- Source: Michael Yessis
Michael Yessis (June 16, 1932 – September 15, 2023) was an American sports performance trainer who translated and adapted sports training methodology from the former Soviet Union.
Biography
Michael Yessis earned a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. In 1975, he and athlete Fred Wilt coined the term plyometrics while observing Soviet athletes warming up. In 1982, Yessis traveled to the Soviet Union to work with Yuri Verkhoshansky, a biomechanist and sports trainer.
Yessis' teaching career focused on a performance-based version of sports conditioning and training. Yessis authored 16 books and over 2,000 articles in various publications. He also appeared on television, radio, and the internet as an expert guest and commentator. Yessis was selected as a member of The Society for Unconventional Physical Education.
As a researcher and translator, Yessis made available an array of significant Soviet books and journals created by Soviet sports-scientists to an English-speaking audience. Yessis' translations include Transfer of Training Volume I, Transfer of Training Volume II, Block Periodization Training, Special Strength Training: A Practical Manual for Coaches, Running, and Hurdling, and numerous Soviet journals. Yessis was a leader of a group of athletes, sports coaches, and strength coaches sent to the Soviet Union to study at the Moscow State Institute of Physical Culture. He established contacts for the exchange of information and the development of greater exchanges between the countries. His work was responsible for making this body of Soviet science-based sports research available in the United States.
Yessis was chief editor for two well-established academic journals and senior editor for a Weider Publication. Yessis was the editor-in-chief for The Fitness and Sports Review International, a quarterly publication from 1966 to 1994. He also held the editor-in-chief position for Soviet Sports Review, a collection of translated journals from Soviet coaches and original articles from contributing writers, from 1968–1972. In addition, Yessis provided translation and original writing contributions to Soviet Sports Review. Yessis served as senior editor for Sports Fitness (a Weider Publication known today as Men's Fitness).
Yessis served as a training and technique consultant to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL and trained former All-American and Oakland Raider Marv Marinovich and his son, Todd Marinovich, helping Todd to become a first-round draft choice. Yessis served as a training and technique consultant to Evander Holyfield, professional beach volleyball player Dianne DeNecochea, and the U.S. Men's Olympic Volleyball Team. He has trained Olympians including Jose Luiz Barbosa, an 800m and 1500m runner, four-time Olympian and gold, silver, and bronze medalist in six world championships; Edgar Oliveira, an Olympian who participated in Barcelona and Atlanta in the 1500m; Joao N'tyamba, who participated in three Olympic games in the 800m and 1500m; and Wander Moura, who holds the South American record in the 3000m hurdles, participated in the Olympics and World Championships, and was victorious in the Pan American games in the late 1990s.
Yessis has written 16 books in the sports and fitness field. His column was published in Muscle & Fitness magazine for 25 consecutive years.
Yessis died on September 15, 2023, at the age of 91.
Publications/books in English
Explosive Tennis: The Forehand Sports Training, Inc. (2000)
Explosive Running (2000)
Explosive Golf: Using the Science of Kinesiology to Improve Your Swing (1998)
Inspiring Others To Win. Griffing Publishing, 1998. (Chapter contribution).
Sports and Fitness Success From 6 To 16 (1996)
Body Shaping (1994).
Kinesiology of Exercise (1992)
Sports Restoration and Massage: Secrets Of The World's Greatest Superstars (1992)
Secrets of Soviet Sports Fitness and Training (1987)
Plyometric Training: Achieving Explosive Power in Sports (1986)
Running and Hurdling Fred Wilt, Editor, Dr. Yessis Translator Championship Books, 1984
Handball, 3rd Edition (1st Edition, 1966; 2nd Edition, 1972) William C. Brown, Publishers (1978)