EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Presents THE ELITE WORKOUT UPGRADE TO DEVELOP MORE POWER AND AGILITY GET FASTER IN EVERY DIRECTION ADD INCHES TO YOUR VERTICAL JUMP FROM THE HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM AT 1 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN The elite workout upgrade to develop more power and agility, get faster in every direction, and add inches to your vertical jump. CREATED BY STACK’S HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM 2 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN DISCLAIMER Warning: Serious injury may result from using or acting upon the information contained in EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS. Please consult your physician about your individual fitness condition before beginning any workout, fitness program, nutrition plan or supplementation. Failure to follow instructions and properly prepare your body (warm-up) prior to activity can increase the likelihood of serious injury. Adult supervision is recommended. STACK does not warrant, represent or guarantee that the information provided within is accurate, reliable, current, scientifically based or tested. 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Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of STACK Media, Inc. is prohibited. 3 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS The Truth About Plyometrics 5 Does anybody even know what plyometrics are anymore? 6 What is the stretch-shortening cycle, and why should I care? 6 Phase 1: Lengthen 7 Phase 2: Load 7 Phase 3: Fire 7 The stretch-shortening cycle in action 8 The roots of plyometrics 8 Things You’ve Always Wanted To Know About Plyometrics 9 10 Are plyometrics dangerous? 11 How many plyometrics are too many? 12 Do I need to be a certain age or reach a certain fitness level before I can start plyometrics? 12 What should I wear during a plyo workout? 13 How about footwear? 13 What equipment do I need to perform plyos? 13 Should I jump off the box to get down during box jumps? 14 When in my workout should I do plyometrics? 14 How often should I perform plyometrics? 14 Jump smart: The intensity of various plyometric exercises 15 Plyometrics ranked from least to most intense 15 3 Skills You Must Master Before You Start Plyometrics 16 So you think you’re ready for liftoff? 17 Step 1: How to land 18 Quiet Down 18 Step 2: How to jump 19 Step 2: How to jump 20 What size box should I use? Step 3: How to jump, land and jump again- the right way 21 22 4 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS How To Jump Higher and Farther Today! 23 Pump up your jumps 24 The vertical jump 24 1. The set-up 25 2. The upswing 26 3. The downsizing 27 4. The explosion 28 5. The touch 29 6. The landing 30 Stretched hips equal bigger hops 31 The broad jump 33 1. The set-up 34 2. The upswing 35 3. The downswing 36 4. The explosion 37 5. Hang time 38 6. The transition 39 7. The landing 40 26 Plyometric Exercises To build Speed, Power and Strength 41 6-Week Plyometric Workout For Strength, Speed and Power 55 How will explosive plyometrics help me get more powerful? 56 How to use this plan 57 You’re training for power, not conditioning 57 Be strict about technique 58 Equipment 58 Track your progress 58 Week 1 59 Week 2 60 Week 3 61 Week 4 62 Week 5 63 Week 6 5 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Presents EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS THE TRUTH ABOUT PLYOMETRICS EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS DOES ANYBODY EVEN KNOW WHAT PLYOMETRICS ARE ANYMORE? Based on the way people are using plyo exercises today, it’s hard to tell. Take a move like the Box Jump. It’s definitely plyometric—when it’s performed correctly. The problem is, lately everyone seems to be doing them wrong. Here’s what plyometrics are not: They’re not cardio. They’re not supposed to be performed in a fast-paced circuit that repeatedly works the same muscles. They’re definitely not Burpees. And they’re not moves you should do over and over until you’re winded and panting, just because some exercise video told you so. (Not that we’re naming names, P90X. Ok, we are.) Here’s what plyometrics are: They are the fastest way to turn the strength you build in the weight room into speed and explosiveness on the field. They teach your muscles to exert maximum force in minimum time. And they do this by training a function of your muscles you’ve probably never heard of, which has a huge impact on your performance. It’s called the stretch-shortening cycle. WHAT IS THE STRETCH-SHORTENING CYCLE, AND WHY SHOULD I CARE? The stretch-shortening cycle, or SSC, is what happens in your muscles when you change directions in a hurry. It’s basically a three-step process in which your muscles slow down your body’s momentum, hold on to the energy that results from landing for a tiny fraction of a second, and convert that energy into forceful movement. Exercise physiologists call these three phases “eccentric,” “amortization” and “concentric,” but we’ll call them lengthen, load and fire. Of the three, it’s the middle one—load—that makes a plyometric a plyometric. But more on that in a second. 7 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Here’s specifically what goes on in your muscles during each phase: Phase 1: Lengthen During the lengthening phase, your muscles do exactly that—they get longer to slow your body down. They do this whenever you need to absorb impact, such as when your feet hit the ground after a jump. Your muscles, such as your glutes, quads and hamstrings, stretch and create tension until your body is no longer moving. Just like a stretched rubber band, your muscles now contain elastic energy. On to Phase 2. Phase 2: Load Load is the shortest—but most important—of the three phases. How short? Ideally, you execute the load in 15 to 20 milliseconds. If it takes longer than 25 milliseconds—1/40th of a second—you lose the stored energy. It dissipates from your body as heat. But if you move through this phase quickly, your body takes that energy and channels it into your next movement. To the untrained eye, it happens so fast it looks like nothing happened. But what really occured is that your body loaded up on energy, which you then unleash in Phase 3. Phase 3: Fire In this final phase, your muscles contract quickly and forcefully to produce a powerful movement, like a jump. Can your muscles do this without going through the stretch-shortening cycle? Yes. But the SSC provides them with an extra boost—the elastic energy you create in Phase 1 and store in Phase 2. The resulting move is not just a product of your strength. It’s your strength plus physics. To see what a difference this makes, tap your index finger against a table as hard as you can. Notice the sound. Now use your opposite hand to pull the same finger back and and let is snap against the table. The second instance will be a lot louder because the elastic energy created when you pulled your finger back allowed you to generate greater downward force. 8 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS If that sounds like hocus pocus, ask yourself this: When you watch elite athletes like NFL or NBA prospects being tested for their vertical jump, what do they do? Do they just stand on two feet and try and jump upward? No. They bend their knees, lower their hips, and launch themselves into the air. They lengthen the muscles in their legs, load up on elastic energy, and fire themselves into the sky. How do you teach your body to take that elastic energy and put it to use? How do your muscles learn to move through the SSC efficiently enough that you can use the energy it creates to your advantage? The answer to those questions came from, of all places, Soviet-era Russia. THE STRETCH-SHORTENING CYCLE IN ACTION Here is how the SSC works when you land from a jump and immediately jump again. STARTING POSITION LENGTHEN (“Eccentric Phase”) Athlete beginning landing LOAD (“Amortization Phase”) Athlete at bottom of landing FIRE (“Concentric Phase”) Athlete exploding up 9 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS THE ROOTS OF PLYOMETRICS During the 1972 Olympic games, Soviet sprinter Valeriy Borzov took Gold in both the 100- and 200-meter sprints in a dramatic upset over the American sprinting team. After the race, Borzov credited a technique that only the Russians were using at the time, called “Shock Method.” American distance running coach Fred Wilt, an inquisitive mind who had once worked for the FBI, took interest. Shock Method dated back to the late 1950s, when Russian scientist Dr. Yuri Verkhoshansky asked a squad of track and field athletes to experiment with Depth Jumps—stepping off a box and then jumping immediately. Depth Jumps challenge the SSC in such a way that the body must absorb impact and then quickly transition into a max effort jump. Over time, performing the move reduces the time your muscles need to absorb the impact and channel it into force. The unorthodox technique produced results. Nearly all of the athletes experienced notable improvements in their performance. By 1964, one of Verkhoshansky’s athletes, Boris Zubov, had set new European and Soviet records in sprint events, and Verkhoshansky was invited to join the coaching staff of the Russian national track and field team. The idea behind Verkhoshansky’s method was that the kinetic energy created by a fall could be used to increase the strength of an athlete’s explosive movement. He spent the rest of his life researching and developing what he called “Shock Method.” When he wrote about the technique in 1975, Fred Wilt renamed the protocol “plyometrics.” Starting from those simple Depth Jumps, Verkhoshansky found that his method of challenging and improving the SSC could be applied in a variety of other ways. For example, Skater Jumps could be used to challenge the SSC during side-to-side movement, helping to improve agility over time. More recent plyometric exercises isolate specific aspects of the SSC. For example, a Depth Drop— in which you step off a box and land on the ground on your feet—trains the Lengthening (“eccentric”) phase alone. It’s a helpful starting point for developing more complex movements. In EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS, we give you everything you need to know about plyometric training and how you can use it to increase your explosiveness. You’ll learn the right ways to integrate plyos into your workouts and find out how to avoid common mistakes that ruin this style of training. 10 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Presents EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 8 THINGS YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT PLYOMETRICS 11 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Plyometrics are a potent and effective way for athletes to develop strength, speed and power. But like any training technique, there is a right way and a wrong way to apply it. A little knowledge goes a long way. Before you jump into the training program, set yourself up for success by knowing the answers to these frequently asked questions. 1. ARE PLYOMETRICS DANGEROUS? It depends. Plyo takeoffs and landings place significant stress on your muscles, joints and connective tissues. But that’s not inherently bad. In fact, it’s what builds strength. All workouts involve stress, because they cause microtears in your muscles. When your body repairs them, your muscles get bigger and stronger. The trick with plyos—as with all workouts—is to perform the moves with proper form and not overdo it, so that the stress is productive (rather than destructive). The first way to ensure that your plyos produce results (not damage) is to learn the proper way to jump—and to land after jumping. That’s why we go deep on jumping and landing form in 3 Skills You Must Master Before You Start Plyometrics, another component of EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS. Give them a read, and practice the techniques outlined there if you haven’t mastered them already. The second big thing with plyos is to avoid performing too many too often. Athletes love to get a leg up on their competition by putting in extra work, but this is an area where more is not necessarily better. A 2008 study found that athletes who performed 420 plyometric reps per week experienced greater improvements in speed and explosiveness than those who did 1,680 reps. 12 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 2. HOW MANY PLYOMETRICS ARE TOO MANY? Again, the answer is “it depends.” (Sorry, we’re not trying to be coy here.) Plyos are measured in “touches” (basically another word for reps, or the number of times your feet contact the ground). The total number of touches an athlete should get during a workout depends on several factors, including his or her size (height and weight) and training level (experienced or newbie). Generally speaking, a heavier athlete should get fewer touches (perform fewer reps) than a light athlete, and a veteran athlete can handle more touches than a beginner. Your size also affects the type of plyo moves you should do. For example, heavier athletes should take special precautions when doing Depth Jumps. Athletes under 220 pounds can use a box about 30 inches tall, whereas those who weigh more than 220 pounds should use a shorter box. Start with a box that comes up to your knees in height, or below. When you feel comfortable landing softly using that box, progress to a taller one. In this plan, a typical workout involves between 75 and 150 touches, a range that should be safe for nearly all athletes. It bears repeating that doing more isn’t necessarily better. In fact, a 2008 study found that athletes who performed a low or moderate volume of plyometrics per week experienced greater improvements in speed and explosiveness than those who did a high volume. 3. DO I NEED TO BE A CERTAIN AGE OR REACH A CERTAIN FITNESS LEVEL BEFORE I CAN START PLYOMETRICS? Most athletes aged 12 and older can safely perform basic plyometric moves. At that age, jumping in place (but not to your max height) or onto a low box would be good places to start, since the exercises are lower in impact and help reinforce the proper way to take off and land. As you become comfortable with those movements, you can gradually move on to more advanced (and more intense) plyometric exercises, such as Skater Jumps and Broad Jumps. To understand how plyometric exercises progress in intensity, check out the “Jump Smart” sidebar on the last page of this section. 13 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 4. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR DURING A PLYO WORKOUT? Normal workout clothes are fine for plyos. As long as your outfit is comfortable and non-restrictive, it should work well. 5. HOW ABOUT FOOTWEAR? Cross-training shoes are ideal. They are typically cushioned enough to allow you to jump and land without pain, but not so thick that you can’t feel the ground beneath your feet. Opt for low-top shoes. One of the main benefits of plyos is that they help develop ankle stability and mobility. Avoid wearing cleats when you do plyos, even if you perform them on a turf or grass field. Cleats are designed to grip the ground, and plyometrics are all about getting off the ground as fast as possible. Some coaches recommend performing plyometrics barefooted, but in our view the risks outweigh the rewards. Going barefoot increases the amount of stress placed on your feet and joints because there’s no cushion to absorb the pounding. Your chances of suffering a soft tissue or skin injury are far greater. When you perform plyos without shoes, even a small mistake could be catastrophic. For example, when performing a Box Jump, if you accidently catch your toe on the side of the box, you could wind up with a broken toe. It’s not worth it. 6. WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED TO PERFORM PLYOS? One great thing about plyometrics is that many exercises can be done with no equipment. All you need are your body and space in which to move around. Some exercises require boxes, cones or hurdles, but in these cases you can improvise. For example, if you don’t have cones, you can use plastic cups or water bottles. When substituting for boxes, you need to be a bit more careful. You could jump up a set of stairs, but we recommend using something with a non-slip surface. 14 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS SHOULD I JUMP OFF THE BOX TO GET DOWN DURING BOX JUMPS? No. You should not jump down from a box unless you are doing an exercise that explicitly calls for it, such as Depth Jumps. When performing Box Jumps, you should jump onto the box, land correctly, and then step off the box in a controlled manner. Jumping off the box adds unnecessary stress to the exercise. Some people jump up onto and down off a box for conditioning effect, but this defeats the purpose of the move in plyometrics. Your goal in a plyometrics program is to be fast and explosive. Leave your conditioning efforts to activities that create less stress on your joints— and ideally that are more applicable to your sport. 7. WHEN IN MY WORKOUT SHOULD I DO PLYOMETRICS? This one is easy. Perform plyos after your warm-up but before your heavy lifting or sprint work. You should be stretched and ready for explosive movements but still feel fresh. In short, warm up, do plyos, then lift or do speed drills. 8. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I PERFORM PLYOMETRICS? Do not perform plyometrics on consecutive days. A recovery period of between 48 and 72 hours (two or three days) is recommended. That means you should do no more than two to four plyo workouts per week. In this plan, we split the difference and prescribe three bouts per week. 15 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS JUMP SMART: THE INTENSITY OF VARIOUS PLYOMETRIC EXERCISES Plyometric exercises vary widely in intensity—the amount of stress they place on your muscles, joints and tissues. More intense moves should be undertaken with greater care. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind regarding the intensity of different plyometric exercises: Any single-leg plyo exercise is more intense than the same move done on two legs, since all of the force from the jump or move will come on one limb. The height of the jump predicts the amount of stress an exercise places on your body. Higher heights generally mean greater intensity. Swinging your arms overhead results in greater jump height and, therefore, more intensity. Jumping in place puts the greatest amount of pressure on your knees. Plyometrics ranked from least to most intense: HIGH Repeat Single-Leg Jumps Repeat Jumps Depth Jumps from heights similar to your vertical jump height Tuck and Pike Jumps Maximum jump and reach with overhead goals Maximum jump and reach without overhead goals Low box and Depth Jumps Slightly higher sub-maximal Jumps in place (e.g., Tall Cone Hops) LOW Sub-maximal Jumps in place (e.g., Ankle Hops, Split Squat Jumps, Short Cone Hops) 16 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Presents EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 3 SKILLS YOU MUST MASTER BEFORE YOU START PLYOMETRICS 17 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS SO YOU THINK YOU’RE READY FOR LIFTOFF? Before you launch headfirst into the training in EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS—or any plyo workout—you must master three skills: landing properly, jumping properly and jumping, landing and jumping again properly in quick succession. You need to have these down cold and know that you’re nailing them every time. I should know how to land? You may be scoffing right now. OF COURSE I know how to land. What idiot doesn’t? Believe it or not, plenty of people don’t. Want proof? Step into any gym and listen to the guy going boom! atop an 18-inch box. Or watch the kid whose knees collapse inward when he hits the ground after a jump. These form fails are not just loud and unsightly, they’re dangerous because they place unneccesary stress on your bones and joints. Here’s how to make sure you don’t put yourself at risk. 18 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS STEP 1: HOW TO LAND LANDING POSITION Both your knees and ankles bend as you sit your hips back. Tighten your core muscles. Keep your chest and head up. Your knees are in line with your hips and ankles so they’re not caving in, and behind your toes. Your feet are hip-width apart, and your forefeet strike the ground first. An easy way to practice your landing technique is to perform Depth Drops. In this move, you simply step off a knee-high box and land, making sure you nail all five points every time you hit the ground. You’ll know you’re doing it right when you feel little or no shock upon landing. It should be gentle and quiet. Do five drops, trying to soften and quiet your landing more with each one. QUIET DOWN Arguably, the most important plyometric tip you will ever learn is “every landing should be as quiet as possible.” A quiet landing means you’re using proper technique and limiting the impact on your joints. Consistently landing softly allows you to get more benefits from a plyometric program with less wear and tear on your body. 19 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS STEP 2: HOW TO JUMP JUMP: STARTING POSITION Tighten your core muscles. Keep your chest and head up, and your eyes on the target. Your knees are in line with your hips and ankles, and behind your toes. Both your knees and ankles bend as you drop your hips down and back. Your feet are hip-width apart. 20 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS STEP 2: HOW TO JUMP JUMP: LIFTOFF Keep your eyes focused on your landing target. Swing your arms forward. Extend forcefully at the hips, knees and ankles. To practice your jumping technique, perform Box Jumps using a knee-high box. Stand a foot away from the box and follow the above form tips as you jump on top of the box. Land on both feet as gently as possible. Do five reps, trying to soften more on every landing. Between reps, step down from the box. Do not jump down from the box, but rather step back down. 21 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS WHAT SIZE BOX SHOULD I USE? Taller is not always better. It may look cool to leap on top of something that comes up to your chest, but using a box that’s too tall too soon is a way to get yourself hurt. And it’s not even beneficial from a training standpoint. In a proper Box Jump, your hips and knees bend about the same amount when you land as they do when you start your jump. If you have to tuck your knees to your chest to make a jump, your box is too high—and frankly, it’s not safe. For Box Jumps, Depth Drops and Depth Jumps, start with a box the same height as your knees. As you move through the program, progress to taller boxes to keep the exercises challenging. For Depth Drops and Depth Jumps, use a box that allows you to land softly relative to your ability. You need to judge what feels right. It’s better to increase the difficulty gradually than to try and make big leaps and wind up with achy knees or ankles. 22 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS STEP 3: HOW TO JUMP, LAND AND JUMP AGAIN—THE RIGHT WAY In Step 3, you put it all together. It’s more difficult to maintain proper technique on repeat jumps, because you need to be mindful of landing softly and taking off quickly simultaneously. But don’t worry. If you’ve taken time to practice Steps 1 and 2, this final step will come naturally. REPEAT JUMPS Jump as high as possible. Immediately explode up into your next jump. Land as softly as possible, with your forefeet striking the ground first. To practice your Repeat Jump technique, perform Four Jumps with Time Focus. From a standing position, jump up four times as quickly as you can. Spend as little time on the ground as possible. The speed of your jumps is more important than the height you reach. When you’re confident that you’ve mastered all three steps, and combined them into an efficient, powerful machine capable of landing softly on every jump, you’re ready to make your way to the launch pad. 23 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Presents EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS HOW TO JUMP HIGHER AND FARTHER TODAY! 24 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS PUMP UP YOUR JUMPS The Vertical Jump and the Broad Jump are both effective ways to measure your athleticism. Few other moves are better indicators of how much power you can produce. And for an athlete, power translates to faster acceleration, quicker cuts, and, in contact sports, harder hits. That’s not just our opinion. Look any Pro Scouting Combine and you’ll see one or both of these moves on the testing program. The NBA Draft Combine tests athletes on their vertical jump for obvious reasons. What team doesn’t want players who can play above the rim? The NFL tests each prospect’s vert and broad jump. Typically, athletes who perform well in jumps will be at the front of their position groups during the all-important sprints. In EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS, we use the Vertical Jump and Broad Jump as our measuring sticks. Before you begin your training, test them both and record your numbers. That will provide your baseline. After you follow the workouts in this plan, we’re confident you’ll jump higher and longer. But why wait? In this section, you’ll find tips to hack the Vertical Jump and Broad Jump and add inches to your totals. Your improvements will pale in comparison to the difference you notice after six weeks of busting your butt in this program, but with the quick tutorials you’ll find in this section, you can start jumping higher and farther right away. THE VERTICAL JUMP If you have access to a vertical jump tester (one of those tall poles with slats marking every half inch of height), you can test your vert pretty easily. If not, simply stand next to a wall, and with your feet flat on the ground, reach as high as you can with your hand. Mark the spot at the end of your fingertips. Then jump and tap the wall, using chalk dust or a piece of tape on your fingers to mark your reach. Measure both marks and subtract the shorter one from the taller one. The difference between them is the height of your vert. The Vertical Jump looks simple, but technique makes a big difference. The movement can be broken down into six phases. 25 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 1. The Set-Up Stand with a wall next to your dominant side Your inside hand should touch the wall when you reach straight up Position your feet shoulderwidth apart (they can be wider or narrower depending on what works best for you) If you were using a vertical jump tester like the ones used at the NFL Combine, you would want to place your toes even with the bottom crossbar and stand so that you could reach straight up with your inside hand and touch the outside part of the slats. If you were testing against a wall (shown above), stand as close to the wall as you can without striking it during the jump. 26 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 2. The Upswing Swing your arms up over your head with your palms facing forward Stay balanced Simultaneously rise up onto your toes as high as you can The Upswing helps you generate momentum before your Vertical Jump by creating greater distance for the downswing. 27 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 3. The Downswing Keep your back straight and your eyes on the ground in front of you Bend at the waist so your chest faces the ground Open your hands Assume a quarter-squat position with your knees bent Your heels should be touching the ground The Downswing is the second action that helps you generate momentum before your Vertical Jump. It should be fast, since a fast downswing helps you generate more momentum. 28 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 4. The Explosion Throw your arms forcefully up as you jump Cock your hips so that the hip on the side of your inside hand moves higher Focus your eyes on your inside hand Explosively extend your hips, knees and ankles and push off the balls of your feet to explode straight up After you’ve built up momentum and are ready to jump, you enter the explosion phase. 29 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 5. The Touch Keep your eyes locked on your inside hand At the apex of your leap, reach as high as you can with your inside hand and tap the walls (or slats). Don’t slap down or swipe your hand, since that will reduce your height. Just tap it. Register the height of your reach by touching the wall (or the slats) with your inside hand. 30 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 6. The Landing Bend at your waist with your chest over your toes Land softly with bent knees Land as softly as possible after the jump. 31 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS STRETCHED HIPS EQUAL BIGGER HOPS When you jump, your hips obviously play a big role in propelling you up off the ground. Thus, hip flexibility offers you a sneaky advantage once you’re airborne. One trick for adding a couple of inches to your Vert is to stretch your hips and lats beforehand. By shifting your hip and shoulder up on the side nearest the target, you can reach higher with your hand on that side. To see what we mean, stand up and reach your right arm overhead with your fingers extended. Notice where your hand is (image 1). Now push up with your right foot, hike your hip up and reach through your shoulder on that side. Your hand should be a few inches above your previous mark (image 2). IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2 32 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS This phenomenon also applies during a jump. If you hike up your hip on the same side as your reaching hand, you’ll record more vertical distance with your jump. Cocking your hips and reaching your arm in this manner is a lot easier when they’re warmed up and flexible. We recommend performing Bodyweight Squats, Reverse Lunges with Reach, Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretches and Cross-Body Lat Stretches before your test. BODYWEIGHT SQUATS KNEELING HIP FLEXOR STRETCH REVERSE LUNGE WITH REACH CROSS-BODY LAT STRETCH One last tip: A strange-but-true fact is that most athletes don’t record their best jump score until their third attempt. But in most testing situations, you only get two tries. That means you don’t want to go up cold. Perform a jump or two before it’s your turn to be tested, so you’ll be ready to hit your highest mark after takeoff. 33 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS THE BROAD JUMP As with the Vertical Jump, there’s a simple way to measure your Broad Jump performance. All you need is a measuring tape and two pieces of solid-colored tape. First, put a large piece of solid-colored tape on the turf or a rubber surface. That’s your start marker. Run a measuring tape perpendicular to it, so that the “0” lines up with the base of the tape. Place another piece of solid tape over the start of the measuring tape to secure it to the ground. Then walk the tape out slightly farther than you think you can jump (10 feet should be a good starting point). If you want, you can place a large strip of tape at every foot marker, which gives you points to aim at. The Broad Jump can be broken down into seven phases. 34 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 1. The Set-Up Focus your eyes straight ahead Keep your back straight Position your feet shoulderwidth apart (they can be wider or narrower depending on what works best for you) Point your toes straight ahead The set-up refers to how you align yourself to get ready for the Broad Jump. 35 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 2. The Upswing At the top of the swing, your palms should be facing forward Swing your arms above your head Extend your hips Rise onto the balls of your feet The Upswing is how you begin generating momentum for your Broad Jump. 36 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 3. The Downswing Open your hands Bend at the waist so your chest faces the ground Keep your back straight and your eyes on ground in front of you Quickly and forcefully swing your arms back behind you and fully extend them Assume a quartersquat position with your knees bent Your heels should be touching the ground The Downswing is the second part of generating momentum for your Broad Jump. It should be quick, since a fast downswing is best for creating momentum. 37 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 4. The Explosion Focus your eyes slightly slightly past your expected jump distance Explosively extend your hips forward Throw your arms forward as forcefully as you can Explode forward out of the downswing Drive off the ground, pushing off your toes Propel yourself forward by swinging your arms and pushing off the ground forcefully. 38 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 5. Hang Time Keep your arms above your head and your eyes locked on your target Keep your hips extended and your feet behind you During the first phase of your jump, you’ll be on an upward trajectory. 39 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 6. The Transition Continue looking slightly past your aiming point Bring your arms down as your feet come forward Bring your knees toward your chest and throw your feet forward As you feel yourself transitioning from upward to downward, move your feet out in front of you. 40 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 7. The Landing Stick the landing and hold that spot until the distance can be measured Bend at the waist with your chest over your toes A deep knee-bend will help you soften your landing Land flatfooted with your weight slightly forward Sticking the landing is absolutely crucial to the Broad Jump. The rules dictate that if you fall backwards, your point of contact is where you’ll be measured. Keeping your weight forward when you land can help you stick the jump. ROCK FOR A ROCKET-POWERED JUMP Here’s a simple trick that can help you increase your Broad Jump: rock before you launch. When it’s your turn to jump, don’t just upswing-downswing-jump. Instead, repeat the upswing-to-downswing motion two or three times, then jump. The extra rocking and stretching motion helps you generate elastic energy, which your muscles can use to help you jump farther. Experiment with the technique to find the pace and number of pre-jump rocks that work best for you. 41 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Presents EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 26 PLYOMETRIC EXERCISES TO BUILD SPEED, POWER AND STRENGTH 42 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 1 BOUNDING Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Drive off your right leg by powerfully extending your hip, knee and ankle to bound forward. Swing your arms to create forward momentum. Land softly on your left foot. Immediately repeat with your left leg, spending as little time on the ground as possible. 2 BOX BLAST Stand with your right foot on a kneehigh box. Drive off your right leg to jump up as high as possible. Bring your left knee up to hip level and drive your right arm up. Land softly with your right foot on the box and left foot on the ground. 43 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 3 BOX JUMP With your feet hipwidth apart, stand 12 inches behind a plyo box. Lower into a quarter-squat and immediately explode up as high as possible. Land softly with your feet on the box. 4 BROAD JUMP Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower into a quartersquat and immediately drive off the ground while simultaneously throwing your arms forward to jump as far as possible. Land softly with bent knees and immediately jump again, spending as little time on the ground as possible. 44 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 5 DEPTH DROP Stand with both feet on a plyo box. Step off the box with one foot, then the other. Land softly with both feet on the ground and your knees and hips bent in a quarter-squat position. Step back onto the box and repeat. 6 DEPTH JUMP Stand with both feet on a plyo box. Step off the box with one foot, then the other. Land softly with both feet on the ground and your knees and hips bent. Explosively extend your hips, knees and ankles to jump up as high as possible. Again, land softly on both feet. Step back onto the box and repeat. 45 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 7 EXPLOSIVE MED BALL CHEST PASS Holding a med ball in front of your chest, stand 3 or 4 feet in front of a wall with your feet hip-width apart. Keeping your core tight, bend at the waist to tilt your torso forward. Simultaneously drive your hips forward to stand up straight and explosively throw the med ball at the wall by pressing your arms forward. Catch the ball on the rebound and repeat. 8 FOUR JUMP - HEIGHT FOCUS Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips. Lower into a quarter-squat. Explode up into a jump. Keep your legs straight in the air and your ankles dorsiflexed. On contact, immediately explode up into the air as high as possible. 46 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 9 FOUR JUMP - TIME FOCUS Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips. Lower into a quarter-squat. Explode up into a jump. Keep your legs straight in the air and your ankles dorsiflexed. On contact, jump up again as quickly as possible. 10 ICKEY SHUFFLE - STICK LANDING Stand to the left of the first ladder box. Step into the first square with your right foot and then step into the same square with your left foot. Step to the right of the ladder with your right foot and bring your left foot into the air. Hold this position for one count. Step forward into next square with your left foot. Continue through the ladder. 47 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 11 LATERAL BOUND Standing on your right leg, jump up and to the left. Land softly on your left foot. On contact, switch back to your right leg. Immediately repeat. Perform a set in the opposite direction. 12 LATERAL BOX JUMP Lower into a quarter-squat with a box to the side. Keeping your chest up, jump up and to the side. Land softly with both feet on the box. Perform a set in the opposite direction. 48 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 13 LATERAL BOX JUMP WITH ROTATION Lower into a quartersquat with a box to the side. Keeping your chest up, jump up and rotate your body toward the box. Land softly with both feet on the box. Perform a set in the opposite direction. 14 LATERAL HURDLE HOP - STICK LANDING Stand on one foot next to a hurdle. Jump laterally over the hurdle. Land softly on the same foot with your hips back and your knee aligned with your ankle. Hold this position for one count. Jump back over the hurdle, and repeat. 49 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 15 MED BALL BOX BLAST Stand with your right foot flat on a knee-high plyo box and hold a med ball in front of your torso. Drive through your right foot, fully extending your hip, knee and ankle to propel your body into the air. Bring your left knee up until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Land softly and repeat. 16 MED BALL FRONT ROTATIONAL THROWS Stand 3 or 4 feet in front of a wall with your feet hip-width apart, holding a med ball next to your left hip. Keeping your core tight, throw the med ball at the wall with an underhand toss. Catch the med ball off the bounce, reset and repeat on the same side. Perform a set with your opposite side. 50 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 17 MED BALL FRONT ROTATIONAL THROWS - REACTIVE Use the same setup and throwing technique as Med Ball Front Rotational Throws (#16). Instead of resetting after each rep, catch the med ball off the bounce and immediately throw it again as quickly as possible. Perform a set with your opposite side. 18 MED BALL SIDE ROTATIONAL THROW With your feet shoulder-width apart, stand with a wall to your right. Hold a med ball at your waist. Bring the med ball to your left hip and shift your weight onto your left leg. Drive off your left leg and explosively rotate toward the wall to throw the ball with an underhand toss. Catch the med ball and repeat. 51 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 19 MED BALL SPLIT SHUFFLE LOWERING Holding a med ball at your chest, assume a split stance with your left foot in the first box and right foot just behind the box. Push off both feet and switch your legs in midair, landing with your right foot in the first box and left foot just behind the box. Immediately push off both feet and switch your legs in midair, landing with your left foot in the second box and right foot behind the box Lower into a Lunge. Drive up out of the Lunge and step your right foot into the second box and left foot behind the second box. Continue this pattern through the entire ladder. Perform a set in the opposite direction. 20 SEATED BOX JUMP Sit on a box or bench so your hips and knees are at 90-degree angles. Forcefully extend your hips, knees and ankles to jump onto a box positioned a foot in front of you. Land softly with bent knees. Step off box and repeat. 52 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 21 SINGLE-LEG BOUNDS Stand on your right leg with your hips and knee slightly bent. Powerfully jump forward off your right leg. Land on the ball of your right foot, with your hips and knees slightly bent. Immediately explode up into the next jump off your same leg. Continue jumping in this pattern. 22 SINGLE-LEG LATERAL BOUND Stand on your right leg with your hips and knee slightly bent. Jump to your left, keeping your knee aligned over your ankle. Land on the ball of your right foot, with your hips and knees slightly bent. Immediately jump off your right leg in the same direction. Perform a set with your opposite leg. 53 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 23 SKATER JUMPS Stand on your right leg with your hips and knee slightly bent. Drive off your right leg to jump up and to your left so your body forms an arc in the air. Land softly on your left leg. Allow your trail leg to come behind your body. Hold the landing for one count. Repeat in the opposite direction. Continue jumping from side to side. 24 SKATER JUMPS - REACTIVE Use the same setup and jumping technique as Skater Jumps (#23). Instead of holding the landing for one count, immediately jump in the opposite direction, spending as little time on the ground as possible. Continue jumping from side to side. 54 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 25 SPLIT SHUFFLE LOWERING Assume a split stance with your left foot in the first box and right foot just behind the box. Push off both feet and switch your legs in midair, landing with your right foot in the first box and left foot just behind the box. Immediately push off both feet and switch your legs in midair, landing with your left foot in the second box and right foot behind the box. Lower into a Lunge. Drive up out of the Lunge and step your right foot into the second box and left foot behind the second box. Continue this pattern through the entire ladder. Perform a set in the 26 STANDING LONG JUMP Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Sit your hips back into a quartersquat. Explosively extend your hips, knees and ankles, and swing your arms forward to jump forward at a 45-degree angle. Land softly in a quarter-squat. 55 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Presents EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS 6-WEEK PLYOMETRIC WORKOUT FOR STRENGTH, SPEED AND POWER 56 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS HOW WILL EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS HELP ME GET MORE POWERFUL? EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS is a three-day-per-week training program consisting of 15- to 20-minute workouts that challenge and improve the stretch-shortening cycle. The workouts complement each other, developing your power, vertical jump, broad jump, sprinting speed and multi-directional agility. After six weeks, you’ll be able to move faster and more explosively in every direction. The workouts include three types of exercises: body control moves, reactive moves and power moves. Body Control Moves Body control exercises focus on the first phase of the SSC, lengthening. Using moves like Depth Drops, you will focus on decelerating while maintaining technique and balance. The exercises will teach your muscles to absorb more elastic energy and help you enhance your body control—a skill that’s critical for preventing injuries, which often occur during the eccentric (landing) phase of a movement. Reactive Moves Reactive exercises include traditional plyometric moves such as Bounding. They focus on quick and explosive movements. The goal is to spend as little time on the ground as possible by landing and immediately exploding off the ground. Reducing the amount of time in the loading phase teaches your muscles to transition faster between the Lengthen and Fire phases. You’ll learn to spend less time stuck on the ground and more time moving in the direction you want to go. Power Moves Power exercises improve the final phase of the SSC, firing. Max-effort moves like Box Jumps increase the power you need for explosive moves in your sport. Also, each workout has one upper-body exercise to improve pressing and rotational power. 57 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS HOW TO USE THIS PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS is not a standalone training routine. The short workouts it calls for are meant to be paired with strength workouts. Perform the plyo workouts after your warm-up but before your strength exercises. That way, you’ll be able to execute the moves when you’re fresh and explosive. Remember, plyometrics are all about producing maximum force. Ideally, you should follow the program as written, but you know your body best. Listen to it throughout the workout. If you have difficulty performing an exercise or find a move uncomfortable, you can choose from many other great exercises. Do a simple search on STACK.com to find alternatives. If you’re feeling exhausted or just “off” one day, it might indicate that you’re overworking your body. It’s OK to cut that workout short. YOU’RE TRAINING FOR POWER, NOT CONDITIONING Plyometrics must be performed quickly with maximum power and speed. You achieve this by performing 3 to 6 sets of 3 to 8 powerful and clean reps. The exact numbers depend on the type of exercise and where you are in your training. You should take about 30 to 60 seconds of rest between sets to recover, so you can maintain your power throughout the workout. The most common way people misuse plyometrics is by performing sets that are too long to improve conditioning. You see this pretty regularly in certain gyms, or in videos that try to make plyometrics into fat loss workouts. That’s a terrible idea for two reasons. First, conditioning workouts are designed to make you tired—the exact opposite of what you should be doing during a plyometric workout. The whole point of plyos is to perform every rep quickly and powerfully. If you’re not doing that, you’re not making improvements in your stretch-shortening cycle—and you may as well just do cardio. Second, hopping, skipping and jumping are all challenging moves, and they create a lot of impact forces not suitable for a conditioning workout. If your goal is to improve your conditioning, there are many more effective ways to do it with exercises, such as Sprints or Burpees. 58 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS The last thing you want to do during any workout is perform high-impact moves with sloppy form. Not only is this not plyometric (meaning it’s not challenging your SSC), it’s downright risky. To prevent your plyometric workouts from becoming conditioning sessions, be diligent about taking an appropriate amount of rest between sets. Follow the prescribed break times in this plan to the letter. If you’re still feeling fatigued after this period, add 30 seconds more. Allow your muscles to fully recover. Just because you’re not gasping for air doesn’t mean you’re not working hard. BE STRICT ABOUT TECHNIQUE Keep your form clean and precise during every set of every exercise in this program. Proper form ensures you’ll get the most out of each movement and decrease your risk of injury. If you’re unfamiliar with an exercise or drill, review the technique in the 26 Plyometric Exercises to Build Speed, Power and Strength section. The photos show you how to perform each move. If something is unclear, follow the link to a video demonstration. Just click the play button. As you perform each move, remember to focus on form. Quality is always better than quantity. EQUIPMENT Explosive Plyometrics doesn’t require a lot of gear. The equipment you need—two knee-high plyo boxes, a medicine ball, a speed ladder and mini-hurdles—can be found in most weight rooms. If you don’t have access to a piece of equipment, you can either buy it online or find a substitute for the exercise (see Question 6 in 8 Things You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Plyometrics for substitution ideas). TRACK YOUR PROGRESS As you perform each move in a workout, write down the number of sets and reps you complete and record any weight you use. Note if you feel something isn’t challenging your explosive capability, or if something made you struggle. Over time, you should see your jumps gain altitude and distance, and the time it takes you to run from point A to point B decline. 59 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Week 1 Day 1 - Body Control Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Depth Drop 4x3 30 sec. 4x3 each side 60 sec. 3x4 each direction 30 sec. Bounding 2x10 yards 30 sec. Box Blast 4x3 each leg 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest Four Jump - Height Focus 2x1 60 sec. Explosive Med Ball Chest Pass 4x3 60 sec. 3x3 each leg 60 sec. 4x3 60 sec. 3x4 each direction 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest 3x3 60 sec. Med Ball Side Rotational Throw 4x3 each side 60 sec. Lateral Box Jump 2x3 each side 30 sec. Forward Diagonal Shuffle - Stick 3x4 each direction 30 sec. Lateral Bound 2x10 yards each direction 30 sec. Med Ball Front Rotational Throws Reactive Split Shuffle Lowering Notes Day 2 - Reactive Exercise Skater Jump Standing Long Jump Lateral Hurdle Hop With Stick Notes Day 3 - Power Exercise Box Jump Notes 60 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Week 2 Day 1 - Body Control Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Depth Drop 4x4 30 sec. 4x3 each side 60 sec. 3x5 each direction 30 sec. Bounding 3x10 yards 30 sec. Box Blast 5x3 each leg 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest Four Jump - Height Focus 3x1 60 sec. Explosive Med Ball Chest Pass 4x3 60 sec. 4x3 each leg 60 sec. 5x3 60 sec. 4x4 each direction 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest 3x3 60 sec. Med Ball Side Rotational Throw 4x3 each side 60 sec. Lateral Box Jump 3x4 each leg 30 sec. Forward Diagonal Shuffle - Stick 3x5 each direction 30 sec. Lateral Bound 2x10 yards each direction 30 sec. Med Ball Front Rotational Throws Reactive Split Shuffle Lowering Notes Day 2 - Reactive Exercise Skater Jump Standing Long Jump Lateral Hurdle Hop With Stick Notes Day 3 - Power Exercise Box Jump Notes 61 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Week 3 Day 1 - Body Control Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Depth Drop 5x4 30 sec. 4x4 each side 60 sec. 4x5 each direction 30 sec. Bounding 4x10 yards 30 sec. Box Blast 6x3 each leg 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest Four Jump - Height Focus 4x1 60 sec. Explosive Med Ball Chest Pass 4x4 60 sec. 4x4 each leg 60 sec. 6x3 60 sec. 4x5 each direction 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest 3x4 60 sec. Med Ball Side Rotational Throw 4x4 each side 60 sec. Lateral Box Jump 4x4 each leg 30 sec. Forward Diagonal Shuffle - Stick 4x5 each direction 30 sec. Lateral Bound 3x10 yards each direction 30 sec. Med Ball Front Rotational Throws Reactive Split Shuffle Lowering Notes Day 2 - Reactive Exercise Skater Jump Standing Long Jump Lateral Hurdle Hop With Stick Notes Day 3 - Power Exercise Box Jump Notes 62 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Week 4 Day 1 - Body Control Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Depth Jump 4x3 30 sec. Med Ball Front Rotational Throws 4x4 each side 60 sec. Med Ball Split Shuffle Lowering 3x4 each direction 30 sec. Single-Leg Bounds 2x10 yards each leg 30 sec. Med Ball Box Blast 4x3 each leg 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest Four Jump - Time Focus 2x1 60 sec. Explosive Med Ball Chest Pass 4x4 60 sec. 3x3 each leg 60 sec. 4x2 60 sec. 3x4 each direction 30 sec. Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Seated Box Jump 3x3 60 sec. Med Ball Side Rotational Throw 4x4 each side 60 sec. Lateral Box Jump With Rotation 2x3 each side 30 sec. Forward Diagonal Shuffle - Stick 3x4 each direction 30 sec. Single-Leg Lateral Bound 2x10 yards each direction 30 sec. Notes Day 2 - Reactive Exercise Skater Jump - Reactive Broad Jump Lateral Hurdle Hop With Stick Notes Day 3 - Power Notes 63 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Week 5 Day 1 - Body Control Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Depth Jump 4x4 30 sec. Med Ball Front Rotational Throws 5x4 each side 60 sec. Med Ball Split Shuffle Lowering 3x5 each direction 30 sec. Single-Leg Bounds 3x10 yards each leg 30 sec. Med Ball Box Blast 5x3 each leg 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest Four Jump - Time Focus 3x1 60 sec. Explosive Med Ball Chest Pass 5x4 60 sec. 4x3 each leg 60 sec. 5x2 60 sec. 4x4 each direction 30 sec. Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Seated Box Jump 3x3 60 sec. Med Ball Side Rotational Throw 5x4 each side 60 sec. Lateral Box Jump With Rotation 3x4 each leg 30 sec. Forward Diagonal Shuffle - Stick 3x5 each direction 30 sec. Single-Leg Lateral Bound 2x10 yards each direction 30 sec. Notes Day 2 - Reactive Exercise Skater Jump - Reactive Broad Jump Lateral Hurdle Hop With Stick Notes Day 3 - Power Notes 64 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS Week 6 Day 1 - Body Control Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Depth Jump 5x4 30 sec. Med Ball Front Rotational Throws 5x4 each side 60 sec. Med Ball Split Shuffle Lowering 4x5 each direction 30 sec. Single-Leg Bounds 4x10 yards each leg 30 sec. Med Ball Box Blast 6x3 each leg 30 sec. Sets/Reps Rest Four Jump - Time Focus 4x1 60 sec. Explosive Med Ball Chest Pass 5x4 60 sec. 4x4 each leg 60 sec. 6x2 60 sec. 4x5 each direction 30 sec. Exercise Sets/Reps Rest Seated Box Jump 3x4 60 sec. Med Ball Side Rotational Throw 5x4 each side 60 sec. Lateral Box Jump With Rotation 4x4 each leg 30 sec. Forward Diagonal Shuffle - Stick 4x5 each direction 30 sec. Single-Leg Lateral Bound 3x10 yards each direction 30 sec. Notes Day 2 - Reactive Exercise Skater Jump - Reactive Broad Jump Lateral Hurdle Hop With Stick Notes Day 3 - Power Notes 65 STACK.COM/PLYO-PLAN CAN’T STOP. WON’T STOP. STACK is always looking to elevate its game so it can help you elevate yours. Tell us about your experience with EXPLOSIVE PLYOMETRICS by emailing us at feedback@stack.com You can also hit us up there with any questions that come up during training. Give us a shout!
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