What are the benefits of plyometrics? Trainers and strength coaches often integrate plyometrics into their sports performance programs for athletes. Yet, the benefits of plyometrics aren't exclusive to athletes.



When used appropriately, plyometric exercises add variety to programming, provide a safe and effective means of improving movement proficiency, and can better prepare your nervous system to produce maximal force during training sessions, athletic events, and in everyday life.



While I never rely exclusively on plyometrics for my online personal training programs, I often include at least one movement near the beginning of a workout. I'll explain what plyometric exercise entails, the benefits you can expect, and my rationale for including certain exercises in my training program.





What are plyometrics?



Plyometrics are exercises performed with maximal speed and power for short periods of time. Though plyos are a type of power training, they aren't the same as Olympic lifting or powerlifting.



Plyometrics definition: A quick and eccentric (muscle-lengthening) muscle contraction immediately followed by a swift and explosive concentric muscle contraction. While you quickly complete an eccentric movement, such as dropping to the bottom of a squat position, your muscles load with elastic energy. This storing of power from the stretch response is called "amortization."



If you pause between the eccentric and concentric contractions too long, you lose the energy created from the amortization. To qualify as a plyometric exercise, you complete a maximal power, concentric movement immediately after the eccentric contraction.



The entire concentric-amortization-eccentric process is often referred to as the “stretch-shortening cycle.”



In reality, we leverage the stretch-shortening cycle in everyday life as well as in athletics. Once you become aware of it, you'll see people use it to get out of chairs or move up the stairs, although they rarely use it to generate peak power.



Plyometric Exercises



Most plyometric training focuses on lower body movements, though some upper body plyometric movements exist. This is far from an exhaustive list, but the following are common plyometric exercises, many of which I include in my virtual personal training programs.




Jump squats



Triple broad jumps



Clapping push-ups



Depth jumps



Jumping lunges



Speed skater hops



Box jumps



Hurdle hops



Single leg hurdle hops



Jumping rope



Medicine ball catch and toss



Hand release pull-ups




Novice athletes and exercisers use their body weight as resistance, whereas intermediate and advanced athletes and exercisers may add additional resistance with bands, dumbbells, barbells, or a weight vest.



You can also vary the terrain to make plyometric exercises more challenging. Water, sand, and uneven surfaces add another layer or difficulty.



Though you often see people use them in gyms, I never recommend using a BOSU for plyometric exercises. It’s an accident waiting to happen and adds no functional value to a client’s programming unless they're training for the circus. Sadly, though, I see many fitness professionals misuse the BOSU in this way.



What are the Benefits of Plyometrics?



Athletes have used plyometric training for decades to improve jump performance, lower body power, agility, and force production. Yet, non-athlete everyday Joe’s and Jane’s need these same abilities to function well in everyday life.



Plyometric movements challenge stability, balance, agility, speed, and power, which help you navigate life as much as an athlete navigates an athletic field.




In daily life, rapid force production is crucial in situations when balance needs to be corrected quickly after tripping, and its decline may be a major contributor to the loss of independence and falling accidents and injuries in older adults. Additionally, both agility and lower-extremity muscle power correlate well with bala...