Do you remember physical education classes in school where we were supposed to sprint, run and jump? While you may have thought that it was just a fun pastime, it was done for an important reason- to enhance overall fitness. The same exercises are called plyometric exercises. Here is a beginner’s guide to a plyometric workout.
What Are Plyometric Exercises?
These are exercises that are done to improve strength, endurance and speed. It can be done as part of your home exercises or gym workout and are a set of fast and powerful movements. These are called Plyos or jump training. These exercises can train the upper and lower extremities, and all athletes and those who want to achieve their peak physically undergo this training. It is considered a great way to add energy to a rehab or workout program, which adds speed and force to the muscle contractions.
Different types of exercises are included as part of plyometric workouts. Some plyometric exercises for beginners are pushups, squats, running, jumping, kicking, throwing, etc. If you want to have a challenging workout, plyometrics is a great one. However, when you start training under an expert, you learn o do it safely. One can also add a few moves into the regular workout if you are still getting into shape.
Proper Form And Technique To Do Plyometric Exercises
When learning these exercises, the foremost thing is to start with simple moves. A drop squat is one of the most basic beginner plyometric exercises, and the main focus should be on a soft landing. Start with the legs placed hip-width apart. Both feet should be firmly planted on the floor; raise yourself on your toes and hold for a couple of seconds. Then get into a squat with the knees over the heels and stay in this position. By doing this, you will learn where to land after the jump. It is a simple exercise that teaches the basic movement pattern from which you can later progress into challenging moves. Learn to properly absorb force when the foot hits the ground so that there are no injuries.
Plyometric Exercises To Get Started
Once you have learned the basic moves, here is a list of plyometric exercises that you can proceed with.
- Jump Squats
These are plyometric exercises for legs that improve vertical jump, power, and agility. This is used as plyometric training exercises for those who have to develop high jump, vertical jump, and long jump skills. To perform this, stand with the hip-width apart, bend the knees, and get into a squat. Now engage the core, hamstrings, glutes, and quads and push your body up, stretching the legs. The feet should be a few inches away from the floor. Now with control, descend back with a soft landing into a squat. Repeat the same for the required number of reps.
- Jump Rope
It is among the best plyometric exercises that give a serious challenge to your cardiovascular system. It can also be part of your strength training and helps improve muscle strength and coordination. This is a simple exercise that you would have done as a child. However, doing it properly is essential as improper technique can cause injuries. Swing the rope with your wrists instead of shoulders and land on heels instead of toes. Keep the posture straight and core engaged. Keep your body and shoulders relaxed as it is not plyometric arm exercises. Once you have the right form, you can do many variations like jump rope strength, endurance, and more.
- Jumping Jacks
Another simple yet effective among plyometric exercises are the jumping jacks. These are among the best plyometric exercises as it gives a full-body workout. Start with your knees slightly bent and the legs apart to do this workout. Now open the legs to the sides and the arms above the head. Now close the legs and arms and return to the start. These are great full body plyometric exercises as it works the entire body. It is also sometimes included as part of the plyometric arm exercises.
- Box Jumps
Box jumps are among the types of plyometric exercises that can increase explosiveness and focus on conditioning. If you are doing this for endurance, complete up to 20 reps on a lower box. If you are looking for more advanced plyometric exercises, choose more sets and reps with more rest between sets. To perform these plyometric exercises for legs, place multiple boxes of varying heights in front of you. Next, bend your knees, bring your arms begging and use it to propel yourself upward and jump on to the next box. Land safely with knees bent slightly.
- Burpees
These are good plyometric back exercises and plyometric arm exercises that build speed, agility, strength, and explosiveness. To do this, get into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor. Next, jump back with your feet and get into a plank. Do a basic pushup and then get back to a plank. Next, jump forward onto your hands and get into a squat. Finally, do a jump straight up as high as possible to perform a full body plyometric exercise.
Benefits Of Plyometric Exercises
There are many benefits of doing even the basic list of plyometric exercises.
- There are many types of plyometric exercises that can increase strength and reduce the chances of injury.
- Advanced plyometric exercises boost the strength of the fast-twitch muscle fibres.
- Improves neuromuscular system efficiency.
- Increases hand-eye coordination.
- Slows done the loss of bone mineral and lean muscle mass.
- Aids in weight loss. Include shoulder plyometric exercises or upper body plyometric exercises for losing extra flab in the shoulders and arms. Other movements reduce weight all over.
- Increases the athletic performance and hence ideal as part of the workout for plyometric exercises for runners.
Tips For Plyometric Exercises For Beginners
If you are doing the best plyometric exercises, limit it to twice a week.
- Do this at the beginning of any workout.
- Practice it in front of a mirror to know your form.
- Include shoulder plyometric exercises with other movements so that the same muscle group is not worked.
- Warm-up before doing these plyometric training exercises.
- Combine upper body plyometric exercises with other strength training and not cardio.
Plyometric exercises for runners as well as non-athletes are beneficial. It helps to improve flexibility, strength, and mobility. This needs you to be physically fit, so get into shape and start doing these. Train from a professional to learn proper technique and then move to home workouts. That ensures you get the results and reduce the risk of injury.
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