There are so many variations to throw into the mix when it comes to your training. Chat to a dozen fitness enthusiasts and you’ll get twelve different opinions on the benefits of adopting a particular style of exercise into your workout routine, whether it’s focusing on eccentric movements, Pilates, unilateral exercises, or HIIT. We asked our resident PT, Mike Dorrington to deep-dive on plyometric training and what to consider if you’re not sure what all the buzz is about.
Where did plyometric training come from?
The term plyometric training was first introduced by Fred Wilt, a former American track and field athlete who went on to become a professional track and field coach after his retirement from competitive sports. Wilt had noticed that prior to competing, Russian athletes would go through a series of jump-like warm ups to prepare for a race. Wilt then went on to explore this in more depth, developing a training regime that utilised these movements in a more structured fashion.
What is plyometric training?
Plyometric training refers specifically to quick, powerful movements that pre-stretch a muscle and tendon unit during the eccentric phase of a contraction, before rapidly and explosively moving through the subsequent concentric phase of this muscular contraction. Also known as the Strength Shortening Cycle (SSC), it relies on the basic premise that elastic energy is created and stored in the muscle and tendon unit during the eccentric phase of a contraction. This energy is then released in a more intense contraction than would have usually been possible during the concentric phase, improving muscular force and power output.
Who can benefit from plyometric exercises?
While plyometric training can be beneficial for everyone, sports that require quick acceleration and high outputs of muscular power can experience the most benefit from this style of training. Improved recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibres, and the increased power that comes as a result, is incredibly helpful in sports where rapid changes of movement, explosive power, and short sprints are heavily relied upon.
Increased muscular force output for activities such as jumping and acceleration can be advantageous in sports such as Volleyball, Basketball, Tennis, Soccer, and Football as well as in track and field events such as long jump, high jump, sprinting, and hurdles. This increased force output can also be applied to activities which do not always have a competitive aspect, such as gymnastics, acrobatics and dance.
What are the potential risks associated with plyometric training?
All this talk about the benefits of plyometric training may have you excited to get started, but before you “jump in” (pun very much intended), there are some very important considerations that need to be explored before you do.
Plyometric training makes use of repetitive movements that can put increased strain on joints and the skeletal system, more so than conventional training methods. As such, people with arthritis or joint complaints should only undertake this type of training after clearance from their doctor or another qualified allied health professional. Even after medical clearance, individuals such as this should approach plyometric training very carefully and under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. This increased strain on the skeletal system can also affect growth, so children and prepubescent adolescents should avoid this type of training completely.
Plyometric training should also be avoided during the acute recovery time following surgery and only re-introduced into a training regime during the later stages of rehabilitation. Finally, anyone with a low “training age” or those in a state of “deconditioning” should avoid plyometric training until general strength, balance and stability is established and built upon sufficiently to support the rigours of this training.
Getting Started With Plyometric Movements
So how DO you get started? Beginners to plyometric training should first undertake a program designed to increase muscular strength, especially eccentric strength, as well as the strength of connective tissue. This program should include exercises that aid with general balance and stability, as well as strength and flexibility, to ensure individuals are adequately prepared to start plyometric training.
Once a solid foundation of strength, balance and stability is achieved, we can then start to incorporate simple plyometric exercises that can be used to ensure individuals are landing and moving correctly; learning and practicing to absorb forces properly through all movements, whether they be upper or lower body exercises. After a level of proficiency is achieved in these basic exercises, individuals can progress to more complex movements, which may be enhanced with the use of exercise equipment if needed.
Do you need equipment to do a plyometric workout?
While plyometric training can be done solely with bodyweight, the use of certain equipment can augment and intensify the training. Let’s explore some of the bodyweight exercises and the equipment that can be used to advance them below.
Plyometric exercises can be divided into a number of different groups; lower and upper body, bilateral, unilateral, and a combination of both. Bilateral plyometric exercises focus on using both feet or arms to produce and absorb force. Unilateral exercises focus on using only one foot or arm to produce and absorb force. Combination exercises make use of both by either commencing on both feet (or arms) and landing on one foot (or arm), or alternatively commencing on one foot (or arm) and landing on both feet (or arms). For more advanced athletes, two or more of these exercises can be grouped together to form a complex sequence of movements.
Sample Plyometric Exercises
Here are some of the more common examples with a brief explanation however, correct coaching cues, and a thorough understanding of the exercises is required before attempting them:
Bilateral exercises:
Pop Squat – Start with feet together, jump out to land in sumo squat, jump back together.
Tuck Jump – Take a squat stance, squat, jump with knees tucking to chest, land back in a squat.
Hand Release Push Up (Plyo Push Ups) – Start in push up position, lower down to push up, when pushing up allow hands to leave floor, land back in bent arm contraction.
Split Squat Jump – Start in split squat stance, bend, jump allowing both feet to leave the ground, land back in bent split squat stance.
Unilateral Exercises
Skater Hop – Start standing on one leg with the opposite leg raised behind you, bound to the other leg.
Lateral Hops – Stand on one leg, bend and hop as high as you can landing on the same leg in a bend.
Single Leg Squat Hop – Stand on one leg, squat, hop as high as you can, land in squat on one leg. Opposing foot can be held in front or behind, wherever is comfortable for the individual.
Single Leg Deadlift to Jump – Stand on one leg, with a slight bend in the leg, hinge hips forward driving the opposite leg up behind you while lowering your torso towards the ground, hop off the supporting leg driving your body upwards into a straight stance, before landing back in the one legged hinge position.
Combination Exercises:
Reverse Lunge to High Knee Jump – Step back into a lunge and then drive upwards, jumping off the front leg and lifting back knee up in front before landing on the jumping foot, and placing lifted leg back into the lunge stance.
Lateral Lunge to Single Leg Hop – Step sideways into a lunge and then drive upwards, jumping off the bent leg and lifting the opposite knee up in front before landing back on the jumping foot, and placing lifted leg back into the side lunge stance.
Squat Jump to Single Leg – Stand on two feet in squat stance, bend into squat, drive up and jump as high as possible before landing on one leg. This can be done alternating legs or on the same leg for a complete set before commencing for the other leg.
Specialised Plyometric Equipment
Plyometric training is most commonly used to mimic particular movements in sports and as such, the use of different equipment while undertaking this training can greatly enhance not only the quality of the training but also the variety of different exercises and sports specific movements that can be targeted. As with all training, correct use of the equipment is paramount in not only the efficacy of the training, but also for the safety of individuals undertaking plyometric training.
Plyometric boxes, or plyo boxes, are a great tool to enhance the more basic plyometric movements and can be used in a number of different ways. Jump to box or JB exercises have been proven to be more effective in enhancing lower limb strength when compared to regular tuck jumps or squat jumps. The inverse exercise for JB are Depth Jumps, where you start from the elevated box and jump off to land in a bent squat – these can put particular strain on joints and connective tissue and need to be undertaken with care. Plyo boxes can be used for upper body plyometrics as well, by positioning two low boxes just outside of hands breadth during hand release push ups.
When executing the hand release push up, instead of landing back onto the ground, the individual “jumps” their hands onto the plyo boxes before “jumping” the hands back off the boxes to land in their starting position.
Medicine ball wall chest passes and throws are another great example of the use of plyometric training to help with explosive power in sports such as basketball and volleyball. The extra weight from the medicine ball when compared to a regular ball and throwing or passing the ball with as much power as possible to a wall is effective in developing more explosive strength in these areas. Bilateral and unilateral exercises such as skater hops and tuck jumps can be progressed using hurdles, with individuals
having to jump, bound or hop over the hurdle either side to side or forward and back.
Co-ordination and agility can be also be greatly helped with the use of agility ladders in conjunction with plyometric exercises; in and out skater hop, side to side ladder tucks, squat jumps and skip squat jumps (jumping to certain parts of the ladder, “skipping” squares) are just some of the ways the agility ladder can be incorporated to develop coordination, agility and of course, balance.
Safely Incorporating Plyometric Training Into Your Exercise Routine
Now that we have covered some of the fundamentals for plyometric training and you feel like you are ready to get started, what is the best way to successfully integrate this into your exercise regimen?
As plyometric training relies heavily on coordination and balance and are the most explosive and fatiguing exercises, it should be undertaken at the beginning of your workout routine. Conducting plyometric training later in a session when you might be experiencing fatigue or exhaustion, can result in flawed techniques being used and can contribute to the chances of injury.
Recommended Frequency of Plyometric Training
It is recommended that you should not perform more than three plyometric workouts per week. Plyometric repetitions can be measured in “ground contacts”, which is just what the term implies – how many times you land! This should be monitored carefully, as even advanced athletes do not exceed more than 120 high intensity ground contacts per week. Of course, this is dependent on whether you are performing upper or lower body exercises, and the intensity, complexity and difficulty of said exercises.
In this instance, more is not always better and so a recommendation for training is to choose 3 main plyometric exercises and to perform between 5- 7 reps of each per training session. This can be increased as you improve and progress but keep in mind maintaining proper form throughout all exercises is paramount for achieving results and staying safe. Individuals need to ensure they have mastered the basic plyometric movements before progressing as improper progression is also a common cause of injury for participants.
Level Up your Performance With Plyometric Training
Plyometrics are a great way to enhance your current workout with a myriad of benefits in increasing power, strength, speed and agility. However, everyone who begins plyometric training must understand that the risk of injury needs to be offset with a good training foundation and adequate progressions in their training before commencing or attempting more complex plyometric exercises.
But, if you are looking to improve your explosive power, overall strength, coordination, balance and speed, then plyo exercises could be just what you need to take your training, or your client’s training, to the next level!
Thanks to Mike Dorrington for this article.
About the author:
Mike Dorrington is a seasoned entrepreneur and passionate advocate for the fusion of fitness and artistry. As the proud owner of Dance NRG, and a qualified PT, Mike brings a wealth of experience to the fitness industry. With years of hands-on knowledge in managing a successful dance business, he understands the intricacies of creating engaging, effective fitness programs that inspire and motivate.
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