Plyometrics Exercises

Posted by admin

May 7, 2012

Plyometrics — also known as jump training — is a training technique designed to increase muscular power and explosiveness. Originally developed for Olympic athletes, plyometric training has become a popular workout routine for people of all ages, including children and adolescents.

Plyometric training conditions the body with dynamic resistance exercises that rapidly stretch a muscle (eccentric phase) and then rapidly shorten it (concentric phase). Hopping and jumping exercises, for example, subject the quadriceps to a stretch-shortening cycle that can strengthen these muscles, increase vertical jump, and reduce the force of impact on the joints.

Because plyometric exercises mimic the motions used in sports such as skiing, tennis, football, basketball, volleyball, and boxing, plyometric training often is used to condition professional and amateur adult athletes. But children and adolescents also can benefit from a properly designed and supervised plyometric routine, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

Plyometric training is associated with many benefits. First popularized in the 1970s by state sports trainers in the former East Germany, it’s based on scientific evidence showing that the stretch-shortening cycle prompts the stretch or “myotactic” reflex of muscle and improves the power of muscular contraction.

But plyometric training is also associated with some risks, including an increased risk of injury, especially in participants who don’t have adequate strength to begin with. So if you’re considering plyometrics, it’s important to consult with a sports medicine doctor or therapist who can assess your suitability for a plyometrics training program, and then select a qualified coach or trainer who can gradually introduce you to more difficult exercises.

Workouts

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