An Off-season Plyometric and Resistance Training Programme to Improve Vertical Jump Height in Adolescent Female Volleyball Players

Abstract

Plyometric training has shown to improve vertical jump height, but the design and implementation of a plyometric training programme for adolescents requires consideration of several variables as well as the time of the season. The purpose of this study was to implement a pragmatic programme that improves vertical jump height, and to monitor the effects of a 15 week off-season plyometric and resistance training programme on the vertical jump height in adolescent female volleyball players. Ten adolescent female volleyball players (age: 15.1 ± 0.9 years, height: 1.71 ± 0.04 m, body mass: 63.6 ± 6.0 kg, volleyball training experience: 5.1 ± 1.4 years) underwent 15 weeks of plyometric and resistance training (twice and once a week, respectively). A single-targeted block periodised approach and a linear periodisation model were applied. Vertical jump height was assessed before the programme (T1), after 4 weeks (T2), after 12 weeks (T3) and at the end of the programme (T4). Jump height significantly increased by 8.8% over the full time of the investigation. No significant difference was found between T1 and T2 but for all other pairwise comparisons. Similarly, leg power was observed to increase by 6.5% (P = 0.001). The 15-weeks training programme showed to improve jump height and leg power. In consideration of its practical nature and its results in comparison with similar intervention studies, the programme suggests practical relevance for coaches.