Fast Twitch Training

Written by Jack Woodrup for VerticalJumping.com

For vertical jumping, great genetics refers to having a high percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers. If you are lucky enough to have a high percentage of these it is a good bet that you will be able to jump high. However, just because you don?t have great genetics to start with, it doesn?t mean you can?t develop the ones you do have into a great vertical jump

Here we will explain the difference between the three main fiber types, how they work, and how you can apply this knowledge to focus your training. There are many things you can do to maximize the athletic potential, so don't worry too much if you are starting behind the genetic 8 ball.

The Three Main Muscle Fiber Types

Although there are further micro variations in muscle fiber types, the three main ones are:

Type I: Slow Twitch Fibers.

Type IIa: Fast Twitch Fibers.

Type IIb: Fast Twitch Fibers

Each one has its own characteristics and is suited to a particular type of movement.

Type 1 fibers are slow to contract (hence, slow twitch), and can sustain muscular contractions for an extended period of time. This factor makes them ideal for endurance type of events where one is exercising for long durations. They also contain large and numerous mitochondria which aid in their oxidative metabolism (the use of oxygen). These types of fibers are fatigue resistant but are only able produce a relatively low level of force output.

Type IIa muscle fibers are, as the name would suggest, fast twitch fibers (FTF's). However they are in the middle of the muscle fiber spectrum, as they are less fatigue resistance, produce more muscular force, and contract at a faster speed than slow twitch fibers, but not quite as much as type IIb fibers.

The type IIb fibers are the most easily fatigued out of all the fibers but also generate the most power. These are most heavily recruited for activities that require an all out burst of power over a very short period of time.

It is the type IIb fibers that are primarily responsible for your vertical jump performance, although your type IIa?s also have a small role. As such it is the type II's that you should be targeting with your training.

How To Train Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers

There are a number of proven methods that target the fast twitch muscle fibers (FTF's). By following these guidelines you will ensure that your muscles are provided with the right stimulus to development your vertical jump.

• In the weight room try to lift in excess of 60% of your 1RM.
Generally speaking, the heavier you lift the greater the recruitment of FTF's. The exception to this is if you are doing ballistic weighted exercises such as barbell jump squats. In these instances it is ok to use a lower 1RM% - see the next point.
• Aim for maximum speed on all your movements.
Whether it is lifting a weight, skipping, jumping, bounding, or throwing, try and do it flat out. Short burst (10 seconds or less) of very high intensity work will cause the type of positive muscular adaptations you are after.
• Train eccentrically.
Incorporating fully the eccentric portion of any lift you do you will recruit a higher percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers. Eccentric training essentially refers to things like going deep into your squats, or lowering the weight under control in a dead lift. This will further activate your FTF's.
• Plyometrics.
Plyometrics involves the activation of the stretch-shorten reflexive response to create more powerful contractions. These contractions are primarily the domain of the fast twitch muscle fibers so doing this type of training will really stimulate those type II's.
• Contrast Load Training.
This is one of our favorite training techniques and real jump improver. To use contrast load training you might perform a very heavy set of squats, say 75-95% of your 1RM, rest 1-2 minutes, and then perform a lighter more explosive movement such as unweighted jump squats. The initial heavy set fires up a process known as potentiation that triggers higher recruitment of fast twitch fibers in the subsequent exercise.
• Over-speed Training.
We talk about the benefits of over-speed training in our sprint training page. This is where you add some form of resistance to your running or jumping such as using a speed-chute. When you take it off you can now seemingly run much faster. By consciously trying to move your limbs faster in the over-speed portion, you will further activate fast twitch fibers.
• Mental Training.
If you have ever seen an Olympic lifter before a lift you will know what a psyche up is. This is part of mental training. Those lifters are essentially getting into a frame of mind that tells their bodies to literally fire up the fast twitch fibers. It works equally in your jumping and training. Spend 20 seconds before a jump mentally preparing for the effort and you will jump higher than if you just go and do it.

Conclusion

In order to get the most out of your vertical jump training, you should try to follow those principles. A vertical jump is a powerful, type II muscle fiber based contraction that takes place in a split second. The most effective and efficient way to train therefore is to ensure you fully develop those fiber types. Anything else is just wasted time and energy.