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plyometric exercises what you need to get fitter and agile let's take a moment
to reminisce think back to the time when you were eight years old and playing
outside with your friends maybe you're thinking of the time you and your
friends spent hours jumping rope or playing leapfrog
maybe you're recalling the time when you spent a whole day at the pool performing
a perfect ten dive into the community pool as kids no one needed to tell us
that jumping was a part of play or that it was chock-full of exercise benefits
we did it because it was natural and this natural ability of our bodies to
jump something that we learned as early as age two a very important training
tool for increasing explosiveness power agility and speed during athletic
performance in the 1980s when the term plyometrics was brought the to the US we
saw the emergence of the act of jumping as a training tool to improve athletic
performance in a variety of ways plyometric exercises and their
application became more mainstream and expanded beyond specialized sports like
long-distance running and long jump and into popular group fitness classes like
boot camps and CrossFit what are plyometrics plyometrics is a
term coined by former US Olympic long-distance runner
Fred wilt and Michael ESS a biochemist sports trainer and academic in 1975
while wilt was warming up he noticed that the Russians included different
jumps into their warm-ups prior to competing this was in stark contrast to
the Americans who warmed up with static stretching wilt theorized that one of
the reasons the Soviets were so competitive was because of the
plyometric exercises they had practiced and perfected over the next few years
wilt and yesses would continue their work in the sport of track and field and
more specifically running and with the help of Yuri verkhoshansky a fellow
biochemist and sports trainer out of the Soviet Union the pair eventually brought
this information to the masses in 1984 with their first book Soviet theory
technique and training for running and hurdling but why did wilt and yesses
seek out Vercoe Shanxi because of his work with the depth jump also know as
the shock method the depth jump is a tested plyometric exercise which starts
an athlete on a box of a chosen height they jump off the box quickly rebound
and jump as high as possible in Vercoe Shanxi 1968 work in which he describes
the shock method he concluded that the height of the vertical jump was highest
when the athlete performed it immediately after landing from a drop
height of 50 centimeters 20 inches it would take 16 years before Vercoe Shanxi
is connected the dots between the depth jump and athletic performance in 1986 he
conducted a 12-week study in which he tested whether the shock method would
increase explosive strength in volleyball players he concluded that not
only was explosive strength significantly improved over the course
of the study but that maximal strength in isometric movements was improved as
well Oh won and so began the use of
plyometrics in athletic training but why are plyometric exercises so important
why should we care about creating plyometrics workouts it lies in the
mechanics of the vertical jump the mechanics of the vertical jump as stated
by a 1998 study lead by Brian R Umberger of the Department of orthopedics at the
University of Rochester Medical Center lies in the structure of the two joint
muscle the idea is that muscles that span two joints that is the quads
hamstrings and calf's transfer their energy during a vertical jump to create
a highly coordinated sequence of muscle actions to produce this specific
movement oh - because of this the vertical jump can be a useful indicator
of lower limb power muscle recruitment and coordination for many athletes not
only is it a great test for athletes but it is also a great training tool to
develop that explosive power and athletic coordination and it's for these
reasons that plyometric training is so important not only for
elite level athletes but for the general population as well who should do plyos
because plyometric training requires a tremendous amount of muscle coordination
balance and stability plyometric workouts should be geared towards those
individuals with a solid fitness base or seasoned athletes looking build more
explosiveness and power what if you don't fall into either of those
categories then start by building your overall posture lower body stability and
balance through methods like yoga or bar bar method was developed by a German
dancer while rehabbing a back injury this method focuses on increasing muscle
activation and awareness during smaller isolated movements bar method or similar
modalities like yoga or pilates combined with plyometric exercises for beginners
is a great place to start building confidence and familiarity of plyometric
exercises as you progress you can begin to incorporate more plyo training into
your weekly fitness routine why go plyo for benefits of plyometrics we know that
football players Olympic track and field athletes and baseball players use this
type of training regularly to improve their athletic performance but what are
plyometric exercises good for how can they help the everyday athlete improve
their overall health and well-being one increased agility plyometric training
recruits the major muscles of the legs in a specific sequence this sequence
generates explosiveness lower limb power and increases overall agility oh three
this is important because agility is functional have you ever tripped on a
curb or on your shoelace agility is the difference between just tripping and
falling on your face the merriam-webster dictionary defines agility as a state of
being agile marked by ready ability to move with quick easy grace and one of
the best ways to improve your dexterity is through plyometrics - it's a great
way to mix up your training : vertical-bar do you ever feel like
you're in a training rut do you feel like you've plateaued and aren't seeing
the same improvements in your strength and stamina as when you started the body
will adapt to the stress and stimulus you introduced to it this principle is
called the specific adaptation to impose demands or said if you don't continue to
challenge your body in new ways your performance will become static and
unchanging introducing new movements and greater challenges keeps your mind
engaged and your body agile 3 improves your cardiovascular fitness yes
plyometric training is considered a cardio workout plus it's a great way to
improve your cardiovascular fitness because of the recruitment of the major
muscle groups during each exercise this along with varying the intensity
and speed of each movement elicits the same response as running or rowing and
increasing your heart rate o 4 for increased proprioception proprioception
is a fancy word for your mind understanding where your body is in
space in relation to other objects the mind senses the world around us and
tells the body how to respond in an efficient and effective manner
this connection just like anything else can be strengthened and trained by
including plyometrics into your training routine you teach yourself how to move
more efficiently through space by increasing your reaction time smoothing
out your footwork and developing a greater awareness of yourself
in space top plyometric exercises this list of plyometric exercises only
includes some of the most common exercises you'll see in general fitness
programs or classes the overall list is long and all exercises includes some
form of dynamic movement or jump training whether you are looking for
specific plyometric exercises for runners or beginners or new movements to
include in your weekly training routine these 10 plyo exercises are simple
require little equipment and are scalable to any population try adding
one of these exercises to your next work and feel the difference box jumps box
squat box jump squat jumps toe taps jumping push-ups lateral jumps jumping
lunges jumping jacks burpees plank jumping jacks my
plyometric workout plyometric exercises can be incorporated into your workouts
in a multitude of ways you can add a single movements as a superset by
alternating between a weighted movement like a front squat or weighted lunge and
a box jump or you can create longer plyometric circuits with three to five
movements that creates one long workout what is a plyometric circuit this type
of workout takes multiple exercises and creates a series of movements to be
completed one after the other time domains rep schemes and movements can
vary depending on your goals and current fitness level but the great thing about
circuit training is that it allows you to mix up your training rest between
movements and work your entire body or just a group of muscles so you never hit
that dreaded plateau oh v want to give it to dry this circuit is short and
sweet and can be done for a single round or for multiple rounds depending on your
fitness level and time restrictions before you start make sure you warm up
properly before diving into this plyometrics workout one three rounds of
1-minute plank jumping jacks 20 seconds rest 1-minute push-ups 20 seconds rest
1-minute squats 20 seconds rest 1-minute jumping squats 20 seconds rest 1-minute
burpees 20 seconds rest one-minute box jumps precautions as with any fitness
regime or modality there are some precautions we want to acknowledge
before diving into plyometric training one focus on precision and technique
jump training should be graceful smooth and light on your feet focus on landing
on to the box or floor during any jumping movement lightly and with
because of the dynamic nature of this movement
learning to land comfortably on your feet in the same position you started
will help you prevent injuries and help you capture the benefits of this
movement so what is a good landing position you should land with your feet
hips distance apart your knees should be bent to allow your
shoulders to stack vertically over the center of your feet
oh six to warm up thoroughly before training begins before performing your
workout it has a critical that to our muscles heart and mind are ready to move
oh seven start by moving your whole body either by running rowing or walking
upstairs for up to five minutes then move to dynamic stretches to increase
your range of motion and then to muscle activation to make sure your muscles are
firing correctly warm-ups are a great way to increase your performance and
help prevent injuries for all plyometric exercises 3 don't forget to rest when
you first start to use plyometric boxes or add plyometric exercises to your
routine it's critical that you not only rest between exercises to allow your
body to adapt and prevent overuse injuries but that you also take days off
from this type of training in as little as 2 training sessions a week an athlete
can improve their agility and athletic performance
oh eight final thoughts plyometric training is an incredible way to improve
athletic performance and fitness through increased power agility and speed this
type of training can be a great addition to any fitness program with the proper
dose and a focus on form and technique
you