Plyometric Anatomy

Elite players, coaches, and trainers rely on plyometrics to develop power, agility, speed, strength, body control, balance, and overall athletic performance. With this authoritative guide on plyometrics, you can too!

In Plyometric Anatomy, authors Derek Hansen, coach and consultant to elite athletes and professional and collegiate sports teams, and Steve Kennelly, assistant head athletic trainer for the New York Football Giants, share the training they’ve used to propel athletes at all levels to success. They present 94 plyometric exercises, with 78 variations that increase in difficulty for continued development over time. Each exercise is fully illustrated with detailed anatomical art to showcase the muscles that are activated during the drill, so you can clearly see how the exercise contributes to improved performance.

You’ll also find unique plyometric exercises and variations that combine upper- and lower-body muscles in a single drill to better simulate complex sport-specific movements. Plus, considerations such as the impact of performing the drills on various surfaces, commonly used equipment, and use of external loads are included to make sure you get the most from your training.

With comprehensive coverage and expert insights, Plyometric Anatomy takes the guesswork out of training and provides the best tool to help you achieve dynamic strength and explosive power. It is the ultimate illustrative resource for maximizing athletic power production.

Derek Hansen, MASc, CSCS, has worked with athletes in speed, strength, and power sports since 1988. Originally a coach for track and field athletes, Hansen expanded his services to assist athletes in all sports, with an emphasis on speed development. As a coach and a consultant, he has worked with some of the top performers in the world, including Olympic medalists, world record holders, Canadian National team athletes, professional sports organizations and professional athletes from numerous sports. He has developed some of the top sprinters in British Columbia, and he continues to work with some of the fastest athletes in various sports.

Hansen has also served as a sport performance consultant or rehabilitation specialist to sports teams in the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. From 2003 to 2016, he was the head strength and conditioning coach at Simon Fraser University. In each position, he has provided recommendations on how and when to use plyometric training for off-season preparation, in-season strength maintenance, and return-to-competition protocols following injury.

Steve Kennelly, MEd, ATC, CSCS, has been a member of the New York Football Giants medical team for more than 25 seasons and currently serves as their assistant head athletic trainer. Recognized as a leader in his field, Kennelly received the NFL Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year Award for the National Football Conference (NFC) in 2012. In 1999 he was part of the Giants staff that was named the NFL Athletic Training Staff of the Year.

Both a certified athletic trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist, Kennelly has served in various roles and medical committees for the National Football League, Professional Football Athletic Trainers’ Society, National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and the Athletic Trainers’ Society of New Jersey. In 2013, after recognizing a need for quality instruction and programs in injury prevention, athletic development, postinjury reconditioning, and physical preparation, he founded Kennelly Athletics and Sports Medicine, LLC. His goal is to educate athletes, coaches, and parents on proper technique and progressions from fundamental movement patterns to advanced skills.