Post-Activation Potentiation

I was asked a question today regarding one of the elements of the programming we've been putting up on the website recently.  It has to do with the inclusion of plyometrics before the main lifts for the day.  Why?
The simple answer is that it enhances your nervous system activation and should allow for faster lifting for the day.
Basically:  do plyometrics before your main lift and you will be move explosive on that lift, therefore able to lift more.  Those of you that don't want to get geeky can stop reading here.

For the rest of us, the longer answer is a physiological process known as post-activation potentiation.  This is a phenomenon that only occurs in fast twitch (type 2B/X) muscle fibres.  It has to do with the priming of the nervous system by performing an explosive lift before a heavy one or, interestingly, a sub-maximal repetition set before an explosive lift.  Examples of this would be performing high box jumps prior to snatching of cleans (or speed box squats) or performing heavy squats prior to a vertical jump test.  Loading of the nervous system elicits an excited state in which performance is enhanced (1).  This can however cause fatigue to set in so it pays to be careful, it is the contractile history of the muscle which is important for application.

So this is just a short term gain, right?  Not really, as there appears to be a chronic adaption that takes place (1)(2).  It is commonly used in a training protocol called complex training in an attempt to transfer strength gains into power gains.  Typically, exercises are paired together in a complex pair that work similar muscle groups.  An example would be depth jumps followed by squats (3) and it has been suggested numerous times that complex training is superior to either traditional strength training or plyometrics by themselves (3)(4)(5).

So, where does this leave us?  We've seen that high intensity muscle contractions prior to an event/exercise can improve the performance in that event.  This is why we've been putting plyometrics before squatting and benching in our programming of late and why you should too (if you don't already follow what we post).  It is important to activate the neuromuscluar system to provide an enhanced ground to perform your activity in.

Short answer again, do box jumps before squatting and close grip plyo pushups before benching to get increased performance.


1. Guellich, A. & Schmidtbleicher, D., 1996. MVC-induced short-term potentiation of explosive force Les MCV engendrant un potentiel de force explosive a court terme La potenciacion a corto plazo de la fuerza explosiva producida por contracciones voluntarias maximales (CVM). New Studies in Athletics, 11(4), p.67-81.
2. Weber, K.R., Brown, L.E., Coburn, J.W. & Zinder, S.M. 2008, "Acute effects of heavy-load squats on consecutive squat jump performance", Journal of strength and conditioning research / National Strength & Conditioning Association, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 726-730.
3. Robert Gringmuth 1998, Explosive Power and Strength Complex Training for Maximum Results.
4. Lyttle, A.D., Wilson, G.J. & Ostrowski, K.J., 1996. Enhancing performance: maximal power versus combined weights and plyometrics training. The Journal of Strength Conditioning Research, 10(3), p.173.
5. Verkhoshanski, V. and V. Tatyan. Speed-strength preparation of future champions.
Sov. Sports Rev. 18(4): 166-170. 1983. 21.