As someone who works with high level athletes and those aspiring to take their performance to new levels, I think it is important to understand power development and the real “why” behind the exercises we choose.  I also come at this from the side of a sports physical therapist who is working to get athletes back to their peak performance.

To that end, I am always looking for the most effective ways to train the neuromuscular system.  Finding the most “specific” exercises for our clients is important.  I thought I would provide a brief summery of a new article in the November 2013 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that looked to compare the neuromuscular characteristics of two types of jumps: hurdle and drop jumps.  In addition, the authors wanted to examine three types of landing techniques:

  1. Preferred – athlete instructed to jump with a technique that allows for jumping as quickly and high as possible
  2. Flat foot
  3. Forefoot (FORE)

The working hypothesis was that hurdle jumps would be more powerful than drop jumps (DJs) and that foot flat technique would decrease mechanical power.  The study included 25 subjects (male athletes) from Memorial University and during the jumps reaction forces, contact time, rate of force development (RFD) and lower limb EMG were measured.

All subjects did regular regular resistance training multiple plyometric drills with a typical volume of > 100 repetitions per session.  However, none of the subjects had done drop jumps before.  As such, this was the first test assessed to avoid fatigue.  Subjects stood on a force platform and were asked to perform a maximal CMJ.  Two trials were conducted with 1 minute of rest in between jumps.  The maximum CMJ height was used to establish the DJ and hurdle height.  The average flight time of the two trials was used to calculate jump height.

The order of DJ and hurdle jump tests was randomized with 5 minutes of rest between the jumps.  The athletes did a 10 minute warm-up of cycling at 75 W-60 RPM followed by 5 sets of 5 sub maximal hopping, 5 single submaximal CMJ and 2 maximal CMJ.  Only dynamic stretching was allowed during the warm-up to avoid any muscular power deficits created by static stretching.

Results

Contact time

  • Hurdle jump had a 36.9% shorter contact time compared to DJ
  • Preferred technique 29.1% shorter contact time than FLAT
  • Preferred technique had 9.6% longer contact time than FORE
  • FLAT 25.9% longer than FORE
  • Jump and landing type interaction 23.8% shorter ground contact time for DJ FORE vs. FLAT

Vertical ground reaction forces (VGRF)

  • Hurdle jump forces were 11% higher than DJ
  • FLAT techniques revealed 30.8% less reaction force than preferred technique and 40.9% less than FORE
  • DJ preferred technique had 14.9% more force than DJ FLAT
  • DJ FLAT had lowest force level and was 25.9% less than DF FORE

Rate of force development

  • Main effect of hurdle jump showed 46.3% higher RFD than DJ
  • FORE technique 11.3% higher than preferred and 45% higher than FLAT
  • Preferred technique 38% higher than FLAT
  • DJ preferred 35% > DJ FLAT
  • Hurdle jump preferred 40.9% higher than DJ preferred
  • Hurdle jump FORE 43.6% higher than DJ preferred
  • DJ FLAT was lowest for RFD

Leg stiffness

  • Hurdle jumps were 64% stiffer than DJ
  • Hurdle jump FORE had greatest stiffness
  • DJ FLAT was the least stiff technique

EMG Activity

  • Rectus femoris – HJ had 30% higher activity than DJ, eccentric phase highest, and FLAT higher than preferred and FORE
  • Biceps femoris – HJ 68.8% more activity than DJ, concentric phase highest, and preferred higher than FLAT
  • Tibialis anterior – FLAT had highest activity, eccentric phase highest
  • Gastrocnemius – Preferred 26.3% > FLAT, FLAT 47% < FORE, and concentric phase highest

Key findings of the study

  1. Preferred and FORE hurdle jumps were more powerful plyometric exercises than the DJ based on a shorter contact time, higher VGRF, RFD and leg stiffness
  2. FORE and preferred landings produced the best results for all mechanical power variables

However, not all studies support this study’s conclusions.  The DJ has been recommended by other researchers as the highest intensity type of jump.  The authors of the current study suggest that the difference in opinion may be related to different box heights even when subjects had different training backgrounds.  They report that several studies have used a DJ heights greater than max CMJ height and thus potentially causing some reflex inhibition.

The authors also suggest the higher power achieved with the HJ may be related to the conscious effort to extend the legs in an attempt to regain foot contact as fast as possible prior to the next hurdle jump.  With respect to the DJ, subjects tend to fall and then hit the ground resulting in a jump.

Key takeaways for application to training

  • DJ FORE was highest of all DJ techniques, but still less than all techniques for HJ
  • FLAT techniques is most optimal for absorption of force based on preactivation EMG levels
  • HJ and DJ FORE and preferred techniques showed at least 50% higher EMG pre-activity levels than FLAT which seems to indicate that emphasizing a FORE technique in plyo drills will increase mechanical power in sports activity that requires flight prior to ground contact
  • HJ FORE generated highest mechanical power compared with all DJ and HJ techniques and also generated the highest RFD
  • FORE techniques and plyos would be a good choice for sports/activities that required repeated speed and power with a rapid stretch shortening cycle
  • FLAT techniques are still a valued strategy for sports such as basketball and volleyball where a CMJ is critical for performance

My personal opinion/approach

I utilize both methods of training in my functional rehab and training.  I like the DJ for developing vertical power in my jumping athletes (basketball, volleyball and soccer to name a few).  However, I have spent the past several years using multi-hurdle jumps in a linear and lateral direction to improve multi-directional speed and reactivity.  I have seen this technique pay big dividends for my field and court athletes alike.  For injury prevention and performance, I seek exercises with higher levels of stiffness – HJ delivers this.

Generally speaking, I devote a larger proportion of my plyo training to 5 and 12 inch hurdle jumps as well as as performing repetitive jumps leading up to a max broad jump.  However, I will continue to use both methodologies in my rehab and training moving forward.  I think it helps to know why we do what we do, and this study lends additional credibility to using hurdle jumps as an effective plyometric training tool with your athletes.  I see great results in building horizontal power and speed with hurdle jumps and am a strong advocate of them.  Coaching the “down/up” SSC is just as important in my mind as foot position, but with this latest study I will be even more concerned with the facilitating the FORE position for my athletes to produce optimal results.

Click here for the abstract of this article