Honesty hour - If you have never performed a squat before, you wouldn’t start by loading up 200kg on a bar and praying to the gods for your survival… right?
Common sense would suggest starting with bodyweight exercises and working your way up... right? Well then why the heck do i see so many people jump (pun intended) straight into plyometric based training without first using training wheels?
Diving head first into high intensity exercises like box jumps, continuous hurdles, depth jumps etc without first learning PROPER LANDING MECHANICS and developing a base level of lower body strength, puts you at an extremely high risk of injury.
Plyometric training should never be done in isolation but as part of a complete strength training program and like with any exercise, volume and intensity needs to be planned and progressive.
For beginners low intensity plyos in the form of skipping and high knee running are a great starting point. Athletes and everyday athletes alike should never attempt multiple response jumping drills or change of direction ploy’s without first mastering the basics.
For sports like AFL, basketball and netball jumping is unavoidable and subsequently plyometric training should be included in any quality training program; not only to improve performance but to reduce the risk of injury.