As a waterskier hits the water, his/her body goes through many different position changes in a short amount of time. The conditioning program of this athlete must adequately apply all these movements to not only develop skill and technique, but also power and speed. The following are several ideas which you can use to design your own plyometrics program, dependent on how conditioned you already are, and where you want to get to.

First, a few warnings:

• Surface. The surface on which you perform a plyometrics program needs to have some "give" to it, such as a wooden gym floor, mats, rubberized track, or dry, well-cut grass. DO NOT perform plyometrics on a non-yielding surface such as concrete, asphalt, or hard dirt surfaces.
• Footwear. Always wear shoes with good arch supports and a non-skid tread, such as basketball shoes or running shoes -- DO NOT PERFORM PLYOMETRICS BAREFOOT OR IN SANDELS.
• Equipment. Use wooden boxes which are well constructed and sturdy, without anything protruding from them, such as nails or handles. The boxes should be covered with a smooth, not thick or shaggy, piece of carpet, which is permanently glued to the box. Do not use rubber matting or foam padding to cover the boxes, as this tends to cause your feet to stick and increases your chances of injuries.
• Medicine Balls. Medicine balls are used in a number of plyometrics exercises. Most commercially produced medicine balls, weighing from 2 - 15 lb. will work adequately.
• Spotting. Exercises get progressively more advanced and fatiguing as an athlete gets farther into the program. For this reason, it is very important to always have a person standing by as the spotter in case the athlete runs into problems. Spotting should be taught to all athletes as part of the athlete's plyometrics training.
• Age. As with any conditioning or weightlifting program, there are age requirements. If you begin some of the higher intensity drills too young you can damage the growth plates in your bones or the joints themselves. It is recommended that athletes under the age of 13 restrict themselves to the low intensity and low impact drills, and give their body a chance to grow properly before progressing to the higher intensity exercises after the age of 13.
• Intensity. As with any conditioning program, you start out slow and simple and build, as you become more conditioned and skilled, adding the more advanced drills last. This also helps your body adapt more efficiently to the demands that you are placing on it.
• Health Condition. Before starting any conditioning program you need to see your physician and have a physical exam performed to ensure you are in the optimal health, free of any health problems. Likewise, if you are injured, you need to speak with your athletic trainer, Sports Chiropractor, physical therapist or Medical Physician before beginning or returning to your plyometrics program. As with any athletic activity there is a chance of becoming injured even when you do everything the correct.

GUIDELINES:

1.) Develop a strength base -- it is very important to learn and know your limits. Plyometrics programs are optimal when combined with a solid weight-training program.

2.) ALWAYS WARM UP & COOL DOWN, and PROPERLY STRETCH OUT ALL MUSCLE GROUPS BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER A WORKOUT. Be sure to stretch in a slow manner, WITHOUT ANY BOUNCING MOVEMENTS. Improper stretching can cause serious injury to your muscles and muscle tendons.

3.) Plyometrics should be performed before any other workout -- before either conditioning or Ski practice -- to avoid injuries due to fatigue. When you reach a point of moderate fatigue, you should halt the program at that time.

4.) Always perform plyometrics with the correct intensity, dependent on your goals. The following are considered to be high-intensity drills: single-leg hops for distance, depth jumps from tall boxes, bounding & high-barrier jumps. Conversely, the following are generally considered to be low-intensity plyometrics: double-leg jumps in place, running in place, skipping rope, and side-to-side jumps over a small barrier.

5.) Progress gradually from low-intensity drills to more advanced, high-intensity drills. Your program should initially begin with low-intensity, flat-surfaced, double-leg drills. Once you have developed a strength base you can incorporate more demanding, higher-intensity drills which include single-leg, tall-barrier and higher-impact exercises.

6.) Low-intensity drills usually require more reps in a set; conversely, more advanced, higher intensity drills require fewer reps. A rule of thumb: Do not exceed 6 high-impact exercises during any plyometrics workout.

7.) For full muscle recovery, allow a two to three day rest period between plyometrics workouts.

The following are examples of Low Intensity Plyometric Training. Even if you feel you are advanced begin with lower intensity drills to prepare your body for higher intensity training.

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Forever In Your Wake,

Julie Bostian

Waterskiing / Wakeboarding Guide

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