Shock Method Exercises for Athletes

These are shock method exercises demonstrated by Yuri Verkhoshansky. The depth jump is the classic shock method exercise. An external force is created by the athlete's body falling from a strictly prescribed height. That external force acts during the yielding or eccentric

phase and is followed immediately by takeoff. The defining feature is the short ground contact time between landing and push-off. The same depth jump structure can be used for vertical or horizontal jumps depending on the task. You'll see the athlete here now performing

a depth drop into a broad jump. Next, you'll see Yuri talk about performing a depth jump with an overhead target. His studies showed that with an overhead goal, the athlete would

show increases in vertical jump height, and it altered takeoff mechanics compared to jumping without a target. Next, you'll see some repeated consecutive jumps, which are multi-impact shock method exercises, where

rapid repeated contacts increase the neuromuscular demand. When external resistance is added, such as kettlebells or barbells, these become combined shock method exercises where the impact of external force is increased. You can do unilateral or split variations to increase coordination

demands while maintaining short ground contact times. In Verkhoshansky's depth jump experiments, explosive strength and even maximal strength increased after the athletes went through a phase of using depth jumps. This is an extremely potent stimulus, and you have to be careful

with the height you are choosing and the volume.