Muscle & Fitness Australia - Issue 352 - June 2017

24 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2017

TRAIN POWER

SQUAT+JUMP

Back squat:3x3 at

80%of1-repmax(1RM)

Rest 1 minute

Depth jump or

Box jump:3x5

WHAT IT IS

PAPisaphenomenoninwhich

heavypreloadingofamuscle

group results in a short-term

increase in power. So, if you

performaheavyliftandthen

jump or sprint, you’ll jump

higher or sprint faster.

HOW IT WORKS

Performing an initial heavy lift

recruits more fast-twitch and

slow-twitch muscle fibres,

increasing your rate of force

development(RFD).Recruiting

more muscle fibres more

quickly increases power

and explosiveness.

BUTKEEPINMIND...

The first movement must mimic

thesecond.Youmustliftthe

weight as quickly as you can.

Don’tlifttofailure;doingsowill

take away from your ability to

performwellonthesecond

exercise. Lastly, use minimal

rest between movements.

Post-activation

potentiation will

help you jump higher

and sprint faster

BY DR CARWYN SHARP

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE

that speed and jumping

proficiency are natural abilities

thatcan’tbeenhanced.They’re

wrong. By employing a technique

known as post-activation

potentiation (PAP), you can add

more to your vertical leap,

reduce sprint times and boost

your explosiveness.

PUSH + SPRINT

Sled push:3x10 yards

(loadsledwithatleast1.5

timesyourbodyweight)

Sprint:3x20 metres

(do no t r es t be t ween

moves;letgoofsled

and begin sprinting)

PRESS+PASS

Bench press:3x2

at85%of1RM

Rest 1 minute

Medicine ball chest

pass (3x5) or

Plyo push-up (3x3)

PAP

it off

POST-ACTIVATION POTENTIATION

Three PAP combos for explosive strength:

SHUTTERSTOCK

PAP

TRAINING

To reap the benefits of

PAP, the first exercise

must work the same

muscles as the second,

and the weight must be

moved as quickly

as possible.