Plyometric Training
Plyometric training has long been a staple of athletes who need to work on their explosive strength. Plyocity defines it as “exercises that enable a muscle to reach maximum strength in as short a time as possible. This speed-strength ability is known as power.”
With athletes, plyometric training involves intense exercises specifically designed for their particular sports such as jumping off a platform and rebounding off the floor onto a higher platform. Most of us don’t need exercises of that level of difficulty, but it’s possibly to incorporate basic plyometric-type moves into your workout to add more intensity and challenge.
Before you get started, keep in mind that plyometric training:

• Is an intense and advanced workout and is not recommended for begginers
• Will require you to use a lot of strength and endurance. Previous weight training experience may be beneficial
• Should be gradually incorporated into your workout in short intervals–beginning with 10-30 seconds and slowly working your way up to 1 minute. In between, walk in place until you recover
• Will require a day of recovery time before the next workout

Safety Considerations
Most athletic injuries are caused by forces upon musculoskeletal structures that exceed the structure’s tensile limits. This means injury is caused by excessive force so you should always be sure to be doing these exercises under the instruction of an experienced trainer.
Again, being cautious and doing basic exercises at first can help you ease your way into plyometric training.
The exercises below are just a few exercises you can incorporate into your own workouts.

Tips for doing these exercises:

• Be sure to stretch and get a good warm up before you begin an plyometric movements
• Add them at the end of your usual workouts or sprinkle them throughout your workout.
• Alternate each exercise with recovery periods on those days when you don’t have a lot of time but want a challenging workout
• Do them 1-2 times for anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute and always recover with a few minutes of walking or light cardio before you repeat them. You can repeat them more often or for longer
• All exercises are high impact. When you land, make sure your knees are bent to take the stress off your joints. Obviously, the lower you squat and the higher you jump, the harder the exercises will be.

Stair or Step Leaps
If you use a step, begin with the platform at it’s lowest level (progress by adding risers). Stand in front of the step, brace your abs, bend your knees and jump onto the step with both feet. Step down and repeat for 10 seconds to 1 minute.
On a staircase, simply hop up the stairs, landing with both feet on each step. Each time you leap, brace your abs, bend your knees and use your arms to help you keep your balance.
If you can’t land with both feet simultaneously, stagger your landing and work your way up to both feet.
Plyo Lunges
Stand in a split stance, right leg in front and left leg in back. Bend knees into a lunge (keeping front knee behind toe) and, in an explosive movement, jump up, switch legs in the air and land in a lunge with the left foot forward. Go as slow as you need to to keep your balance. Go faster, jump higher and/or lunge lower for more of a challenge.
Side-to-Side Lateral Jump
Begin by placing a small object (such as a piece of tape) on the floor. Stand on one side of the object and bend your knees into a slight squat. In an explosive movement, jump over the object, landing with knees bent into a squat. Continue jumping from side to side for 10 seconds to one minute.
As you get better at it, you can use larger objects (such as a small ball or a step). If you use a step, you can ease into this exercise by standing sideways to the step, jump on top of the step and then step down on the other side (it’s better not to jump off the step). Be VERY careful to use objects that won’t slide if you land on them! Start with an object you can easily clear when you jump.
Plyo Jumps
Stand with feet together. Bend your knees into a squat and then jump up as high as you can. Land with knees bent (to protect your joints) and immediately go into a squat and repeat the squat/jump for 10 seconds to 1 minute. Raise your arms as you jump to add more intensity.