Plyometric Training

If you have ever watched kids while they are engaged in active outdoor play, you are familiar with plyometrics. Without conscious effort on their part, children store elastic energy in their muscles to run, jump, and bounce all over a playground. This stored elastic energy results in more powerful movements.

Usually people describe plyometrics as jumping exercises, but any exercise that allows the muscle to quickly pre stretch before performing the actual movement is plyometric. A pre stretch is a counter movement or a movement that is the opposite of the intended movement. Let's look at a simple standing long jump. Stand in place, and without bending your knees, jump for as long a distance as you can. Then bend your knees and explode forward as you jump. You go a lot farther, right? Most sports incorporate plyometric movements, so many athletes incorporate plyometric exercises into their routines. These exercises can speed up reaction time, improve force production, and increase velocity. Plyometric exercises involve Type II muscle fibers, just as strength training does. You may find, after adding some of these exercises into your routine, that you can improve your power and lift your weights faster-- which may even lead to more calorie burning.

You'll find a few plyometric exercises, like the jump squat, push press, and overhead throw-down exercises. Proper technique and moderation in adding plyometrics to your training program are essential to avoid injury. Plyometric programs vary greatly depending on the person and her goal. They are not a significant part of strength-training programs, but are certainly a nice supplement to them.