A sensory nerve exists on your muscle spindle at the point where your muscle connects to your tendon. Your body sends a signal through this sensory nerve to your spinal cord whenever your muscle is stretched. The response from your spinal cord tells the muscle to contract. Your muscle spindles respond with greater activation when you increase the speed of the stretch. Plyometric exercises are designed to increase this stretch speed, which improves the way your nerves react. Plyometric exercises are often known as jump training and you use this style of training to improve your sprinting speed and power.
Vertical Jump
Step 1
Stand tall with feet hip-distance apart. Bend your arms to a 90-degree angle with your hands in front of your stomach.
Step 2
Bend your knees slightly. Lift your elbows behind your body.
Step 3
Jump up as high as you can. Reach your arms over your head.
Step 4
Land on your entire foot with your knees facing the same direction as your toes.
Step 5
Rest for five seconds and repeat the jump five times. Rest for three minutes and complete another set of five jumps.
Box Jumps
Step 1
Place a box on the floor. Stand facing the box with your feet hip-distance apart and your hands behind your head.
Step 2
Bend your knees slightly. Jump up and land with both feet on the box. Face your knees and toes in the same direction.
Step 3
Step down off the back of the box to return to start position. Rest for five seconds.
Step 4
Jump and rest three more times.
Step 5
Rest for three minutes. Complete one or two more sets of box jumps.
Tips and Warnings
- As your fitness level improves, decrease the amount of rest between each repetition.
- Plyometric exercises are intense strength training movements. Your body requires at least two days of rest in between a plyometric workout for muscle recovery.
Things You'll Need
- Sturdy box or aerobic step 12 to 24 inches high
References
- National Strength and Conditioning Association: Introduction to Plyometrics: Converting Strength to Power; Edward McNeely
- "Jumping into Plyometrics"; Donald A. Chu; 1998
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