leg plyometrics.docx
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Leg Plyometrics
This following are a selection of plyometric exercises designed to develop the elastic strength of
the lower body.
Bounds (high intensity)
How to perform the exercise
Jog into the start of the exercise
Push off with your left foot and bring the left leg forward, with the knee bent, toes
dorsiflexed and the thigh parallel to the ground
As you push off reach forward with your right arm.
The right leg extends back and remains extended for the duration of the push-off
Hold this extended stride for a brief time, then land on your left foot
The right leg then drives through to a forward bent position, the left arm reaches forward,and the left leg extends backward
Make each stride long as long as possible Land on the sole of the foot (flat footed), allowing energy to be stored by the elastic
components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
One to three sets over 30 to 40 metres
Allow a full recovery between each set
Quality of bounding is far more important than quantity.
Hurdle Hopping (medium intensity)
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How to perform the exercise
Jump forward over the barriers with your feet together
The movement should come from your hips and knees
keep your body vertical and straight, and do not let your knees move apart or to either
side
Tuck both knees to your chest
Use a double arm swing to maintain balance and gain height You should land on the balls of the feet, allowing energy to be stored by the elastic
components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
One to three sets using 6 to 8 hurdles
Allow a full recovery between each set
Hurdles should set up in a row, spaced according to ability
The height of the hurdles should be in the region of 12 and 36 inches high
Quality of hurdle hopping is far more important than quantity
Single Leg Hopping (medium intensity)
How to perform the exercise
Stand on one leg
Push off with the leg you are standing on and jump forward, landing on the same leg
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Use a forceful swing of the opposite leg to increase the length of the jump but aim
primarily for height off each jump
You should land on the ball of the foot, allowing energy to be stored by the elastic
components of the leg muscles, and immediately take off again
Keep the foot touch down time to the shortest time possible
Try to keep your body vertical and straight
Perform this exercise on both legs
Beginners will use a straighter leg action where as advanced athletes should try to pull
the heel toward the buttocks during the jump
Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
One to three sets over 30 to 40 metres
Allow a full recovery between each set
Quality of bounding is far more important than quantity
Box Jumps (high intensity)
How to perform the exercise
This exercis requires 6 x 40-100cm boxes
Assume a deep squat position with your feet shoulder width apart at the end of the row of
boxes
Keep your hands on your hips or behind your head
Jump onto the box, landing softly in a squat position on the balls of the feet
Maintaining the squat position, jump off the box onto the ground, landing softly in a
squat position on the balls of the feet
Jump onto the next box and so on
Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
One to three sets using 6 to 8 boxes
Allow a full recovery between each set
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The height of the box should be in the region of 30-80 cm
Quality of box jumping is far more important than quantity
Depth Jumps (high intensity)
How to perform the exercise
This exercise requires a 40-100cm boxe Stand on the box with your toes close to the front edge
Step from the box and drop to land on then balls of both feet
Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
One to three sets using 6 to 8 boxes
Allow a full recovery between each set
The height of the box should be in the region of 30-80 cm
Quality of depth jumping is far more important than quantity
Tuck Jumps (low intensity)
How to perform the exercise
Begin in a standing position
Jump up, grabbing both knees as they come up your chest
Return to the starting position landing on the balls of the feet
Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can
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Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
How much
1 to 3 sets
Allow a full recovery between each set
5 to 10 repetitions/set
Quality of Tuck Jumps is far more important than quantity
Two legged Hops or Bunny Hops (medium intensity)
How to perform the exercise
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
Lower into a squat position and jump as far forward as possible
Land on the balls of both feet
Try to keep your body vertical and straight, and do not let your knees move apart or toeither side
Try to anticipate the landing and spring up as quickly as you can Keep the feet touch down time on the ground to the shortest time possible
Use quick double-arm swings and keep landings short
How much
1 to 3 sets
Allow a full recovery between each set
5 to 10 repetitions/set
Quality of Bunny Hops is far more important than quantity
Warm up
A thorough warm-up is essential prior to plyometric training. Attention should be given to jogging, stretching (static and ballistic), striding and general mobility especially about the joints
involved in the planned plyometric session. A warm-down should follow each session.
Where to do it and what to wear
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For bounding exercises use surfaces such as grass or resilient surfaces and well-cushioned shoes
that are stable and can absorb some of the impact.
Young athletes
Moderate jumps can be included in the athletic training of very young children (Lohman, 1989).Because of the relatively immature bone structure in preadolescent and adolescent children the
very great forces exerted during intensive depth jumps should be avoided (Smith, 1975).
Arm Plyometrics
This following are a selection of plyometric exercises designed to develop the elastic strength of
the upper body.
Chest Pass
Resources
This exercise requires an assistant and a medicine ball.
How to perform the exercise
The athlete is to stand feet shoulder width apart and your
knees slightly bent facing their assistant
The athlete holds the medicine ball with both hands atchest level, elbows pointing out
Athlete passes the medicine ball to their assistant,pushing it off their chest and ending with the arms outstraight
The assistant catches the medicine ball, allows the
medicine ball to come to their chest before pushing it off back to the athlete
The athlete should try to anticipate the catch and return
the medicine ball as quickly as they can keeping the catch
time as short as possible
How much
3 sets of 10 repetitions/set
5 minute recovery between each set
Quality of the passes is far more important than quantity
Power Drop
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Resources
This exercise requires an assistant, a 40-100cm box and a medicine ball.
How to perform the exercise
Lie on the ground on your back with your arms
outstretched upwards
Assistant stands on the box holding the medicine ball atarm's length so the medicine ball is directly above the
athlete's hands
The assistant drops the medicine ball into the athlete's
hands
The athlete:
o catches the medicine ball
o allows the medicine ball to come towards their
chesto then extends their arms to propel the medicine ball
back to the assistant's hands
The athlete should try to anticipate the catch and return themedicine ball as quickly as they can keeping the catch time
as short as possible
How much
3 sets of 10 repetitions/set
5 minute recovery between each set Quality of the catch and pass is far more important than quantity
Gym Balls Wobble Balance Board Wobble Cushion Medicine Balls
Visit Return2Fitness.co.uk for your specialist sports training accessories
Incline Push up depth jump
Resources
This exercise requires two thick (3") mats and a 12" box
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How to perform the exercise
The two mats are placed shoulder width apart
Place the box to elevate the athlete's feet above their shoulders when in a press upposition
The athlete:
o faces the floor in a press up position with their feet on the box and their hands
between the mats
o pushes off from the ground with their hands and land with one hand on each mat
o pushes off the mats with both hands and back to the starting position
Keep the hand contact time on the mats as short as possible
How much
3 sets of 10 repetitions/set
5 minute recovery between each set
Quality of the push ups is far more important than quantity
Incline Chest Pass
Resources
This exercise requires an assistant and a medicine ball
How to perform the exercise
Athlete and assistant sit facing each other
The athlete:
o holds the medicine ball with both hands at chest level, elbows pointing out
o leans back at a 45 degree angle, keeping their abdominals tight
o passes the medicine ball to their assistant, pushing it off their chest and ending
with your arms straight
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The assistant catches the medicine ball, allows the medicine ball to come to their chest
before passing the medicine ball back to to the athlete
The athlete should try to anticipate the catch and return the medicine ball as quickly as
they can keeping the catch time as short as possible
How much
3 sets of 10 repetitions/set
5 minute recovery between each set
Quality of the passes is far more important than quantity
High Intensity Plyometrics
The information contained on this page has been provided by Les Archer who has used theseHigh Intensity Plyometrics exercises with many jumpers, hurdles and sprinters with great
success. He is a track and field coach in South Africa with experience from schools to the
Olympics specialising in sprints and long jump. Les is also the current strength and conditioningcoach for the Golden Lions rugby union in South Africa.
High Intensity Plyometrics (HIP) is for the more advanced athletes and should only be conductedonce you have been exposed to basic plyometrics for some time. It is a well known fact that huge
amounts of forces are placed on the joints, muscles and bone structure with plyometrics and even
more so with HIP.
The major muscles worked when performing these exercises are Gluteus maximus, Quadriceps,Tensor facia latae, Gastrocnemius and Soleus
Warm up
Conduct the following exercises over a distance of 15 to 20 metres:
Marching - focus on proper biomechanics of the arms, legs and feet
Jogging - high knees, butt kicks, toe jogging
Skipping - mimics the quick take off and landing
Lunges
Ankle hops and small jumps
Start position
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Most of these exercises start in the lunge position.
Make sure your upper body stays in the upright position andensure you have good core stability before attempting these
jumps.
As a precaution, I recommend that the front knee does not
move forward beyond the toes as this places extreme force on
the knee joints and ligaments.
Lunge jump with a twist
Start in a normal lunge position but move the arms (elbow extended) and hands to a position in
front of the body (Figure 1) and then to the side of the leading leg (Figure 2). Upon jumping up,
change leading legs and the arms accordingly. This is a good exercise to help develop not onlyexplosiveness but also your core stability. Do 2 to 4 sets of 4 of 6 repetitions. The twist can be
executed with dumbbells or with a medicine ball.
Figure 1 Figure 2
Lunge jump with enhanced hip flexion and extension
Start in the lunge position. Jump up, once in the air, bring the front knee further up and extendthe back leg even more. Before landing, bring the legs back into the starting lunge position. On
landing immediately explode into the next repetition. Do 2 to 4 sets of 4 of 6 repetitions. Do one
set with the right leg forward and then repeat with the left leg forward.
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
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Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6
Lunge jump landing with alternating legs in front
Start in the lunge jump position. Jump up as high as possible, but once in the air, alternate the
legs so the back leg becomes the front landing leg. On landing immediately explode into the nextrepetition. Do 2 to 4 sets of 4 of 6 repetitions. Do one set with the right leg forward and then
repeat with the left leg forward.
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
Figure 4 Figure 5
To make this more difficult you can place your hands on your hips.
Lunge cycle jump
Start the same as above mentioned. Once in the air, do a hip flexion with the back leg (so it
becomes the front leg) and knee flexion with the now back leg. However, before landing return
the legs to the starting position. On landing immediately explode into the next repetition. Do 2 to4 sets of 4 of 6 repetitions. Do one set with the right leg forward and then repeat with the left leg
forward.
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Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
Figure 4 Figure 5
Highland swing
This jump starts off by standing with your feet next to one another. Bend your knees and jumpup as high as you can and perform a hip flexion with one leg and bending the back leg knee.
Before landing, bring the feet next to one another. With the next jump up, alternate the legs. On
landing immediately explode into the next repetition. Do 2 to 4 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions. Do one
set with the right leg forward and then repeat with the left leg forward.
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
Figure 4 Figure 5
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Additional Information
Popular Core Strength Training Exercises
Prone Bridge
In a face down position, balance on the tips of your toes andelbows while attempting to maintain a straight line from heels to
head. This exercise focuses on both the anterior and posterior
muscle groups of the trunk and pelvis.
Lateral Bridge Start on your side and press up with your right arm. Form abridge maintaining a straight line from your hand to your foot.
Rest on your elbow to increase the difficulty. This exercise
focuses on the abdominal obliques and transversus abdominus.
Supine Bridge Lying on your back, raise your hips so that only your head,shoulders, and feet are touching the floor. The supine bridge
focuses on the gluteal muscles. Stronger gluteals help maintain
pelvic control.
Pelvic Thrusts Lie on your back with your legs bent 90 degrees at the hip.
Slowly lift your hips off the floor and towards the ceiling. Loweryour hips to the floor and repeat for the prescribed number of
repetitions.
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Russian Twists 1. Start by sitting on the floor with hips and knees flexed to
approximately 90 degree angles.2. Grasp a medicine ball or small dumbbell and swing it to the
right and left as you keep the hips from rotating with theshoulders.
3. The arms are not perpendicular to the torso, but instead, kept
low, near the thighs, as the medicine ball is swung to each side.
Good Mornings
1) Stand with feet shoulder width apart with knees slightly bent(at 20).
2) Start position: Grasp bar with overhand grip shoulder width
apart. Back should be straight in a neutral position.
3) Bending at the hips, lower bar to approximately knee height.Keep knees bent at 20 throughout movement.
4) Return to start position.
5) Remember to keep back straight - movement should occur atthe hip. To facilitate this, shift glutes back as if ready to sit down.
Knees should not move forward beyond the toes.
Dumbell Lunges with Crossover 1) Start position: Stand with feet hip width apart. Grasp DB's and
hold out in front of body.2) Step forward 2-3 feet forming a 90 bend at the front hip and
knee. DO NOT allow front knee to extend past the big toe - may
cause injury. As you are lunging swing dumbbells across bodytowards the hip.
3) Pushing off front foot, return to start position with legs and
dumbbells.
4) Remember to keep head and back upright in a neutral position.Shoulders and hips should remain squared at all times.
5) Watch for proper knee alignment - do not let front knee extend past big toe or deviate laterally
or medially. Back knee should not come in contact with floor.