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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INSIGHT

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.

ANECDOTE

Volleyball Surface Tuning Story

Ken recounts converting indoor volleyball players to beach and needing to retune their stretch-shortening cycles for sand vs hard court.
The surface change required tendon and elastic tuning to restore performance outdoors.

ADVICE

Progress Extensive To Intensive

Start with extensive drills (rhythm, range, low output) and keep them in regular warmups to build tissue resilience.
Progress to intensive drills (high output bounds, depth jumps) only when capacity and readiness allow.

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In Episode 418 of the Strength Coach Podcast, we explore Ken Vick’s concept of “Shocks & Springs” as well as the art of mastering recovery by tackling stress.

Brought to you by Perform Better, your go-to source for functional training and rehabilitation, this episode is packed with actionable insights for trainers, therapists, and athletes alike.

Highlights of the Episode

- Ken Vick breaks down the concept of shocks and springs within the stretch shortening cycle and their impact on athletic performance.

- We spoke about the importance of balancing eccentric forces, elasticity, and tissue resilience for recovery and injury prevention.

- Ken shares his unique recovery framework, including the four pillars of stress: structural, energy system, nervous system, and mindset.

- Discover how to tune recovery modalities to match specific stressors, from ice baths to NormaTec boots, and why perception matters.

- Practical coaching tips on using language and cues to better communicate with athletes and clients.

- Applications for both elite athletes and general populations, including tips for pickleball players and older adults.

Ken Vick brings over 30 years of experience working with Olympic committees, professional franchises, and sports organizations worldwide. Known for translating science into real-world systems, Ken’s approach to performance and recovery is groundbreaking.

We also feature Naamly's "Maximizing the Member Experience" segment with Sumit Seth, who shares the Debate-Decide-Do framework for making decisions.

Check out Naamly.com to see how they can help your business

Brought to You By Perform Better:

From speaker schools to movement workshops, Perform Better continues to lead the way in education for fitness professionals. Check out their latest offerings and sales at Performbetter.com.

Thanks for listening! Tune in to this insightful episode and take your recovery game to the next level. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

REMINDER

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Join Certified Functional Strength Coach and Business for Unicorns for a FREE webinar on Thurs Sept 18 at 4p ET:

The Missing Piece: Consistently Excellent Training Sessions

Claim Your Free Spot HERE- https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XwYLXLwXS6mja_XdoaPcUQ#/registration

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro

03:44 - NAAMLY: Maximizing Member Experience

10:38 - Ken Vick Interview

11:38 - Introduction to Shocks and Springs

17:42 - Understanding Shocks and Springs

23:14 - Programming for SSCs

26:30 - Plyometrics vs. Absorbing Force

30:25 - Training Athletes at Different Speeds

33:24 - Programming for Shocks and Springs

39:10 - Adult Population Programming

42:40 - Preparing for Physical Stresses

46:08 - Effective Coaching Cues

48:01 - Global vs. Specific Stress

54:19 - Importance of Perception

57:09 - System-Specific Recovery

59:42 - Overdoing Recovery Without Stimulus

01:01:00 - Meeting Athlete Needs