Plyometric is a word that, in my opinion, has become too common these days in fitness. Plyometric by definition means stretch measure. But, since we’re referring to exercise and muscle, the working definition is stretching the muscles very quickly. What’s the point of that, you ask? Well, when done properly, a muscle that is stretched quickly elicits what is known as a myotatic stretch reflex. This reflex is a contraction that is 10 times more powerful than a voluntary muscle contraction. This degree of power forces the athlete to recruit more muscle fibers than usual which means these deeper muscle fibers will be conditioned to fire when called upon in their sport or activity. In a nutshell, Plyometrics exercises help you become more powerful!
If you accessed this article from the activities for exercise page, you may have notice that it’s listed under high intensity activities. That’s because its very intense. In my opinion, it’s too high of an intensity for the average adult. It carries a high risk of injury and should only be performed by athletes who have taken the time to build into the intensity by developing balance and strength sufficiently. It bothers me that it has become one of the new buzz tools for fitness professionals. It’s even one of the tools used by Tony Horton in his P90X programs. With all due respect to Tony (I think he’s great) and other fitness professionals, in my opinion, it’s gimmicky. Fitness pros (I know, I’m one of them) sometimes try to seek out terms and activities that make them sound more intelligent. My theory is that most of us are just gym rats over-compensating for not being one of the smart kids. I think this one has crossed the line. We have no business subjecting non-athletes to plyometrics. Seriously, what’s the point? How many of them need to eek out another inch in the high jump? The risk just doesn’t meet the reward.[hmtad name=”In Content” align=”left”]
Benefits of Plyometrics
Thanks for reading on. If you only ready my rant in the paragraph above, you’d think I didn’t like plyometrics exercise. The truth is, I think plyometric training is a great tool, just not for typical exercisers. I have all my competitive athletes doing plyometrics. But, that’s because they are young and I have taken the time to prepare them. So, why do I have my athletes perform plyometrics? It’s because in sports, you need more than just strength. You also need to contract those muscles explosively. That’s where plyometric training comes in. If you read the paragraphs above, you’ll see that plyos train more muscles to be available to fire. This means that you will be more powerful. And, this can apply to any movement:
- Jumping
- Throwing
- Twisting
- Piking
- you name it!
Plyometrics Program
At some point I will publish a plyometric program. In the mean time, here is one that is good:
Conclusion
I like plyometric training…for trained athletes. I see little benefit in average exercisers doing them. If you don’t need to increase your power for sports performance, don’t subject your body to the stress.