If you are not seeing the results you are looking for or want to enhance your athleticism, you should make changes. One way to get fitter and leaner is to incorporate plyometrics into your routine. Plyometrics, or plyos, are exercises that involve quick, powerful movements that use a stretch-shortening cycle to produce maximum force in a short amount of time. Read on to learn all the reasons to incorporate plyometrics.
Plyometrics
Plyometric exercises are those in which your muscles exert a great amount of force in short intervals of time. They involve an all-out effort. It’s important to understand that plyometric training requires proper form and is not recommended for beginners or those with existing injuries.
There are different types of plyometric exercises. There are upper-body plyometrics (those for the upper body), lower-body plyometrics (those concentrating on using your legs and jumping), and full-body plyometrics (exercises that engage multiple muscle groups).
Benefits of Plyometrics
There are several benefits associated with incorporating plyometrics into a fitness routine. Here are some of the plyometrics benefits:
- Improved Power: Plyometric exercises help improve muscle power by increasing the speed at which muscles contract. This is particularly beneficial for athletes in sports that require explosive movements, such as sprinting, basketball, and volleyball.
- Increased Strength: Plyometrics can enhance muscle strength, especially in the lower body, by engaging fast-twitch muscle fibers. Research shows that plyometric training significantly improves strength performance.
- Muscle Building: As you increase your strength through performing explosive movements such as plyometrics, you can lift heavier, which results in building muscle mass.
- Enhanced Athletic Performance: Plyometrics increase your ability to exert greater force faster, increasing your power and making you fitter. Athletes often use plyometric training to enhance their performance in sports that require quick bursts of speed and power, such as football, soccer, and track and field.
- Better Agility and Coordination: Plyometric exercises require coordination and balance, which can help improve agility and proprioception (the body’s ability to sense its position in space). This can be beneficial for athletes and non-athletes alike, as it can reduce the risk of injury during activities that require quick changes in direction.
- Speed Development: Plyometrics improve sprinting speed and reaction times.
- Increased Bone Density: The high-impact nature of plyometric exercises can help increase bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures, especially in older adults.
- Fat Burning: Plyometric workouts often involve high-intensity intervals, which can help burn calories and promote fat loss. Additionally, the increased muscle mass resulting from plyometric training can boost metabolism and calorie expenditure at rest.
- Minimal Equipment Required: Many plyometric exercises require little to no equipment, making them accessible and convenient for people to perform at home or in a variety of settings.
- Time Efficiency: Plyometric workouts can be short but intense, making them a time-efficient option for those with busy schedules who still want to achieve fitness goals.
- Variety and Fun: Plyometric exercises can add variety to a workout routine and make exercise more enjoyable for some people. The dynamic, explosive movements can provide a break from traditional strength training exercises and keep workouts interesting.
- Adaptability: Plyometric exercises can be modified to suit individuals of different fitness levels and abilities, making them suitable for beginners and advanced athletes alike. As strength and proficiency improve, the intensity and complexity of plyometric exercises can be adjusted to continue challenging the body and promoting progress.
- Balance and Stability: Any movement in which you are jumping or using one leg at a time works on your balance and helps you build long-term bodily stability.
- Versatility: You can perform plyometrics anywhere and at any time. They are great because there is no equipment needed, except for your own body. Plus, plyometrics can help you to become more versatile. 😊
Plyometric Workout
Designing a plyometric program requires careful consideration of your fitness level and goals. Here’s a breakdown of how to design an effective plyometric program:
Assess Your Fitness Level and Readiness
Before starting a plyometric program, you should evaluate the following:
- Strength Base: Plyometrics are intense and require a solid foundation of strength. You should be able to perform basic strength exercises (e.g., squats, lunges) with good form before progressing to plyometrics.
- Body Weight Control: You should also be able to control your body weight through exercises like push-ups, bodyweight squats, and lunges.
- Injury History: Do you have a history of any type of injury? If so, plyometric exercises may place too much stress on these areas.
Determine Your Goals
The plyometric program should be tailored to specific objectives:
- Power and Explosiveness: Focus on high-intensity, low-rep exercises (e.g., box jumps, depth jumps).
- Speed and Agility: Include quick, repetitive movements like lateral hops or sprints.
- General Fitness: For those looking to improve overall fitness, plyometrics can be combined with other exercises in circuit training formats.
- Sport-Specific Training: Tailor the program to specific movements that mimic those used in the athlete’s sport (e.g., volleyball spiking, basketball jumps).
Program Structure
Organize your plyometric program around frequency, intensity, volume, and progression:
- Frequency:
- For beginners: 1-2 sessions per week.
- For intermediate/advanced individuals: 2-3 sessions per week. Plyometrics require recovery time, so avoid doing them on consecutive days to allow muscles and joints time to rest.
- Intensity:
- Beginners should start with lower-intensity exercises (e.g., jump rope, squat jumps).
- More advanced individuals can incorporate higher-intensity exercises like depth jumps or bounding.
- Intensity is determined by the height of jumps, the speed of movements, and added resistance (e.g., weight vests).
- Volume (Sets and Reps):
- For beginners, use a lower volume: 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps per exercise.
- For more advanced athletes, increase volume to 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, but keep rest periods long (1-2 minutes) to maintain explosive power.
- Volume should also be adjusted based on the intensity. Higher-intensity movements require fewer reps to avoid fatigue.
- Rest and Recovery: Plyometrics are demanding on the nervous system, so rest periods between sets should allow for full recovery. Aim for 1-2 minutes between sets and 48-72 hours between plyometric sessions. For intense power-focused exercises, rest could extend to 3-5 minutes between sets.
Progression
Just like with any other exercise, you should gradually increase the difficulty of the exercises as you become more proficient:
- Start with Low-Impact Plyometrics: For beginners, exercises like skipping, jump rope, and low-height box jumps are ideal.
- Increase Intensity Over Time: Add height (higher box jumps), distance (broad jumps), or resistance (weight vests) as strength and form improve.
- Complex Movements: Advanced athletes can progress to complex exercises like depth jumps, single-leg hops, and plyometric push-ups.
Warm-Up and Cool-Down
Plyometrics place stress on the muscles, joints, and connective tissue, so a proper warm-up is essential:
- Warm-Up: Dynamic stretches, light jogging, or mobility drills to increase blood flow and prepare the muscles for explosive movements. Focus on hip, ankle, and knee mobility.
- Cool-Down: Static stretching and foam rolling to relax the muscles and help with recovery. Focus on muscle groups heavily worked during the session (quads, hamstrings, calves, shoulders).
Incorporating Plyometrics
Plyometrics can complement other forms of training:
- Strength Training: Pair plyometrics with traditional strength exercises (e.g., squats followed by jump squats). This method, called complex training, can enhance power development.
- Agility Drills: Combine plyometric exercises with agility drills to improve quickness and directional change, which is important for sports performance.
- Cardiovascular Training: Plyometrics can be integrated into high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for conditioning and fat loss.
Plyometric Exercises
You can do a plyometric workout by doing a series of plyometric exercises. Here are a few plyometric exercises you can perform:
- Lower Body Plyometrics:
- Long Jumps
- Squat Jumps
- Reverse Lunges with Knee Hops
- Squat jumps
- Box jumps
- Single-Leg Deadlift Jumps
- Lateral bounds
- Depth jumps
- Bounding
- Plyo Lunges (or jumping lunges)
- Horizontal to Tuck Jumps
- Horizontal Jumps
- Judo Rolls with Jumps
- Upper Body Plyometrics:
- Plyometric Pushups
- Medicine ball throws
- Overhead slams
- Clapping Push-Ups
- Full Body Plyometrics:
- Burpees
- Power skips
- Tuck Jumps
- Mountain climbers
- Start Jumps
- Kneeling Jump Squats
- Plyo Spider Lunges
- Froggers
- Burpee Tuck Jumps
- Pistol Squats Roll with Jump
- Plyometric Push-Ups to Squat
Now that you understand all the reasons to incorporate plyometrics and know all the benefits associated with plyometrics, you can take advantage of these powerful moves. Incorporate a few different plyometric exercises into your routine and experience great changes in your physique, a greater athletic edge, increased strength, denser bones, and the ability to work out any time, any place without the need for equipment.
👉🏻 If you’re struggling to see results, stay consistent, or create effective routines, don’t go it alone. A coach can offer the guidance, support, and accountability you need to reach your goals faster and with greater confidence. Reach out today—you’re closer than you think!
To a Fitter Healthier You,
The Fitness Wellness Mentor
