Of course, my routines are ALWAYS changing and improving but they always follow the fundamental principals that I swear by… one of them being variety. So here is my latest plyo routine that you can perform.

Before we begin, let me address those that have no clue what plyometrics is and are probably wondering why they are reading this article…

Plyometrics is a fancy word for something called “jump training”. Gymnasts and basketball players have been doing this type of training for a LONG time, and it’s safe to say they have pretty much mastered it.

When I get approached by thugged out bboys that want to learn nothing more than a backflip, the first thing I do is tell them to pull up their pants. Then drill in the basics – and plyometrics is a big part of that in my opinion.

And yes I know… A back-tuck (backflip) is 90% technique, but the other 10% makes a BIG difference. Do you want to attempt a back-tuck with a vertical jump of 12 inches? Didn’t think so. I know all of this for a fact because I can back-tuck really… REALLY high.

So moving right along, what benefits can plyometrics training give you? Well besides the obviously higher vertical jump power, it is a GREAT substitute to cardio and will give you an aerobic system that will blow the faces off your competition. As a side confession… I really don’t like running even thought I do it. In fact, let me be totally honest – I HATE running, but that is why you will see me come up with a boat load of alternatives to it.

Ok, here’s my plyometric routine. You are to perform it 3x a week with a recovery day in between. So either Monday, Wednesday & Friday -OR- Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday.

Rest for 60 seconds between sets.

S= Sets
R= Reps

* = Till Failure

“What are those crazy exercises?” You ask. Well let’s go through each one.

1. Squat Jumps – This one is pretty self explanatory. You start in a deep squat position (knees past 90 degrees) and then jump up as high as you can, returning back to your squatted position. Couple things to keep in mind: You can use your arms to swing but if this exercise is getting too easy, hold a medicine ball or a 5lbs dumbbell in each hand… This will REALLY make you work.

Also, when you blast off in the air, make sure your legs come together and you become a pencil… Then as you descend back down, spread those legs and return to the squat position. As you can probably guess, people with bad knees should avoid this exercise.

2. Calf Raises – This is a very common exercise, so I hope I won’t have to expel a mouthful of words to explain it. Basically you hold on to something stable, elevate one leg and put it behind the other. You then lift yourself up from your ankles keeping the supporting leg straight (Basically going on your tippy toes). Do the desired rep amount for each leg (duh!)

3. Rebound Jumps – This one is challenging… Not because the exercise itself is that hard, but because you’ll have to wrestle with your brain to keep your form as clean as possible. So first, start with your legs straight. Then, jump up as high as you possibly can with MINIMAL bend in the knees (straight legs if possible). Then as soon as you hit the ground, bounce back up as high as you possibly can (again, keeping those legs straight).

A good metaphor for this is to pretend that you are jumping on hot coal, and every time you touch the ground, you want to bounce back up to avoid the burn. But the funny thing is… You will feel the burn elsewhere because this exercise is a b*tch! Either way, there’s no way out! Perfect!

4. Rapid Bunny Hops – Think of this exercise as a mini version of the Rebound Jumps. You still keep your legs straight, you still rebound as soon as you hit the floor, but there is one crucial difference: Your aim with the bunny hops is NOT to jump as high as possible, it’s to burn out those calves.

So basically, you won’t be more than an inch off the floor at any given time, but each rep will be insanely fast (hence the ridiculous rep count). Tip: Focus on your ankles and use them to jump instead of bending at the knees. You can also use your arms for momentum.

And there you have it… A plyo routine that will have you panting and huffing every time, but will eventually increase your jump power by twofold. If things start to get easy, put on a pair of ankle weights or carry 5 or 10lbs dumbbells in each hand. I personally use the 10′s for my Squat Jumps and 5lbs for my Rebound Jumps & Rapid Bunny Hops. For my calf raises, I hold a 30 pounder with my free hand.

—MADE FOR THE ELITE!—

I’m always looking for ways to UP the ante. After you go through this workout, you’ll find that your jumping and natural aerobic abilities will wipe the floor off the regular person. However, there are those that want more, that want to be at the TOP. For these people, I’ve made the plyo routine for the elite. Check it here: Plyometrics For The Elite!

To Being Fit & Sexy For Life

-FJ
FlawlessFitnessBook.com

P.S- Got questions, comments, rants or suggestions? Leave em’ below…  you’ve got a voice don’t you?

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© 2009 – 2012, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Tired Of Looking Ordinary? Click Here And Get FJ To Design A Fitness Plan Just For You! FREE Initial Consultation.

Why am I sharing this?

Because it just might help some of you see the “light”. It’s about time someone GOT IT. This kind of thing doesn’t happen often, but when it DOES… it puts a smile on my face. Enjoy.

————–Start

“ It’s funny. I was a PT a long time ago in a health club out here. I was
even thinking of starting my own gym. What is really sad is that
soooooooo many people are fat in this Region. And by fat, I don’t mean
they have to lose 20 lbs, I mean they are huge, as in if they tried to
walk up a full flight of stairs they look like they’d drop dead.  The
issue is that so many people are fat, that it becomes status quo and
then it becomes ok to be fat since everybody else is. So in gyms out
here you can hear the crickets chirping. You’ll get a mass of people
signing up for the new year then by Feb 1 the only people left are the
handful that have been going there forever. It is sad.

I’m sure you see that when you travel. Go to certain areas in California
and there are really a lot of hot bodies, and the gyms are on every
street corner and are packed with people. Because being in decent shape
is normal and to stand out you have to be in incredible shape. The PTs
and gyms flourish out there. Then travel to Wisconsin, Michigan,
Minnesota and in New England, I would bet only 10-15% of the people are
fit and trim.

You are right on the money about self motivated people. It kills me.

I work in a small office of 13 people. 3 of us are in decent shape and the
rest of them…forget it. At least 4 are morbidly obese.  Guess who the
hardest workers are? Guess who get here the earliest? Guess who try to
increase sales and productivity every day and not just come in, put in 8
hours and go home?

The largest ones always trash me…”look how much he eats and never gets
fat” well, I do eat often throughout the day, but it’s not Taco Bell and
Snickers bars.  Or “How can you eat so much and stay thin, you must have
a really high metabolism” No, I work out and eat right.

“Well, I don’t have time to work out” that is the one I hear all the
time. Ok, I work 10 hours a day(the others all work I have 2 kids
that need help with homework when I get home. I help my wife make
dinner, we sit down as a family. Then a few evenings a week I help my
wife with her business. Do I have time to work out?? No. Do I MAKE time
to work out? Yes. I get up at 5:00 AM to work out. I know this is not
the best time to work out, but hey you do what you gotta do…

Just to let you know, there are certain ideas you have that I completely
agree with, that other people do not grasp.

Not working out large muscle groups back to back. Bingo. For a long
time, I did the typical Back/Biceps one day Chest Shoulders the next day
and so on. I saw some results but it took forever. When I separated
these  with a day of rest and a leg/abs day, the results came
exponentially faster without having to train any harder or any longer.

Well, this is quite a novel. Sorry to bore you. Have a good one. “

- Russ, S

————–End

FJ’s Thoughts: Well I’m not sure about you, but that was far from boring. Actually it was rather refreshing.

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© 2009 – 2010, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Tired Of Looking Ordinary? Click Here And Get FJ To Design A Fitness Plan Just For You! FREE Initial Consultation.