Plyometric Exercises.

 

If you are working at having a good overall exercise routine, you know it needs to be composed of a variety of exercises. Some types of exercises can be used as part of another workout. For instance, light weights can be used with body weight exercises to increase cardio. Some of the things we discuss today, you will recognize as being built into other workouts.

First of all, plyometric exercise refers to a series of explosive movements relying on body weight designed to enhance physical capacity. In other words, plyometrics increases muscle strength so you run faster, jump higher, and are better able to change direction faster.

All plyometric movements are composed of three parts. The first part or the eccentric phase is when a person prepares. If a person is going to jump, they squat down in preparation and in the process, the muscles stretch. The second part, is the amortization phase when the body transitions to the explosive upward movement. The final part is the concentric phase when the body reaches the top of the move.

Plyometric moves include skipping, jumping rope, bounding, hopping, lunges, broad jumps, skating jumps, and so many more. So in general, plyometrics are considered high impact and high intensity so they can be very hard on your joints. For this reason, it is recommended that a person only do plyometrics one to two times a week.  

There are three rules associated with plyometrics. First, do not do them every day because it can take 48 to 72 hours for your body to recover from the stress it undergoes during each workout.  Second, the number of repetitions should be limited since research found that those who do a moderate number of reps during the week experience more improvement than those who performed a high number of reps.  Finally, one needs to include enough recovery time between sets so you get maximum results. The suggested rest time is 3 to 5 times longer than the length of the set itself or 30 to 60 seconds. 

Although plyometrics exercise is most often associated with professional athletes, including some in your exercise routine can benefit most people. However, if you have health issues, bad joints, bad back, or any questions, it is best to consult with a health provider before starting. 

If you want to use Plyometric exercises, there are two ways to do it. One way is to have a session composed exclusively Plyometric exercises. Such a workout would be shorter since it focuses on explosive repetitive movements. The other choice is to sprinkle Plyometric exercises throughout a longer workout or perform 5 minutes of these movements at the very end.

I have several routines that use Plyometric moves sprinkled throughout which works best for me. Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear.  Have a great day.