Plyometrics

Hey everyone!

It's Friday and a beautiful one at that! If you haven't already, get outside and enjoy the wonderful weather we are having in Salt Lake. The snow will be here soon, so strap on your sneakers and hit the trails, go to the park, or just take a walk around the block.

Last night I taught a really fun class that incorporated lots of plyometrics. Alot of people don't know what that is, or the benefits that are associated with plyometric training. So here are a couple Q&A's and exercises:

1) Q: What are plyometrics?

A: Plyometrics are any exercise where the muscle is contracted eccentrically then immediately, concentrically. In plain English, the muscle is stretched (i.e. loaded) before it is contracted. A good example is push-ups with a clap in-between each push-up. Your muscle (pectorals in this case) is elongated and loaded by the downward force of your body, then immediately you must contract the muscle to push yourself back up.

2) Q: Why do I care?

A: Because plyometrics is one of the best ways if not the best way to improve power. Power is similar to strength except you are adding the time factor. Therefore the relation of strength and speed is what we are talking about when we talk about power. A person who can perform a specific resistance movement, such as jumping, bench press etc., the fastest would be said to have more power in that movement. So what we are looking at is not just the contraction of the muscle, but how fast will it contract. It has been shown that a muscle will contract the fastest when it has been loaded. This is why you should be able to jump higher if you crouch down then immediately jump up than if you started in the crouch.

Lower body plyometric exercises:
Squat Jump
Tuck Jumps
Split Squat Jumps
Box Jump (lateral and horizontal)

Upper body plyometric exercises:
Push up with clap
Throwing a medicine ball (in the air, against a wall, slamming to the ground)


If you want to increase your speed and strength, try plyometrics! Call me or email me if you are interested in a plyometric training session.