Influence of Eight Weeks of Plyometric Training on the Speed and Flexibility of Adolescent Girls

This research aimed to study the effect of eight weeks of plyometric training on the speed and flexibility of adolescent girls who play Wushu. To this end, 20 girls (age: 11 ± 3.5 years, weight: 46 ± 19 kg, height: 117 ± 53 cm) were selected as examinees and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. In the meantime, the control group only did normal wushu exercises, whereas the experimental group did normal wushu exercises along with plyometric ones (including jumps and hops) for eight weeks and three sessions each week with a set time of 30 to 45 minutes. Speed ​​and flexibility were estimated using setup tests, 30-meter sprints, and Sargent jump and flexibility tests before and after the end of the training course. Correlated and independent t-tests at a 0.05 significance level were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that the speed and flexibility of wushu athletes increased significantly after eight weeks of plyometric training. Furthermore, a significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups. In addition, wushu athletes can use plyometric exercises to improve speed and flexibility.