Plyometrics function as effective exercises

Not everyone can get to a gym, and with a busy schedule, I’m in the same boat. The hectic schedule on top of time constraits can make it hard to exercise, yet my interest led me to efforts in martial arts such as krav maga, practicing kettlebells and a number of other exercises. But there is a much more basic solution to the problem than I realized.

A simple way to build strength — and not necessarily muscle mass — is to do plyometrics. Plyometrics are fast body weight exercises focused on rapid muscle contraction and expansion that take advantage of muscle elasticity to build strength. Ideally, plyometrics also increase body speed, making them great for runners and cyclists.

Part of what makes plyometrics so effective is they play into the body’s myotatic reflex, which is when muscles contract automatically when stretched to a certain point. By actively forcing this motion, it creates a quicker contraction within each muscle group, while at the same time getting the benefits from stretching.

There is one problem. If your ankles or wrists are not strong enough you can cause injury because of the sudden stress on the body. It’s best to avoid plyometrics if you’re just starting out with strength training. They’re great for building on a base of strength, but without that base, plyometrics can be a bit dangerous. At the very least, be sure to warm up your body by rolling your wrists and ankles.

Most plyometric exercises are simple and isolated to certain body parts. For the lower body, try box jumps.

Box jumps and step-ups, even when done in a no-rest, rapid succession, might not seem like they are speed-oriented, but that boost of strength and the quick movements involved can actually increase a runner’s speed and endurance.

Find a solid box or a platform around three to four feet in height. Then, standing in front with no momentum, jump on top of the box, and then jump back down. Immediately jump back up, with no rest or pause between jumps. If you can’t do that, when you land on the ground, take a quick hop and then jump, to avoid losing momentum.

This might seem easy, but doing a set of 25 is a true test of one’s strength and endurance.

For the upper body, it’s best to do clap pushups, a variation on the standard exercise that works in the rapid contraction and expansion of plyometrics. Pushups are supposed to be measured, controlled descents and ascents, grounded by the hands on aspect of the workout. Clap pushups throw this concept out the window.

The benefits of plyometrics go beyond strength, although that is the base from which the other stem. The explosive moves involved in plyometrics boost agility; these fast shifts in muscle contraction make your reaction time quicker. These moves also serve to strengthen bone density.

Other exercises are more geared toward full body strength, which is excellent if you’re short on time. The first is a step-up. Taking the platform or box you would use in box jumps, raise one foot on top and then with that foot, push yourself up into a jump, all while keeping your arms raised over head. As with box jumps, a set of around 25 repetitions offers a great workout that’s challenging, no matter how strong you are.

Here the exercise mainly focuses on the lower body, but the arms and back get worked out as well. This is a common move common in parkour, as it helps with climbing over obstacles. Step up, jump, climb and then pull yourself up. It’s an easy and effective way to work the whole body.

But perhaps the best full body plyometric is a burpee. It’s an exercise favored by the military and athletes for its sheer simplicity as a body building move. Standing upright, lower into a squat position — back straight, legs bent at a right angle with the butt sticking back — and then quickly drop into the pushup position. Do a pushup, then immediately return to your feet, pushing up into a jump. Land and immediately repeat by moving to squat.

Exercises like burpees can stretch the core and help strengthen and define the abdominal muscles, without doing any crunches or something along the lines of that.

Plyometrics aren’t the perfect way to build strength, and they definitely won’t pack on muscle.

But, when time is short and options are limited, they are among the most efficient of exercises available.

 

Nicholas Slayton is a junior majoring in print and digital journalism. His column “Way of the Body” runs Tuesdays.