If you frequent my blog, you know that I’m on a mission to identify the best program and exercises to increase shot speed and power.
And while there is always room to learn and improve, I’m starting to draw a few conclusions from the research I’m conducting.
Believe it or not, some of the research I’m finding to be the most interesting are studies on sprinting.
At first I didn’t think to look at sprinting.
However, after thinking, it started to make sense- both wrestlers and sprinters are looking to move as explosively as possible in a horizontal direction.
And the research study below has me particularly excited.
…But then again, I am kind of a nerd.
Horizontal Jumps and Sprinting Speed
Here’s a quick summary of what went on. If you have any questions on the study, just comment below and I’ll get back to you.
The researchers wanted to examine a horizontal 3 jump test and compare that to running performance.
Here’s an old video of “The Barn Cat” performing the type of jump used in the research:
He did 4 jumps, not the 3 used in the research. But you get the idea, right?
The running distances assessed were 60, 100, 200, 800, 3000 and 5000 meters.
The subjects were Division 1 Track athletes. Both males and females participated.
The jumps were performed in a laboratory setting. In most cases, the sprinting times used were from previous competitions.
Here’s what they found:
Basically the correlation decreased as the running distance increased.
There was a strong correlation between the 60, 100, and 200 meter sprints and jumping distance.
And here’s what they concluded:
The running times were recorded at a different time from the jump test, so some variations like bodyweight may have influenced the results.
Additionally, this type of correlation could mean that incorporating more horizontal jump training would improve running performance.
It is important to keep in mind that although a correlation exists, it may not mean that jumping performance is necessarily the cause of sprinting performance.
Paper Referenced
Bosquet, L, J. Montpetit, D. Arvisais, I. Mujika. Relationship Between Jumping Ability and Running Performance in Events of Varying Distance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 27(3), 563-567. March 2013.
Hi, I’m Dickie (the author of this blog). Here I am with my good buddy, Kyle Dake. While he doesn't have a nice coat like me, he is pretty good at wrestling. Here's what he said about my training system:
Before I began lifting using Dickie's system my wrestling skills were getting slightly better. I've now been lifting under his guidance for more than 5 months and I have begun to dominating ALL of my competition. At first I had little faith in Dickie and his program, but now I would run into a wall if he told me I would get stronger! I know it sounds insane, but I would. The bottom line is Dickie is an expert and knows what he is talking about. If you want to defeat those kids whom you've always lost to and reach a level you never thought possible, I suggest you start lifting using Dickie's system immediately.
-Kyle Dake, 4X NCAA Division 1 National Champion