving success.

According to the authors, these personal factors remain unchanged throughout life.  People oriented to the avoidance of failure continue to show avoidance responses but never achieve success.
It is my belief,however, with respect to the above theory, that we can change young people's motivation at an early age with good quality coaching in Physical Education,which can help produce the most positive psychological motivation factors  leading to success, and eliminate those negative factors which my block success in the future as an athlete.

Welcome to the Jump the Line, a blog with allows me to share my extensive experience and knowledge gained during my 21 years as a professional jumps coach to top international athletes around the world.  I`ll be commenting on the development of the technique of jumping, as in long jump and  triple jump, and  discussing other aspects of athletics in general.  I also want to share my experience in other sports such as gymnastics