The Benefits of Plyometric Training for Health

What Is A Plyometric Exercise?

At its core, plyometrics—often called "jump training" or "plyo"—consists of a series of explosive exercises that use rapid stretching and contracting of the muscles to increase power. Think of it as the electric jolt your workout routine has been missing. When you drop into a deep squat and then explode into a high jump, that's plyo in action.

Why should you incorporate plyometrics into your training? For starters, it can dramatically improve your strength, speed, and endurance. By emphasizing the fast-twitch muscle fibers, plyo exercises help you react more quickly and generate more force in a short span. This isn’t just beneficial for athletes; it’s fantastic for anyone wanting to see improved performance in their day-to-day activities or recreational sports.

Let’s check what the science behind plyo exercises says.

The Science Behind Plyometrics

At the simplest level, plyometrics revolves around something called the Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC). This is a fancy term for something quite straightforward: when a muscle is rapidly stretched (or "loaded"), it can contract more powerfully. Imagine a rubber band being stretched and then released—that snapback is similar to what your muscles do during plyometric exercises.

The SSC consists of three phases:

Eccentric phase: This is the stretching or loading phase. Imagine you're getting ready for a vertical jump and you squat down—that's your muscles lengthening and storing potential energy.

Amortization phase: The brief moment between the stretching and contraction, like the split-second pause at the bottom of your squat before the jump. Minimize this time to maximize plyometric benefits.

Concentric phase: This is the explosive contraction where all that stored energy is released, propelling you upward or forward.

Incorporating plyometrics into your routine can significantly benefit fast-twitch muscle fibers. These are the muscle fibers responsible for quick and explosive movements. By emphasizing these fibers, plyometrics not only increases raw power but also improves neural pathways, making your body more efficient in producing powerful movements.

But it's not just about raw power. Plyometrics can also enhance the neuromuscular system. As you practice these exercises, your brain becomes better at communicating with your muscles, leading to more coordinated and efficient movement patterns.

Now, while plyometrics is a potent tool, it's essential to use it wisely. Overdoing it can lead to serious overtraining. Listen to your body, ensure proper form, and rest adequately between sessions. Armed with the science and the right approach, you're poised to harness the power of plyometrics to its fullest. 

Need more reasons to see why you should incorporate them? Let’s see.

Why You Should Do Plyometric Exercises

May Help Improve Power and Strength

Plyometrics, through its emphasis on rapid muscle lengthening and contraction, offers a unique avenue to enhance both strength and power. But before we delve into that, it's crucial to distinguish between the two. 

Strength refers to the maximal force a muscle or muscle group can generate at a specified velocity, while power represents the ability to exert force quickly, essentially the rate of doing work or force multiplied by velocity. In simpler terms, strength is about how much you can lift, push, or pull, whereas power is about how quickly you can perform those actions.

When you engage in plyometric exercises, you're essentially tapping into and training the body's fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are specifically designed for quick and powerful bursts of movement. 

As plyometric exercises train these fibers, there is an inherent increase in muscle strength. This is because the rapid stretching of muscles (as in the loading phase of a jump) followed by an immediate contraction (the explosive phase) creates a kind of muscle memory. Over time, and with consistent training, muscles can generate more force, thereby increasing strength.

However, the real magic of plyometrics is seen in its impact on power. As mentioned, power is about the speed of force application. With plyometrics, the emphasis is not just on generating force, but on doing so rapidly. 

The SSC, pivotal in plyometric exercises, necessitates this quick transition from muscle stretch to contraction. This transition cultivates an athlete's ability to produce more force in shorter time frames. 

Thus, a basketball player might find that after plyometric training, they can jump not just higher (an indicator of strength), but also more quickly off the ground (an indicator of power). In disciplines and sports where milliseconds matter, this enhanced power can be the difference between good and great.

So, while plyometrics undeniably bolsters muscle strength, its most profound impact might very well be in the realm of power—optimizing how swiftly our muscles can respond and react in dynamic situations. 

We recommend combining plyometric training with Foundation; high potency creatine and Peak ATP for even greater rates of strength and power accrual.

Enhances Cardiovascular Fitness

An often-overlooked benefit of plyometrics is its potential to improve cardiovascular health. Just like traditional forms of cardiovascular exercise, such as running or cycling, plyometric exercises increase the heart rate, which challenges the cardiovascular system. As you engage in plyometric movements, large muscle groups work in tandem, inducing higher oxygen demand. This increased demand forces the heart to pump blood more efficiently, thus improving cardiovascular endurance over time. 

In addition to this, the repetitive and rapid nature of plyometric exercises, such as burpees, box jumps, and squat thrusts, mimics the intensity of high-interval training (HIIT). Numerous studies have shown that HIIT can be incredibly beneficial for heart health. 

It enhances the body's ability to utilize oxygen, reduces heart rate and blood pressure, and can even lower bad cholesterol levels. Plyometric exercises, when done in a sequence with minimal rest in between, can offer the same cardiovascular benefits as a HIIT session. 

This fusion of strength and cardio results in an increased caloric burn, which can be instrumental in weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for cardiovascular health, as being overweight can increase the risk of heart diseases.

Engaging in plyometrics helps improve blood circulation too. Enhanced circulation ensures that the supporting muscles, heart, and lungs receive adequate oxygen and nutrients, contributing to overall cardiopulmonary wellness. 

It's also worth noting that improved cardiovascular health leads to better stamina and endurance in other physical activities, creating a positive feedback loop.

Improve Full-Body Coordination and Balance

Most people take coordination and balance for granted, believing them to be their god-given right. However, this is not the case, as many people find out with a state of declining health. 

The dynamic nature of plyometric exercises inherently challenges multiple body systems simultaneously, forcing them to work in tandem. 

As you engage in these exercises, you're not merely activating individual muscles, but also fine-tuning the interplay between them. This symphony of musclar actions requires your brain to continually process sensory information, adjust fine motor responses, and execute complex movement patterns, leading to better neuromuscular coordination.

The repetitive and controlled explosive movements in plyometrics also train the proprioceptive system, which is the body's intrinsic system that helps to sense its position in space. Every time you jump, land, or change direction, your muscles, tendons, and joints send feedback to your brain about your body's positioning. 

Over time, as you expose yourself to varying plyometric challenges, your body becomes adept at making micro-adjustments to maintain balance and posture, regardless of the external forces or surface irregularities you might encounter.

Many plyometrics often demand unilateral movements, such as single-leg hops or lateral jumps. These unilateral exercises are not only great for muscle balance but also for challenging stability. 

When you're hopping on one leg, you're compelling stabilizing muscles around joints, especially those in the lower limbs and core, to work overtime. This consistent activation and strengthening of stabilizing muscles ensure that you're better equipped to maintain equilibrium, even in dynamic or unpredictable situations.

Lastly, integrating plyometrics with sport-specific or functional movements can be particularly effective. For instance, a basketball player mimicking jump shots or a tennis player simulating court movements in their plyometric regimen can hone coordination specific to their sport. By continually challenging and refining these intricate movement patterns, plyometrics ensures that you're not just powerful, but also poised, balanced, and gracefully coordinated in your actions.

Increased Bone Density

Resistance training is renowned for its ability to increase bone mass density. Plyometrics, with its explosive and high-impact movements, are particularly effective. Bone tissue, much like muscle, responds to the stresses placed upon it. 

When bones are subjected to greater loads than they're accustomed to, they undergo a remodeling process, where old bone tissue is replaced with new, denser bone tissue. This adaptive process is driven by the principle of Wolff's Law, which posits that bone in a healthy individual will adapt to the loads under which it is placed.

During plyometric exercises, the rapid and forceful contractions generate significant stress on the bones. This stress is considerably higher than what bones experience during regular daily activities. As a result, bones are signaled to fortify themselves in response. Over time, with consistent plyometric training, this can lead to increased bone mineral density.

In addition to this, the ground reaction forces experienced during plyometric activities, such as jumping or hopping, stimulate bone-forming cells known as osteoblasts. These osteoblasts lay down new bone material in regions experiencing these elevated forces, reinforcing the bone structure. 

Another mechanism at play involves the pull and tug of tendons and muscles on the bone during these explosive movements. This mechanical stimulation also promotes bone formation by creating small deformations in the bone, triggering an adaptive response to strengthen the bone at these sites.

However, it's crucial to note that while plyometrics can be a useful tool for improving bone density, it should be approached with caution, especially for those new to this type of exercise or those with existing bone conditions. 

Overtraining or incorrect technique can lead to injuries, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing or are a little too overzealous.

Improved Speed

Plyometrics is a game-changer when it comes to enhancing speed. Much of this is attributed to SSC of our muscles. 

But let's take a closer look into how this all relates to building speed. First and foremost, plyometrics targets the fast-twitch muscle fibers. These are the fibers responsible for quick, explosive movements as opposed to endurance-based activities. 

By honing in on these specific fibers, you condition your body to react and move more swiftly. This is why sprinters often incorporate a range of plyometric drills into their training regimen—they’re looking to fire up those fast-twitch fibers and shave milliseconds off their times.

Moreover, as we touched on, plyometrics improves neuromuscular coordination. As you challenge yourself with explosive jumps, bounds, and hops, your brain and muscles are continually communicating. Over time, this repeated neural stimulation helps refine the brain-muscle connection. The result? More efficient and coordinated movement patterns, enabling you to accelerate faster and maintain higher speeds.

Another less-discussed benefit is how plyometrics enhances ground reaction force. Every time you sprint, your feet push against the ground, and the force returned propels you forward. Plyometrics increases the power and speed at which you can apply this force, leading to quicker initial acceleration and overall greater speed.

If you are serious about maximizing your speed, then you absolutely need to make use of plyometric training, preferably under the guidance of a specialist coach.

Fat Loss

You've probably seen those high-energy, sweat-dripping workout sessions where people are leaping, bounding, and powerfully springing from one movement to the next. That's plyometrics in action. 

But beyond the athletic prowess and explosive power it offers, did you know plyometrics can be a secret weapon for fat loss? Yes sir. If you feel like you’re not losing weight like you want to, try mixing things up with some explosive activity.

Just think of it- the very nature of plyometric exercises requires a substantial amount of energy. These are not your leisurely walks in the park; they're high-intensity, full-throttle movements. When you engage in such dynamic exercises, your body taps into its energy reserves at a rapid rate, which in turn burns a significant amount of calories. Higher calorie expenditure can contribute to a caloric deficit, which is essential for fat loss.

Additionally, plyometrics is excellent for building lean muscle. As you jump, bound, and push your body to its limits, you're not just challenging your cardiovascular system; you're also working those muscles hard. 

More muscle mass translates to a higher resting metabolic rate. This means that even when you're not mid-jump or breaking a sweat, your body is burning more calories at rest than it would without that lean muscle.

The afterburn effect, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), is another ace up plyometrics' sleeve. After a high-intensity plyometric session, your body continues to consume more oxygen, working hard to restore itself to its pre-exercise state. This increased oxygen consumption post-workout translates to continued calorie burning and fat oxidation, long after you've finished your last jump.

Plyometrics often integrates compound movements, which means multiple muscle groups are activated simultaneously. This full-body engagement ensures a comprehensive workout, maximizing the potential for fat loss. For instance, a plyometric lunge not only targets the legs but also engages the core, back, and arms.

However, it's essential to note that while plyometrics can be an effective tool for fat loss, nutrition still plays a pivotal role. Pairing plyometric workouts with a balanced diet will amplify the benefits, helping you shed fat and reveal the lean, powerful muscle beneath. 

Looking to go even harder? Combine solid nutrition with Lean, our thermogenic weight loss product to send your results into overdrive.

Injury Prevention

It's a widespread misconception that plyometrics, characterized by its dynamic and explosive movements, paves the way for injuries. However, when interpreted and implemented correctly, plyometrics serves not just as a tool for enhancing athletic capabilities but also plays an instrumental role in both injury prevention and rehabilitation. 

For starters, plyometrics is a powerhouse for bolstering muscular strength and endurance. This strengthening extends to both muscles and connective tissues, which when fortified, can withstand greater stresses. 

When the muscles that surround pivotal joints such as the ankles, knees, and hips are fortified, they offer enhanced stabilization and support. This significantly diminishes the risks associated with strains, sprains, or potential joint misalignments that could arise during sporting activities or even everyday tasks. 

The drills in plyometrics demand a high degree of coordination, timing, and proprioception (the understanding of one's body in relation to the space around it). By continuously training these elements, plyometrics instills in individuals the capacity to move with heightened efficiency, thus reducing the chances of injury due to misaligned or awkward movements.

When it comes to rehabilitation, plyometrics emerges as a genuine game-changer, especially for athletes eager to make a comeback. Post-injury, it's common for muscles to experience a decline in strength and power. 

Plyometrics, introduced gradually, can counter this, aiding in the restoration of lost power and ensuring that athletes can return to their sport without compromising on performance levels. In cases of joint injuries, controlled plyometric exercises can prove invaluable. They not only aid in restoring joint function and mobility but also rebuild strength, all the while reinstilling confidence in the previously injured area. 

The versatility of plyometrics means it can be tailored to mimic the specific demands of various sports, ensuring that athletes are not merely recovering but also preparing to reenter their sport without a significant dip in performance.

When it comes to rehabilitation especially, it's vital to ensure readiness for plyometric training, preferably under the guidance of a seasoned physiotherapist or fitness professional.

Planning Your Plyometric Training Program

When embarking on a plyometric journey, it's essential to lay a solid foundation with a well-structured plan. Pinpointing your fitness goals is the necessary first step that will dictate the trajectory of your plyometric program. 

Are you looking to increase your vertical jump, accelerate sprint times, or improve agility for sports? Each goal might require specialized plyometric exercises and specific intensities. Knowing your end game ensures that you're not just hopping around aimlessly but making leaps toward tangible outcomes.

Once you've identified your objectives, you'll need to determine the frequency and volume of your plyometric training. Not every workout session should be plyo-centric. 

Intensity matters; these are high-impact exercises, and it's easy to tread into overtraining territory if you're not careful. A good rule of thumb for beginners is to incorporate plyometric drills 1-2 times per week, giving ample time for muscle recovery. As for volume, it's more about quality than quantity. Instead of counting reps, focus on executing each jump or bound with maximum effort and proper form. The aim is to train for power and efficiency, not endurance.

Lastly, understanding progression and regression is pivotal. Plyometric exercises can vary greatly in their complexity and intensity. 

Starting with more straightforward exercises ensures that you build a foundation of strength and technique before moving on to advanced drills. For instance, a beginner might start with basic box jumps or squat jumps. 

As strength and proficiency increase, they can transition to more advanced exercises like depth jumps or single-leg hops. Conversely, if an exercise proves too challenging or results in poor form, it's wise to regress to a simpler version or reduce the intensity.

Effective Plyometric Exercise Choices

Upper Body Plyometric Exercises

1. Plyo Push-Ups:

The classic push-up gets a dynamic twist in the plyo push-up. This exercise amplifies the standard push-up by incorporating a burst of power. As you lower yourself into the push-up position, you're essentially prepping your muscles in the eccentric phase. 

When you push up, it's crucial to do so with enough force to allow your hands to lift off the ground, even if it's just a few inches. This explosive action calls into play the fast-twitch muscle fibers, primarily responsible for rapid, powerful movements. Over time, plyo push-ups can enhance muscle power in the chest, triceps, and shoulders, giving athletes and fitness enthusiasts an edge in performance.

2. Medicine Ball Chest Pass:

Reminiscent of the chest passes seen in basketball, this plyometric exercise is a fantastic way to develop power in the pectoral and deltoid muscles. The key is the explosive motion used to push the medicine ball. 

When performed standing, the core and legs stabilize the body, while the arms and chest generate force. If done seated, it eliminates the lower body's contribution, making the upper body work even harder. Incorporating the medicine ball chest pass into training can be beneficial for athletes who require strong chest passing actions, like basketball or netball players.

3. Medicine Ball Slam:

A full-bodied exercise, the medicine ball slam is not just an outlet for any pent-up frustrations but is a stellar plyometric movement for the upper body. Lifting the medicine ball overhead involves the shoulders and upper back, and the slamming action emphasizes the lats, triceps, and core. The explosive nature of the slam enhances power in the upper body and even offers a cardiovascular workout. Moreover, the continuous lifting and slamming improves functional fitness – the kind of strength and power required in daily activities and various sports.

4. Clapping Push-Ups:

The clapping push-up can be thought of as a plyo push-up on steroids. The biomechanics are similar: descend into a push-up and then explode upwards. 

However, the added element of the clap increases the intensity and challenge of the exercise. To successfully clap and then return your hands to the ground requires a greater burst of power and speed than the basic plyo push-up. 

It also calls for increased coordination and agility. Incorporating clapping push-ups into a routine can particularly benefit martial artists, boxers, and those participating in sports requiring quick, powerful upper-body movements.

5. Overhead Medicine Ball Throws:

This exercise involves more than just the upper body; it's a compound movement calling for power generation from the legs, core, and, of course, the arms and chest. Starting with a slight squat engages the legs. As you explode upward, the power travels from the legs through the core and culminates in the arms throwing the medicine ball upwards. 

It's a symphony of coordination and power, and when executed correctly, it can drastically improve explosive power in athletes, especially those involved in throwing sports like shot put or basketball.

Lower Body Plyometric Exercises

1. Box Jumps:

Arguably the most recognized plyometric exercise, box jumps are a testament to both power and coordination. The goal here is to jump onto a sturdy box or platform from a stationary position. 

The height of the box can vary based on the athlete's ability and the phase of training. Landing softly is crucial—not just for safety but also for training the muscles to absorb force efficiently. The slightly bent knee position ensures joint safety and prepares the body for subsequent actions, whether it's another jump or transitioning to a different movement.

2. Broad Jumps:

Broad jumps, or horizontal leaps, test one's explosive power in moving forward. Initiating from a standing position, the athlete propels themselves forward, aiming to cover as much distance as possible. 

The soft landing principle applies here as well; it reduces the risk of injury and reinforces good habits. It's not just a test of power but also a challenge for stability, as one must control the landing to prevent falls or stumbles.

3. Vertical Jumps/ Squat Jumps

A foundational plyometric movement, vertical jumps measure the raw vertical power an athlete possesses. Starting from a stationary position, the objective is to spring upward, reaching maximum height. 

The addition of swinging arms not only helps in achieving greater height but also introduces coordination between the upper and lower body. Regularly practicing vertical jumps can give insights into an athlete's power development over time.

4. Single Leg Hops:

An advanced variation of the basic jump, single-leg hops introduce an element of unilateral training. By focusing on one leg at a time, these hops challenge individual leg strength, balance, and coordination. 

They can be executed either for distance (forward) or for height. Single leg hops are especially valuable for athletes in sports like basketball or soccer, where one-legged jumps or kicks are standard.

5. Bounding:

Imagine a run that's been supercharged, and you've got bounding. It's a plyometric drill where the emphasis is on maximum propulsion from one stride to the next. With each bound, the goal is to gain both height and distance. This movement not only boosts explosive power but also improves stride efficiency, making it a favorite among sprinters and track athletes.

6. Depth Jumps:

A progression from box jumps, depth jumps begin with the athlete standing on a platform. They'll step off (not jump), and the moment they land, they'll explode into a vertical jump. The key is the rapid transition from landing to jumping. It trains the muscles and the nervous system to respond quickly to a stimulus, increasing reactive strength. Depth jumps can be intense, so it's crucial to master basic jumps before introducing this to a regimen.

7. Lateral Box Jumps:

Sporting activities aren't always linear; athletes move in all directions. Lateral box jumps target the often overlooked side-to-side explosive movements. Similar to the basic box jump, the difference is in the direction—jumping from side to side. 

This movement enhances lateral power and agility, and it also engages often undertrained stabilizing muscles, promoting a more balanced muscular development.

8. Skater Jumps:

Drawing inspiration from the smooth glide of ice skaters, skater jumps are lateral leaps from one foot to the other, mimicking a skater's stride. The trailing leg swings behind the lead leg, and the arms swing in rhythm. It's a full-body movement that not only promotes lateral power but also tests balance, coordination, and endurance.

Final Words

Plyometric exercises are the real deal. They are intense and incredibly taxing on the body, but that’s what makes them so rewarding. Just don’t get any ideas and think of overdoing it; that’s the fast-track recipe to injury-ville, making something so effective become a body wrecker.