• Fitness & Health
• Sport & Exercise Science
• Physical Education
• Strength & Conditioning
• Sports Medicine
• Sport Management
• Dance

Plyometrics and Power Exercises

This is an excerpt from Train Like a Pro by Matthew S Ibrahim.

Plyometrics and power training allow you to unleash your inner athlete through jumps, hops, bounds, and skips. The exercises in this chapter also include equipment such as medicine balls to challenge your ability to move in a fast and powerful manner. If your goal is to improve your overall athleticism, plyometrics and power training will put you on the fast track to success!

Exercises that fall under the category of plyometrics use what is known as the stretch-shortening cycle to create maximum force in the shortest amount of time possible. We typically see these exercises performed with assistance (e.g., resistance bands) using body weight or light forms of resistance (e.g., medicine balls). In terms of power training, these types of exercise will have a maximum speed and power component and use light to moderate external loads (e.g., dumbbells).

BAND-ASSISTED CONTINUOUS SQUAT JUMP

Repeating a series of squat jumps with continuous effort directly translates to being able to perform similar movements in competition. Using the band for assistance helps you develop the ability to jump higher as you progress.

HOW TO PERFORM

• Anchor two large resistance bands to a pull-up bar above you roughly shoulder-width apart.
• Stand under the bar and grasp a band in each hand.
• Sit your hips back in a quarter-depth squat and jump straight up toward the bar.
• Land softly back in the quarter-depth squat and immediately continue into the next squat jump for the number of reps prescribed.

PERFORMANCE TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• A band with stronger resistance will provide you with more assistance, and one with weaker resistance will provide less. A good rule of thumb is to start out using a band of medium resistance and adjust if needed after performing the first set.
• The goal is to spend as little time as possible on the floor between jumps, which is why you go only a quarter of the way down in the squat during each rep. Think of your continuous squat jump effort as rebounding off the floor as rapidly as possible during each rep.
• Using your lower body to repeat a series of squat jumps through a continuous effort directly translates to your ability to perform acts like this in sports and other physical activities.

MB TALL-KNEELING SLAM WITH HIP HINGE

Slamming the medicine ball without assistance from your lower body helps develop upper-body power.

HOW TO PERFORM

• Kneel with knees hip-width apart on a pad on the floor with the laces of both feet kissing the floor.
• Holding a medicine ball in both bands, raise the ball overhead.
• Slam the ball down into the floor while explosively shooting your hips back.
• Keep your arms long the entire time; don’t bend your elbows. As the ball slams down into the floor, continue the swinging motion of your arms behind you.

PERFORMANCE TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Slamming the medicine ball down into the floor while standing lets you use your entire body to develop power. When you kneel, your upper body must take over completely to produce power.
• It may take some time to truly master the sequencing and coordination of the upper and lower body. Start by performing a few practice reps slowly to master the movement and, most importantly, coordinate the simultaneous movement of the upper and lower body.
• Once your coordination and sequencing are ready, go at full speed and work your way through the prescribed sets and reps.

MB SKATER HOP WITH CHOP AND STICK

This exercise will help you develop the ability to hop from side-to-side in the frontal plane, a common movement in a variety of sporting activities. The medicine ball in your hands acts as a form of resistance to increase the overall intensity.

HOW TO PERFORM

• Stand holding a 4- to 12-pound medicine ball in both hands.
• Begin by placing your body weight onto your right foot. Hold the medicine ball out toward the right side of your body. Both knees and hips should have a slight bend while your left foot hovers above the floor.
• Explosively hop to your left while chopping the medicine ball to the left and sticking your landing on your left foot. Pause for a moment.
• Repeat, hopping the right side with another brief pause when you stick the landing. Continue until all reps are complete.

PERFORMANCE TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Start with a light medicine ball and master the movement with perfect technique. Once you’ve done that, increase the weight slightly over time.
• The goal of this exercise is not necessarily to increase weight as much as to move with power and precision. In other words, produce and absorb force in an athletic and controlled manner.

More Excerpts From Train Like a Pro

---