Want to be FASTER? more EXPLOSIVE??- Read here, Plyometrics for Dummies.

[VerticalDreams]

Hey everybody,
I have been on these forums for a short while now, and there is a recurring theme I see constantly popping up, People asking for idea's on how to ;
-improve vertical jump,
-decrease their 40yd dash times
-increase power,
-increase explosiveness

And the general answer is for them to start a "Plyometrics" workout schedule, or at least add some plyometrics into their current workout schedule. Which is an excellent idea, but it is generally left at that, they dont go into depth explaining about the exercises or the mechanics behind each.

Iv'e decided to try and explain to you what plyometrics are, what they do, and then set out a simple to understand and easy to follow list of Plyometrics exercises that you can do at home with almost ZERO equipment.

So what are plyometrics?
Definition I understand Plyometrics as : Plyometrics (also known as "plyos") is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports.

What Do plyometrics actually do for you?
To better understand how plyometrics can improve your physical performance in a certain sport, it is only proper to examine its mechanics. One important aspect in this type of training is knowledge about muscle power.

Muscle power is revealed by the length of time it takes to convert strength to speed. Your ability to quickly translate strength to speed makes it possible for you to perform athletic movements that are beyond what untrained strength will permit.

Take for example an athlete who has strong legs and a weaker sportsperson who had undergone plyometric training. The strong athlete can do the free-weight squat for a longer duration, compared to the weak one. However, the plyometrically-trained athlete has a bigger advantage when it comes to standing long jumps and vertical leaps because he had been trained to produce force at a faster rate.

Cliff-
a) Increases power output of your muscles
b) Increases Speed at which your muscles can contract and therefore explosive power

Safety Precautions
Age - low-intensity and low-volume only for athletes under the age of 13.
Surface - some degree of softness is needed. Gymnastics mats are ideal, grass is suitable. Hard surfaces such as concrete should never be used.
Bodyweight - athletes who are over 240 pounds (109 kg) should be very careful and low-intensity plyometric exercises should be selected.
Technique - most importantly, a participant must be instructed on proper technique before commencing any plyometric exercise. They should be well rested and free of injury in any of the limbs to be exercised.

Plyometrics are not inherently dangerous, but the highly focused, intense movements used in repetition increase the potential level of stress on joints and musculo-tendonous units. Therefore safety precautions are a strong prerequisite to this particular method of exercise. Low-intensity variations of plyometrics are frequently utilized in various stages of injury rehabilitation, indicating that the application of proper technique and appropriate safety precautions can make plyometrics safe and effective for most populations.

Next I am going to give you a List of exercises that you can do at home, with no equipment, That will help you ;

- Increase vertical jump,
-Decrease 40yd dash times
-Increase power,
-Increase explosiveness

See below ~

[VerticalDreams]

List of plyometrics style exercises




Squat Jumps
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, trunk flexed forward slightly with back straight in a neutral position.
2. Arms should be in the ready" position with elbows flexed at approximately 90.
3. Lower body where thighs are parallel to ground and immediately explode upwards vertically and drive arms up. Do not hold a squat position before jumping up keep the time between dipping down and jumping up to a minimum.
4. Land on both feet. Rest for 1-2 seconds and repeat
Prior to takeoff extend the ankles to their maximum range (full plantar flexion) to ensure proper mechanics.





Jump to Box
1.Stand facing box with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
2.Lower body into a semi-squat position and immediately jump up onto box. Do not hold a squat position before jumping up keep the time between dipping down and jumping up to a minimum.
3. Feet should land softly on box. Step back down (not jump back down) and repeat.






Lateral Jump to Box
1. Stand side on to box with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
2. Lower body into a semi-squat position and jump up onto box. Do not hold a squat position before jumping up keep the time between dipping down and jumping up to a minimum.
3. Feet should land softly on box. Step back down (not jump back down) and repeat.




Split Squat Jumps
1. Stand with feet hip width apart. Take left leg and step back approximately 2 feet standing on the ball of back foot.
2. Feet should be positioned at a staggered stance with head and back erect and straight in a neutral position.
3. Lower body by bending at right hip and knee until thigh is parallel to floor then immediately explode vertically.
4. Switch feet in the air so that the back foot lands forward and vice versa.
Prior to takeoff extend the ankles to their maximum range (full plantar flexion) ensure proper mechanics.



Tuck Jumps
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, with arms at sides.
2. Jump up bringing knees up to chest.
3. Land on balls of feet and repeat immediately.
4. Remember to reduce ground contact time by landing soft on feet and springing into air.



Lateral Box Push Offs
1. Stand to side of box and place the left foot on top of box.
2. Push off the box using the left leg only and explode vertically as high as possible. Drive the arms forward and up for maximum height.
3. Land with right foot on the box and left foot on the ground to the other side of the box.
4. Repeat from this side.



Bounding
1. Jog into the start of the drill for forward momentum.
2. After a few feet, forcefully push off with the left foot and bring the leg forward. At same time drive your right arm forward.
3. Repeat with other leg and arm
4. This exercise is an exaggerated running motion focusing on foot push-off and air time.

[VerticalDreams]

Bounding with Rings
1. Jog into the start of the drill for forward momentum.
2. After a few feet, forcefully push off with the left foot and bring the right leg forward. At same time swing left arm forward and land into the first ring, which is 3-4 feet out and to the left, with the right foot.
3. Continue and repeat with other leg and arm into the second ring, which is now 3-4 feet up and to the right.
4. This exercise is an exaggerated running motion focusing on foot push-off and air time.



Zigzag Hops
1. Stand to the left of an agility ladder or similar object approximately 1-2 feet away.
2. Forcefully push off both feet and land the on the other side of the ladder.
3. Repeat and land feet back on the other side, continue repeating and so on down the ladder.4. Do not "double hop" upon each landing and keep ground contact time to a minimum.



Single Leg Lateral Hops
1. Start by standing on one leg with your hands on your waist or at your sides.
2. Proceed to hop to the side while maintaining your balance and hop back to the starting position.
3. You can place a rope on the ground or any object on the ground. The object can be small in size and height or large to increase difficulty.
4. Repeat continuously.



Depth Jumps
1. Stand on box with toes close to edge, feet shoulder width apart.
2. Step off (do not jump off) box and land on both feet. Immediately jump up as high as possible and reach up with both hands towards. The jump should be vertical with no horizontal movement.
4. Ground contact time should be short unlike in the diagram. Landing should be soft.Note: Start with a box height of 30cm (12in). Intensity can be increased by gradually increasing the box height to a maximum of 107cm (42in) but this is only for experienced athletes with a substantial strength training background




If you use THESE exercises, you will see a ridiculous gain in your speed/reaction time.

Adding some of these exercises to your current Workout schedule, you will definitley see ;

-Increased Vertical Jump
-Decreased 40yd Dash time
-Increased Power
-Increased Explosiveness



Hope you enjoyed my thread, and that it was informative.
I will add to it in future.



Hope I helped.

[Taurean508]

Sticky?

[VerticalDreams]

I would love it if this could be stickied,
Id be more than happy to continue contributing to this thread and answering questions in future.

[WlLD]

first page , sticky this.

[StrongHarris]

REVERSE HYPER WESTSIDE PIECE INVENTED BY LOUIE, AND GOOD OLD BOX SQUATS. You need to not over do it on plyo's. mass x acceleration = FORCE

[VerticalDreams]

REVERSE HYPER WESTSIDE PIECE INVENTED BY LOUIE, AND GOOD OLD BOX SQUATS. You need to not over do it on plyo's. mass x acceleration = FORCE

The exercises shown are not a suggested workout, they are certain exercises you can add to your current workout.

I still recomend using weights workouts to increase your power output from your legs ( infact it will benefit your plyometric training by having a stronger base leg strength) But this thread was designed to specifically outline some basic plyometrics people may use , as well as describing how they are used, and what they do.

Thanks,

[VerticalDreams]

Bump.

[LilBevo]

been looking for good plyo workouts, repped.
anything for the hands, as i am training for boxing.

[VerticalDreams]

been looking for good plyo workouts, repped.
anything for the hands, as i am training for boxing.

Thanks alot man, I'm Glad you like the thread,

Definitley, I will put together some upper body speed-work stuff you can do and post it in here. keep a look out,

Thanks again bro.

[VerticalDreams]

LilBevo, You asked for a section showing Upper Body Plyometrics to help with your boxing.
Ask and you shall recieve my friend.



Upper Body Plyometrics


Overhead Throws
1. Stand with one foot in front (staggered stance) with knees slightly bent.
2. Pull medicine ball back behind head and forcefully throw ball forward as far as possible into the wall.
3. Catch ball on the bounce from the wall and repeat according to prescribed repetitions. Keep the time between pulling the ball back and starting the throw (transition phase) to a minimum. Can also be completed with a partner instead of a wall.


Side Throws
1. Stand with feet hip-width apart; place left foot approximately one foot in front of right foot.
2. Hold medicine ball with both hands and arms only slightly bent.
3. Swing ball over to the right hip and forcefully underhand toss ball forward to a partner or wall. Keep the stomach drawn in to maximize proper usage of muscle.
4. Catch ball on the bounce from
your partner or wall and repeat.




Over Back Toss
1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Have a partner or trainer stand approximately 10-15 yards behind you.
2. Grasp ball and lower body into a semi-squat position. Explode up extending the entire body and throwing medicine ball up and over the body.
3. The goal is to throw the ball behind you as far as you and generating most of the power in the legs.
4. Catch ball on the bounce from your partner and repeat according to prescribed repetitions.




Slams
1. Stand with feet parallel, shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
2. Pull medicine ball back behind head and forcefully throw ball down on the ground as hard as possible.
3. Catch the ball on the bounce from the ground and repeat according to prescribed repetitions.




Explosive Start Throws
1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Knees should be slightly bent.
2. Pick medicine ball up to chest level.
3. Quickly explode up and press the ball straight out as far and fast as you can.
4. As you press the ball forward explode with either leg so that you actually sprint forward a couple of steps.


Squat Throws
1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Knees should be slightly bent.
2. Hold medicine ball at chest level and squat down to a parallel position.
3. Quickly explode up and jump as high as you can. As you start your jump you should start to shoulder press the ball up and reach full extensions with the arms when you are at the peak of your jump. Push ball as high as possible into the air. Try to minimize the time spent in the squatted position. It should be a quick squat and jump.
4. Catch ball on the bounce and repeat according to prescribed repetitions.



Plyometric Push-Ups
1. Start by getting into a push-up position.
2. Lower yourself to the ground and then explosively push up so that your hands leave the ground.
3. Catch your fall with your hands and immediately lower yourself into a push-up again and repeat.





That about does it for upper body plyo's that I would reccomend for your boxing training,
you ARE going to need a medicine ball to do these exercises, whatever weight feels comfortable for you.

Come to think of it, Plyometrics is perfect for boxing, your going to be building strength/explosive power and speed, but your not going to be bulking up and getting too heavy for your weight division. I'd combine it with the Lower body ones too to build your footwork speed.

Hopefully that covered things for you.

Thanks for checking out my thread.

[VerticalDreams]

bump

[mike1283]

Nice thread, good input.

[VerticalDreams]

Thanks mike, glad you liked it!

[mike1283]

Yeah I'm not sure how interested you'd be in having me (or anyone else) really chime in their input with what anyone has seen, my fav things about plyos is that you can really be creative with them and 'create' your own exercises.
The issue that I go through and I know a few others who have the same issues, are if you look on a thread like "Workout Programs" and "Workout Vault" you get a sample of just how many different ways there are to organize specific days of a routine, whether it be circuits/crossfit/Westside style of powerlifting (like Joe Defranco's), and then as of right now this field is somewhat flooded with vertical jump programs, and all are a little bit different and they all seem to focus on what has worked for those trainers in the past whether it be them getting results themselves or with their clients. But among all that I'm still trying to figure out what works best for me, I'm trying to figure out - how often to do plyos, should I be doing full days of only plyos, how much strength work is needed to supplement plyos (or vice versa) to see maximal results, of not just vert but also, overall power output. At the end of the day I think there's no right answer, its just a matter of opinion, I mean I think you could go through a routine like P90x/Insanity (both by Beachbody) which has a plyos day and cardio days, without seeing great amount of vert improvement, just because they are being done as a low intensity cardio burst, as intervals.
I'm personally a big believer in progressing through workouts, trying to build a solid base of strength along with stability and mobility and make sure that movement patterns are correct, and from there we have a solid base to build some great strength and power on. Its my pet peeve seeing young athletes at gyms doing these high intensity depth jumps or squat jumps while holding weights in their hands, when no one has taught them how to squat/deadlift, and do basic plyos like a box jump, split squat jumps, tuck jumps all because a training program told them to. Just my opinion sorry for the rant, let me know what u think.
The issues that I'm coming up with for myself at this moment are getting over an ankle sprain that seems like it just won't heal (maybe another month away from being back to full plyos), and really needing to cut weight, which I'm in the process of doing, and as my ankle gets stronger, I'll get in better shape through playing, and plyos/intervals.

I just wanted to take a min and explain some of the 'progressions' that I've gone through myself as I learn to explain a little bit of where my frustation in training faliures have come from.
1st while in college working at the front desk of a gym I read VJB and I started doing some real basic strength training and some plyo work (when I was a kid in 8th grade I bought jumpsoles and learned what plyos were and they didn't do anything good for me, just hurt my knees). When I took a S&C course in school my Professor and mentor at the time had suggested and preached doing BP splits (like a bodybuilder I guess) doing legs twice a week 1 day of weights and 1 day of just plyos. I saw no results at all with either of those 2, and I always felt like I had an underlying injury, my ankles were never fully healthy cuz I felt like I sprained them so much at the time.
My most recent boss (about a yr ago) and Fitness Director and mentor was all about circuit training and functional training and as I like to say correct the flaws before adding strength onto pre existing injuries/flaws. From the JC Santana school of thoughts about circuits and 'training movements not muscles'. Through his training I wasn't able to do any real plyos until after 8 weeks of creating a 'base of strength', but it was my 1st time really seeing progress and gains in strength and I was jumping a lot better (maybe not much higher but more efficient felt light on my feet, really athletic), but now I've seen a good deal of programs and all trainers and coaches who train vert and athleticism, disregard these methods and think that, that style of training isn't for athletes and not designed to see long term gains.
So I've gone back and started doing more of a Westside template, some of the Defranco WS4SB program and tried putting some of my own work into it to make it my own, and so far I've gained a good amount of strength back (after many months being completely 'detrained', and confused towards training and what I'm working towards) but because of my ankle issues I haven't really been able to increase my vert or even fully attempt to increase my vert with plyos and all. So in the end the reason I mention all of this (nonsense) is basically this is why I'm confused on a day to day basis towards my training and what I should be working on every day in the gym. Thanks for your time.

[bulgarianwolf911]

is there a certain rountine you may have for the upper body plyos?
im doing vjb for the lower body so i was just wondering

[VerticalDreams]

Yeah I'm not sure how interested you'd be in having me (or anyone else) really chime in their input with what anyone has seen, my fav things about plyos is that you can really be creative with them and 'create' your own exercises.
The issue that I go through and I know a few others who have the same issues, are if you look on a thread like "Workout Programs" and "Workout Vault" you get a sample of just how many different ways there are to organize specific days of a routine, whether it be circuits/crossfit/Westside style of powerlifting (like Joe Defranco's), and then as of right now this field is somewhat flooded with vertical jump programs, and all are a little bit different and they all seem to focus on what has worked for those trainers in the past whether it be them getting results themselves or with their clients. But among all that I'm still trying to figure out what works best for me, I'm trying to figure out - how often to do plyos, should I be doing full days of only plyos, how much strength work is needed to supplement plyos (or vice versa) to see maximal results, of not just vert but also, overall power output. At the end of the day I think there's no right answer, its just a matter of opinion, I mean I think you could go through a routine like P90x/Insanity (both by Beachbody) which has a plyos day and cardio days, without seeing great amount of vert improvement, just because they are being done as a low intensity cardio burst, as intervals.
I'm personally a big believer in progressing through workouts, trying to build a solid base of strength along with stability and mobility and make sure that movement patterns are correct, and from there we have a solid base to build some great strength and power on. Its my pet peeve seeing young athletes at gyms doing these high intensity depth jumps or squat jumps while holding weights in their hands, when no one has taught them how to squat/deadlift, and do basic plyos like a box jump, split squat jumps, tuck jumps all because a training program told them to. Just my opinion sorry for the rant, let me know what u think.
The issues that I'm coming up with for myself at this moment are getting over an ankle sprain that seems like it just won't heal (maybe another month away from being back to full plyos), and really needing to cut weight, which I'm in the process of doing, and as my ankle gets stronger, I'll get in better shape through playing, and plyos/intervals.

I just wanted to take a min and explain some of the 'progressions' that I've gone through myself as I learn to explain a little bit of where my frustation in training faliures have come from.
1st while in college working at the front desk of a gym I read VJB and I started doing some real basic strength training and some plyo work (when I was a kid in 8th grade I bought jumpsoles and learned what plyos were and they didn't do anything good for me, just hurt my knees). When I took a S&C course in school my Professor and mentor at the time had suggested and preached doing BP splits (like a bodybuilder I guess) doing legs twice a week 1 day of weights and 1 day of just plyos. I saw no results at all with either of those 2, and I always felt like I had an underlying injury, my ankles were never fully healthy cuz I felt like I sprained them so much at the time.
My most recent boss (about a yr ago) and Fitness Director and mentor was all about circuit training and functional training and as I like to say correct the flaws before adding strength onto pre existing injuries/flaws. From the JC Santana school of thoughts about circuits and 'training movements not muscles'. Through his training I wasn't able to do any real plyos until after 8 weeks of creating a 'base of strength', but it was my 1st time really seeing progress and gains in strength and I was jumping a lot better (maybe not much higher but more efficient felt light on my feet, really athletic), but now I've seen a good deal of programs and all trainers and coaches who train vert and athleticism, disregard these methods and think that, that style of training isn't for athletes and not designed to see long term gains.
So I've gone back and started doing more of a Westside template, some of the Defranco WS4SB program and tried putting some of my own work into it to make it my own, and so far I've gained a good amount of strength back (after many months being completely 'detrained', and confused towards training and what I'm working towards) but because of my ankle issues I haven't really been able to increase my vert or even fully attempt to increase my vert with plyos and all. So in the end the reason I mention all of this (nonsense) is basically this is why I'm confused on a day to day basis towards my training and what I should be working on every day in the gym. Thanks for your time.

Wow thanks for the input mike, that was great.
I agree completely with you, plyometrics shouldn't be undertaken without first doing at least 2 months of strength training, not only to help avoid injury, but also to maximise your results.

The idea behind plyo's is that they take your current strength, and essentially allow you to apply it faster, making it more powerful and explosive. Thats Plyo's in a nutshell. So by going with that logic, the stronger your base of strength, ultimately the better results you are going to get from undertaking a plyometrics workout schedule.

The intention of the thread was really to outline some styles of plyometric exercises a person can do, but I probably should go a bit better into depth about the kind of conditioning needed before undertaking plyometrics.

I know from speaking to you in the past that you are interested in increasing your vertical jump, To get some noticeable gains on your jumping ability, you are going to want to do at LEAST 3 Plyometric workouts per week, anything less than that and well, you probably are going to see SOME results, but its going to take alot longer for them to become noticeable.

I do 4-5 A week, as well as playing 3 full games of basketball on different nights of the week, so my workout schedule is fairly packed, and My results are noticeable each week.
I guess It depends on how hard you want/or are able to work, that will deliver the results you want.

Thanks for your input and yes, I'd love it if this thread could be stickied and I could keep adding to it with others help, such as yours.

[VerticalDreams]

is there a certain rountine you may have for the upper body plyos?
im doing vjb for the lower body so i was just wondering

As of right now I am unaware of there being an Upper body Plyometrics "Program" set up, but if you were intending on training it , I would just have a look through the exercises I posted above, ( If you have a medicine ball ) and Using most of the upper body plyo's exercises I posted you could form yourself a once or twice a week workout that you could use in combination with your VJB workouts.

Something like, 2-3 sets 12 reps on each workout, and see how well it works your upper body.

[titdoctor]

Maybe someone without a strong base of strength can handle 3-4 plyo workouts a week (depending on how many touches), but if you have some solid muscle 2 times a week with plyo's is plenty. Any initial results you see from doing extra plyo's is just that, your body becomes more adapt to the extra stress and you might see a couple extra inches. But, for long term this extra plyo is really pointless. Less is always better when it comes to plyo's. 2-3 days recovery from all intense exercise after plyo days, your CNS/tendons needs the recovery more than your muscles even do. I suggest plenty of Vitamin C/E either from fruit or supplements.

You need to listen to your body, if your breathing hard or getting tired during plyo's your doing too much. Your heartrate should not even be raised or your working a different energy system in your body. Same with upper body 4-5 reps, with a long rest and 2-3 exercises is all you will need to make upper body explosive gains. Once your jump or explosive movement gets any slower/lower than your last, your no longer training your nervous system to fire at that speed, thus your not making any gains.

A explosive workout can turn into a cardio workout pretty easily!

[VerticalDreams]

Maybe someone without a strong base of strength can handle 3-4 plyo workouts a week (depending on how many touches), but if you have some solid muscle 2 times a week with plyo's is plenty. Any initial results you see from doing extra plyo's is just that, your body becomes more adapt to the extra stress and you might see a couple extra inches. But, for long term this extra plyo is really pointless. Less is always better when it comes to plyo's. 2-3 days recovery from all intense exercise after plyo days, your CNS/tendons needs the recovery more than your muscles even do. I suggest plenty of Vitamin C/E either from fruit or supplements.

You need to listen to your body, if your breathing hard or getting tired during plyo's your doing too much. Your heartrate should not even be raised or your working a different energy system in your body. Same with upper body 4-5 reps, with a long rest and 2-3 exercises is all you will need to make upper body explosive gains. Once your jump or explosive movement gets any slower/lower than your last, your no longer training your nervous system to fire at that speed, thus your not making any gains.

A explosive workout can turn into a cardio workout pretty easily!

correct!, thankyou for the input!, I probably dont need to be doing 4 plyo's workouts a week, but each day is different and im constantly keeping my muscles confused. You are right 2-3 is still going to produce results, very good results, but yes the person undertaking the program is going to want to have done strength training for a minimum of two months prior to starting plyometrics workouts.

When you begin a Plyo's workout, like you mentioned there are initial gains that appear fairly quickly, this is one of the reasons right now that Plyometric "Vertical Jump Programs" are so popular, People will buy them, and see a noticeable difference in the first 2-3 weeks because their body's are not used to be trained in that way, It depends on the training you do for the following 6months- 2 years + that determine your further results however. If you are strict with your diet, weights and plyometrics schedules, your gains are going to keep increasing as long as there is muscle confusion in your workouts.

I myself am Currently sitting at 39" Running vertical jump at 6'4 196lbs, I began training with weights probably 6-7 months ago, and continued with it for around 3 months, strengthening my body. Since then I had begun a mix of Lighter weights sessions, with cardio and plyometrics spread through my week ( as well as my 3 games of basketball per week) for the last 3-4 months. 7 months ago my running vertical was 24", so with 7 months of solid training Ive gone from 24" to 39" , 15" gain. And my speed has increased greatly also.

Each person's actual gain rates will be different, Some would say I have the genes/ frame/ muscle makeup that is perfect for plyometrics to work well for me. I'm tall and with my workouts becoming more and more lean each day, My father is native american and 6'7, he was a natural sprinter in his youth, he would win with hardly any training. My family says I have recieved his muscle makeup/build along with his fast twitch muscle mass, So I am fortunate in this regard but that doesnt mean that plyometrics is only going to work on people who are built right for it, plyometrics will work for anybody who uses them, as long as they are consistent with their training and like you mentioned VERY cautious of their Technique when working out.

Thanks for your input, im glad people are taking an interest in this thread.

[mike1283]

Thanks for the input so far, just curious (Vertical Dreams) how often/many times a week are you doing depth jump and altitude drops and squat jumps (with any weight?). With my former mentor (circuit training guy) his progessions went from squats, to squats and box jumps (complex/superset) altitude drops, and then finally depth jumps and squat jumps, (each of the exercises taking about 4 weeks for a cycle). Right now I'm lifting at least 4 days a week Max Effort upper, Max Effort Lower, then Dynamic option for lower then upper, is the way my splits are organized right now, and I feel like I've plateau's slightly (peak) with my strength levels squatting between 305 and 315lbs at a bodyweight of just over 230 and 5'10.
Basically when I was 1st becoming a trainer and in school, I would've totally bought into the (I think its safe to say his name) Lowry and Double Vertical program (I actually was UNfortunate enough to get 1 of his programs for free somewhere along the line). I was/am a fairly easy sell and like the idea of really firing the CNS, which I know is 1 thing that Sport Science Lab promotes even tho they don't do hardly any "traditional" strength training exercises they claim to have huge vert gains, but I digress from this portion.
1 of the other things that I really enjoyed once I got into circuit training a little deeper, was that each day my legs basically felt 'fresh' I didn't feel like I had worked out hrs after my workout and I felt like my recovery time was much less, so that was an added bonus. I think in the back of my head I was almost hoping to have someone on here who followed circuit routines similar to what I had gone through, and reassure my methods a little bit. I know that wasn't why this specific thread was created so I hope you don't mind my input and 'jacking' your thread a lil to vent about my past training experiences with vert training. Again thanks for the thread hope u don't mind my input thus far.

[VerticalDreams]

Thanks for the input so far, just curious (Vertical Dreams) how often/many times a week are you doing depth jump and altitude drops and squat jumps (with any weight?). With my former mentor (circuit training guy) his progessions went from squats, to squats and box jumps (complex/superset) altitude drops, and then finally depth jumps and squat jumps, (each of the exercises taking about 4 weeks for a cycle). Right now I'm lifting at least 4 days a week Max Effort upper, Max Effort Lower, then Dynamic option for lower then upper, is the way my splits are organized right now, and I feel like I've plateau's slightly (peak) with my strength levels squatting between 305 and 315lbs at a bodyweight of just over 230 and 5'10.
Basically when I was 1st becoming a trainer and in school, I would've totally bought into the (I think its safe to say his name) Lowry and Double Vertical program (I actually was UNfortunate enough to get 1 of his programs for free somewhere along the line). I was/am a fairly easy sell and like the idea of really firing the CNS, which I know is 1 thing that Sport Science Lab promotes even tho they don't do hardly any "traditional" strength training exercises they claim to have huge vert gains, but I digress from this portion.
1 of the other things that I really enjoyed once I got into circuit training a little deeper, was that each day my legs basically felt 'fresh' I didn't feel like I had worked out hrs after my workout and I felt like my recovery time was much less, so that was an added bonus. I think in the back of my head I was almost hoping to have someone on here who followed circuit routines similar to what I had gone through, and reassure my methods a little bit. I know that wasn't why this specific thread was created so I hope you don't mind m y input and 'jacking' your thread a lil to vent about my past training experiences with vert training. Again thanks for the thread hope u don't mind my input thus far.

I'm going to be straight honest with you, I dont ever do squats, I have never and dont currently, So I have no idea what I can squat. I obviously have good strength because Of my vert, but Ive never done any weighted squats.

Nor do I do Depth jumps, I have before , but not often. For some reason I am not a fan of them,

Most of my workouts are comprised of sprints, distance jumps off the spot, vertical jumps, tuck jumps , 1 legged hops, lots of speed work essentially.

Speed is key to jumping, if you can transfer your fast forward motion into an upwards motion you will be jumping higher easily.

I do alot of cardio from my 3 games of basketball per week , which is also kind of a plyometrics workout in a sense, due to all the jumping , quick starts and stops and sprints.


Thanks for your input , dont stop its good stuff!

[monatu]

should be stickied

good, basic Plyo information for anyone looking to introduce some bodyweight explosive work

[LilBevo]

awesome, i'll be incorporating a few of these into my workouts soon!
great thread vertical dreams.

[VerticalDreams]

should be stickied

good, basic Plyo information for anyone looking to introduce some bodyweight explosive work

Thanks man, I'd love it if this could be stickied !, Not sure what mods I would have to talk to about that??

awesome, i'll be incorporating a few of these into my workouts soon!
great thread vertical dreams.

Glad I could help bro, I Could give you some more boxing specific speed work stuff you can do if you want??

get back to me,

[VerticalDreams]

bump

[btrain34]

Great thread, but here's a question for the OP: Do ankle weights or wrist weights help with these exercises at all?

[VerticalDreams]

Great thread, but here's a question for the OP: Do ankle weights or wrist weights help with these exercises at all?

This is a Yes And No kind of thing,

Yes they will be beneficial, but ONLY if you are very advanced at working out with plyometrics,

If you are a beginner, I in NO way condone using weights on the ankles/wrists or even a weighted vest for that matter, that is one of the absolute best ways to cause yourself an injury.

The best thing for a beginner to do is , get your technique 100% correct, make sure you get a perfect technique throughout the Entire movement, for maximal results. Begin to build your strength up, and train for months or YEARS before even considering adding weights to your ankles/wrists or a Weighted vest.

[MeFailEnglish]

Hey man I have two questions.
1. I've never done Plyometrics, can you give me a routine with these exercises? Example: How many sets and reps I need to do for each one? And how much time should it take me? I want to do lower body only.
2. Can I include Plyometrics on days off with Starting Strength? I'm soon going to start doing Starting Strength.

I'm 14 5'8 154 pounds and have 8-10% bf.