The Strength Coach Podcast Shocks & Springs- A New Thought Process Around Plyos with Ken Vick
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Sep 1, 2025 Ken Vick, a performance and recovery coach with three decades of experience, dives into his innovative concept of "Shocks & Springs" and its role in plyometrics. He emphasizes the balance of eccentric forces and tissue resilience for optimal recovery and injury prevention. Ken discusses a unique framework for understanding stress, covering structural, energy, nervous system, and mindset factors. Listeners gain practical coaching tips for communicating effectively with athletes and discover tailored recovery techniques suitable for everyone, from elite athletes to older adults.
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Shocks vs Springs Framework
- Ken Vick separates eccentric actions into two categories: shocks (attenuate/manage force) and springs (store/potentiate for next action).
- Recognizing both types helps coaches analyze sport movements and program more precisely.
Program With A Clear Goal
- Decide whether your goal is to build strength capacity, tougher tissues, or train a specific movement before programming plyometrics.
- Reverse-engineer the program from that outcome and progress from extensive to intensive work.
SSCs Span A Wide Time Continuum
- The 250 ms contact-time rule is a limited heuristic; SSCs span a wide continuum from <180 ms to over a second.
- Coaches should focus on the appropriate time-speed band for the sport or task, not rigid thresholds.