Plyometrics, by Donald A. Chu and Gregory Myer, Human Kinetics, 242 pages, $23.95.
Unless you've been training completely in isolation you have likely heard about plyometrics.
This well-founded approach to fitness is helping athletes improve performance in a wide range of sports.
Plyometrics can easily be demonstrated in the expression of energy through a jump. There is a stretch of the muscle tendon immediately followed by a shortening of the muscle unit. This stretch-shortening cycle significantly enhances the ability of the muscles to produce maximum effort in the shortest time. This type of expression of dynamic energy is a part of the majority of all athletic endeavor.
Coaches have embraced this type of movement into their athletes' conditioning and have seen tremendous results. Donald Chu pioneered the development of plyometric training and is considered to be a top expert in the field.
After an extensive explanation of what plyometrics is and how it is applied in athletic movement, Chu provides a guideline for this type of training. Using diagrams, photographs and detailed explanations, he presents the essential plyometric exercises. This is followed by its application in a comprehensive conditioning program and then in sportspecific training programs.
—Terry Peters
