Lower Body Power Exercise Classification

The lower body power movements are organized into jumps, bounds, hops, shock or hybrid.
Terminology

• Jumps= Take off of 2 legs and land on 2 legs
• Bounds= Take off of 1 leg and land on the opposite 1 leg
• Hops= Take off of 1 leg and land on that same 1 leg
• Shock= Dropping from an elevated surface (overload the landing/ eccentric)
• Hybrid= Combination of the 3 & medicine ball throw variations

See below for everything we take into consideration while organizing & selecting the different lower body power exercises for our athletes.
 
Progression process (relative to the athlete’s training level)

• General to specific (to their sporting demands)
• Simple (low skill) to complex (high skill)
• Slow (decrease velocity) to fast (increase velocity)
• Sagittal to multiple planes of motion (sagittal, front & transverse)
• Lower amplitude to greater amplitude
• Single response to multiple response

 
Unilateral (Single Leg)
We will introduce unilateral explosive exercises early on in the training process. The context is most important and we take into consideration the athlete’s sport, time of year and training level. We don’t follow the typical progression of bilateral (2-leg) to unilateral (1-leg) or vice versa. Both 2-leg & 1-leg are used concurrently & follow the above progressions.  
 
In-Season
An in-season athlete will still follow our progression process, but the major difference is that every landing will be on an elevated surface.. The athlete will still get the desired training effect and adaptation, without over-stressing their system (less impact).
 
Force-Velocity Profile
As an athlete reaches the intermediate to advance training level, we get more specific and individualize the power movements with a force (strength) or velocity (speed) emphasis. We determine if the athlete has a force or velocity deficiency. Once this is known we train and attack the weakness or opposite quality.    
 
Additional Implements
We also incorporate additional equipment or change in surface that will complement our progression protocol and appropriate for the individual. For example:

• Elevated surface w/ single response (Box Jump)
• Elevated surface w/ multiple responses (Stair Jumps)
• Over barrier (Hurdle Jump)
• Over barrier & onto elevated surface (Hurdle Jump + Rotational Box Hop)
• Off elevated surface (Depth Jumps)
• Band Resisted (Loaded Horizontal Jump)
• Band Assisted (Accelerated Squat Jump)

 
It’s important to have a systematic approach when planning and organizing all of the different qualities (speed, power, strength, suppleness, capacity, etc…) that need to be addressed in an athlete’s physical preparation process. Proper progressions and exercise sequencing will set the athlete up for long term success.