SECTION III - SPORTS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY / RESEARCH PAPER
Specific Power Training vs. Conventional Resistance Training
in the Context of Vertical Jump Performance
in Young Handball Players
1
Institute of Sports Sciences, University of Physical Culture, Krakow, Poland.
2
Polish Handball Federation, Warszawa, Poland.
3
Institute of Sport Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
4
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, Andrzej Frycz-Modrzejewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland.
Submission date: 2025-03-02
Final revision date: 2025-06-16
Acceptance date: 2025-11-27
Online publication date: 2026-03-24
Publication date: 2026-01-15
Corresponding author
Michał Spieszny
Institute of Sports Sciences, University of Physical Culture, 31-571, Krakow, Poland
Institute of Sports Sciences, University of Physical Culture, 31-571, Krakow, Poland
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The increase in the competitive level and popularity of handball necessitates the optimization of training methods, particularly in the development of explosive strength, which determines jump effectiveness and overall game performance. This study analyzed the impact of specific power training and conventional resistance training on jumping abilities of young handball players. A total of 48 athletes were selected for the experiment and randomly assigned to a power training (PT) group, a resistance training (RT) group, or a control (C) group. The training program included plyometric exercises, dynamic neuromuscular activations, and reaction-time-based stimuli, with their effects evaluated through vertical jump tests (CMJ and SJ). The results indicated significant increases in jump height, maximum power, and relative maximum power in the PT group (p < 0.05), suggesting that specific power training more effectively supported the development of dynamic variables than standard resistance training methods. While the RT group demonstrated gains in strength, the corresponding improvements in vertical jump performance were modest and not as substantial as those seen in the power training group. The findings highlight the crucial role of neuromuscular mechanisms in generating explosive power, as well as the importance of training methods based on the stretch-shortening cycle.
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