I have been flip-flopping between giving ideas how you can reduce or increase the landing GRF, depending on what the outcomes from your training you want. I have always enjoyed what elastic/rubber based resistance (RBR) offers as a training tool and in the context of jump-landing training it has a lot to offer. If you get your athlete to stand on a scale and then attach rubber based resistance to make the athlete 28% lighter (top attachment as shown in the diagram) or 28% heavier (bottom attachment) then you can expect decreases (~23-27%) in landing impact GRFs with top loading, and increases (~30-50%) with bottom loading (Argus et al, 2011).

What could be really interesting is to develop a loading continuum for assisted and resisted training that quantifies the peak GRF and loading rates at 0, 10, 20, and 30% of body mass and then put a trendline through it so you can develop and equation that predicts the landing forces and rates associated with assisted and resisted loading. Have you done this or read about something similar?

Check out the research here:

- Argus et al., (2011)