EFFECT OF A 4-WEEK PLYOMETRIC TRAINING PROGRAMME ON EXPLOSIVE POWER IN U-17 SCHOOL BOYS: A STUDY OF JUMPING EVENTS

Abstract

Athletic success in jumping events depends heavily on specific physical capacities that require rapid force generation within a short period of time. This study aimed to examine the effect of a structured four-week plyometric training programme on the explosive power of under-17 school boys participating in jumping events. Thirty (N = 30) male school boys aged 15 to 17 years were randomly selected and equally divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group participated in a structured plyometric training intervention for four weeks (5 days per week, 45 minutes per session), while the control group continued their regular physical education activities. Lower-body explosive power was evaluated using the Standing Broad Jump (SBJ) and Vertical Jump Test (VJT). Data were analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at a 0.05 significance level. The ANCOVA results demonstrated that the experimental group achieved significantly greater improvements in both Standing Broad Jump (F = 28.24, p < 0.001) and Vertical Jump (F = 40.23, p < 0.001) performance compared to the control group, even after adjusting for baseline scores. The study concludes that a short-term, concentrated four-week plyometric training micro-cycle is an effective and cost-efficient methodology to optimize lower-body explosive power and athletic preparation in adolescent sports setups.