Top 10 Plyometric Exercises to Strengthen Your Whole Body

To increase your muscle power and strength adopt plyometric exercises. Plyometrics are powerful aerobic exercises with high impact potential. If you have the stamina to do plyometric exercises, you should start slowly with easier ones before attempting the more challenging movements. In this blog, we have mentioned a few easiest plyometric exercises for beginners to start with.

 

Plyometric Exercises

Plyometric exercises require exerting the muscles to their maximum potential in short periods.

 

Frog Hops

This exercise engages all the major muscles in the lower body including the hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves. The core muscles are also worked during frog hops which help to keep the body upright. The frog hop acts as a plyometric as well as a deep dynamic stretching exercise because it starts and ends in a wide squat position.

• An individual starts with hands on the back of the head and then lowers down into a squat position with feet angled out and legs spread wide.
• The individual then explodes up through the ground and jumps up and forward.
• Lands softly in the same squatting position and immediately repeats the jumping movement.

 

Broad Jump

In this exercise, the physiotherapist aims to see how far forward the individual can jump from the starting position without any movement. Broad jumps require leg power and strength. All the major muscles in the legs work hard to send the body forward through the air. Adding the arm swing also engages the upper body and causes a great stretch.

• The person stands with feet at distance same as shoulder-width apart.
• Slowly attain a low squat position while leaning forward, keeping the back straight with the arms up and behind.
• The person then explodes through the ground by pushing through the balls of the feet and swings the arms forward, jumping as far as possible. Then, land gently and immediately repeats a few times.

 

Squat Tuck Jump

The squat tuck jump is an exercise to boost the power of the lower body. This exercise improves jumping ability while getting the heart rate pumping leading to more calories burned in a shorter time.

• To start with the person stands with the feet shoulder-width apart and hands together in front of the chest.
• While leaning forward slightly the person lowers down into a squat position.
• The person then explodes into the air by pushing through the balls of the feet.
• Keeping the back straight throughout the movement. Tuck the knees up to the chest as much as possible.
• And land gently and immediately repeats the movement.

 

Star Jumps

This is a great full-body plyometric exercise that moves the limbs and sends signals through the neuromuscular system quickly. This exercise works all the major lower body muscles. Lifting the arms out to the sides also targets the delts.

• For this exercise, an individual stands with feet together with the arms by the side.
• Bend the knees slightly and explode up by pushing through the balls of the feet, and spread the legs out to the sides while raising the arms up and out to shoulder level.
• Then bring the arms and legs down to starting position while landing gently.
• Immediately repeat the movement from above.

 

Scissor Jumps

Scissor jumps engage the larger lower body muscles including hamstrings, quads, glutes, and calve muscles. This exercise increases the power and strength in the lower body and also improves coordination.

• An individual stands in a staggered stance with the right leg in front and the left leg behind.
• Arms in the opposite position, with the right arm back and left arm forward.
• Then the person explodes through the balls of the front foot jumping into the air. While in the air make a transition where the legs and arms change position, landing gently in the opposite stance.
• Repeat the exercise immediately upon landing, and return to the starting position.

 

Lateral Hops

Lateral hops are exercises that challenge balance and coordination as the stabilizing muscles need to work hard to keep the person under control. Hip flexors, hamstrings, quads, and calves muscles are required to complete this one.

• This exercise is done with hands up out in front and standing on one leg with the knee slightly bent while lifting the other foot off the ground.
• Jump laterally by pushing off the balls of the foot trying to go as far as possible.
• Land softly on the opposite foot and immediately jump back to starting position

 

Front Plank Side Hop

Plyometric exercises work on lower body muscles as well as the core and shoulders.

• To start, the person gets into a plank position with the legs straight and arms stacked under the shoulders.
• Push through the balls of the feet and kick the legs up while bending the knees and keeping the back straight.
• Land on the balls of the feet to one side of the body with knees bent at 90 degrees and calves parallel to the ground.
• Push off through the feet once again repeating the above motion but landing on the opposite side of the body.
• Once more push through the balls of the feet, kicking up and returning to plank position with the legs straight behind.

 

Backward Forward Jumps

Backward forward jumps are a great way to shock the muscles and lead to better balance and stability and at the same time increase power and explosiveness.

• Stand with feet hip-width apart in a quarter squat and lean forward slightly with the arms down by the sides.
• Further, explode off the ground by pushing through the balls of the feet jumping backward while swinging the arms upwards.
• Finally, land gently and immediately recoils into a quarter squat position with the arms back and up behind then jump forwards to the starting position.

 

Jumping Lunges

Jumping lunges are the more advanced version of walking lunges, this exercise targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves. When performing jumping lunges, the core and stabilizing muscles should be activated.

• Start in a deep lunge position with one leg forward and one behind with both knees bent at 90 degrees.
• Jump up while switching position in mid-air while swinging the arms to help propel up.
• Softly land with the opposite leg forward, and immediately lift off again to repeat the same jumping movement.

 

Plyo Pushups

Plyo push-up is an upper body plyometric exercise that stimulates the fast twitch muscle fibers in the chest, triceps, abs, and shoulders.  In this exercise jumping component is added to explode lifting the hands off the ground.

• Get into a push-up position with back straight, hands slightly wider than shoulder width, and leg straight out behind.
• Slowly lower the chest until it's a few inches from the ground.
• Push through the hands with an explosive force so that the hands come up off the ground
• Gently land and immediately perform the next repetition.

 

Plyometrics is not a low-intensity exercise so it is important that an individual is completely warmed up before attempting them and takes adequate rest between sets.

This article was first Published at CB Physiotherapy