Box jumps are a go-to plyometric exercise. These really help build the explosive power in your hips and legs, so it helps with sprinting and obviously jumping.  If you don't have a box at your gym, you can always use a bench or picnic table at the park. I personally like to do these on my "off" day as part of a full body workout, but they are also perfect for leg day.  If you are going to do these on leg day, you should do box jumps first in your routine.  Here is how to do them: Stand about 6-8 inches back from the box Go into a semi-squat position Explode up with a little bit of forward momentum.  Your goal should be to land in the center of the box Step down off the box (the temptation is to jump down from the box, but by stepping down you put less stress on your joints) … [Read more...]

What is a Plyometric exercise?  Basically, it is any exercise that involves jumping.  Plyometric exercises are a great way to build explosive power and strength, and according to some studies can aid with joint protection. I often times like to do a plyometric exercise before a given muscle group exercise, sometimes as a work out and sometimes as one of my group sets for the day.  As you can see in the video, I'm doing plyometric push-ups, which I might do on chest day.  So how do you do it? Get into a push-up position, with your arms lined up with your shoulders and just slightly wider than should length apart. Go into down push-up position. Explode up!  Put as much push as you can away from the floor. As you get good at this, you can dd the challenge of being able to clap your hands while in the air as you see above.  I would say that you should only attempt to do a clap push-up if you're able to comfortably do 10-15 plyo-push-ups with proper form. … [Read more...]