If you’ve casually watched vertical jump training, you’ve definitely heard the term “fast muscle fiber.” The basic theory is that people with large vertical jumps have a higher percentage of fast spasm fibers than those without. For some reason, nature has blessed such a wonderful jumper.
When you see people making big jumps, it’s normal to think they were born that way. However, it’s very likely that you weren’t present to see how they were doing the training needed to get the jump. So don’t give up, even if you’re not lucky enough to be born as a good jumper. There is a way to train the fast muscle fibers you have. But first, let’s take a look at the different types of muscle fibers and their function during the jump.
Basic muscle type
The first is type I or “slow single shrink fiber”. As the name implies, these fibers take longer to shrink. They also have the ability to maintain contracts for long periods of time. Perfectly suitable for endurance types, but unfortunately it does not produce the kind vertical jump training of slow explosive contraction required for jumping.
Next is Type IIa fast spasm fiber. In fact, they are fast single shrink fibers because they shrink faster than slow single shrink fibers. They also produce stronger strength, but fatigue faster than slower single shrink fibers. However, they do not shrink as fast or as strongly as the Type IIb fibers described below.
Third, Type IIb is a fast, single-shrink fiber. They shrink faster than Type I and Type IIa fibers and also produce more energy. Also, in most cases, you’ll quickly get bored of all three types. Type IIb fibers have the best properties for jumping. A burst of powerful power for a short period of time. These are the fibers your body relies primarily on to jump with the help of Type IIa fibers. Therefore, Type IIb fiber is the type that should be focused on in vertical jump training.
High speed muscle fiber training
There are different ways of thinking about the best way to train high-speed muscle fibers. It is beyond the scope of this article to describe all or specific exercises. However, the general consensus is that a combination of strength training (weights), speed training, and flexibility training provides optimal results. Including the following components in your exercise routine will help ensure that fast muscle fibers are stimulated to contract faster, stronger and more explosive.
Weight training
The jump mechanism is simple and familiar. The bottom line is that you need legs that are strong coil springs. This means that you need legs with explosive muscle fibers and the ability to dynamically shorten and stretch them. Appropriate weight training techniques can focus on increasing the strength and speed of the fast muscles of the legs. But your weight training shouldn’t stop there. The act of jumping involves the whole body. The strength of the torso is also important to generate the upward momentum needed for a good jump. Some studies have shown that the arm contributes an average of 10% to takeoff speed during a jump.
Many recommend a combination of dynamic weight training and plyometrics. A good example of dynamic weight exercise is the jump squat. Lighter loads are recommended (30% of maximum rep) and resistance is explosively accelerated over the entire range of motion. Olympic lifts such as Power Clean, Jerk, Clean and Jerk are all dynamic weight exercises that target and employ fast-moving new fibers. In fact, these elevators need to be very fast to run successfully. As an athlete gets stronger, his muscle reaction time decreases at the same time. Dynamic weight training can have a powerful impact on your ability to jump. However, keep in mind that many dynamic weight training exercises can be complicated and you need to pay a lot of attention not only to the right workouts but also to the right techniques.