As we grow older we lose our agility, which is why we constantly need to challenge our bodies when we workout. Plyometrics is something that more and more people are giving a try because it helps build explosive movement and benefits anyone who wants to get faster, stronger, and more agile. Find out what plyometrics really is and what you need to do to reap the benefits!
What’s Plyometrics?
Plyometrics is part of power training, but not all power training is considered plyometrics. Power training allows you to apply maximal force in a short amount of time. A good plyo workout uses low-rep sets with high intensity, which can help shed seconds off your run time, increase strength and speed on heavy reps in the weight room, and improve jump height for any sport.
However, when it comes to plyo, the unique component is the fast-loading phase that builds into the explosive contraction. To help you better understand what this means, let’s use the box jump as an example. The standard box jump involves standing stationary in front of a box and jumping a couple feet off the ground to land on the box. This is a great power-training move, but it’s not plyo training. Plyo training would involve jumping off a short box immediately onto a lower box. The main difference: there’s a longer reaction time with the first power-training jump.
