In an earlier post, I went over the basics of plyometrics exercises. This is the second part of a series that will cover this topic more in-depth.
Lower Body Plyometrics For a Strong, Healthy, and Attractive Body
Most people focus on the following exercises for their lower body:
- Barbell back squats
- Resistance machines (leg press, hamstring curls, calf raises, etc.)
- Running
Back squats are a great exercise… except most guys overdo it in the long term, pushing themselves to support as much weight as possible across their backs, compressing their spines, and leading to back injuries.
Resistance machines and most isolation exercises are best left to bodybuilders. This kind of “micromanaging” more often results in muscle imbalances and asymmetries in Average Joes, plus you have to spend a lot more time to get the same results as if you had been working on compound movements.
Walking, jogging, and sprinting are all important, but again, most guys overdo the steady-state cardio in a misguided attempt to lose weight (diet is the best way to control fat accumulation). This often leads to a lowered metabolism and knee trauma due to poor running form as the result of over-padded shoes.
I think that lower body plyometrics such as vertical jumps are an essential part of your fitness program because they build a strong, healthy, and attractive lower body (women are more attracted to butts than biceps) without the risk of injury and in much less time than the other methods I mentioned.
Vertical Jumps
A group of exercises similar to box jumps, and even more minimalist, are the vertical jumps.
Vertical jumps consist simply of jumping up and down as high as you can and as quickly as you can.
There are two major variations to vertical jumps:
- Squat jumps
- Tuck jumps
Squat Jumps
With squat jumps, you generate more power by squatting down to parallel every time before you jump up. This added challenge will be great for those who find the regular jumps too easy.
Tuck Jumps
Tuck jumps amp up the challenge even further by having you tuck your knees into your chest with each jump. For the truly hardcore, feel free to combine squats and tucks into the most badass plyometric vertical jump routine ever!
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{ 7 comments }
Darrin,
Another jump exercise I like is the burpee. Just doing a few of these really wipes me out. Nice post.
Alykhan
Good stuff Darrin. Both great plyometric exercises! It’s all about being explosive.
Can’t believe how jumping around is such a workout. Beats me why I go running I should do more of these and get a better result.
When I travel for work I try to find a gym but really I don’t need to but do a few of these.
Raymond
It’s hard to draw a comparison between squats and plyos. They serve two different purposes. If my goal is to squat 600 lbs., then plyos are nearly useless (nearly, still some benefit if used right).
However, if just general athleticism is the goal, plyos are gold. They can persent a risk of injury though due to impact, and as fatigue sets in it gets worse. Plyo workouts should be kept in low repetition ranges.
If you want evidence that squat jumps make a healthy and attractive body, come to Fort Lauderdale beach and check out the female volleyball players.
Many Saturday mornings I jog by a volleyball tournament and am amazed at their condition!
@Alykhan,
Burpees gotta be one of my favorite exercises of all time. I’m definitely going to be writing a post on them in the future.
@Raymond,
Yeah, I’m all about finding the exercises that don’t require much, if any, equipment.
@Josh,
If your goals are athletic – meaning completing a certain physical feat – then the type of training you choose to do is crucial to meeting that goal.
But if you are like most guys and just want to become more attractive, more dominant, build energy levels, and live longer, then plyos and squats can be easily grouped together as lower-body strengthening exercises.
Good point that these should not be performed to failure. I tell people that, in general, exercises should be performed to fatigue, before your form goes to hell, which is when injuries happen.
@Darren:
Good point! People need only look at the people who do plenty of these types of exercises to verify their effectiveness.
I tried doing plometrics and I saw a lot of improvements with my leg muscle. I also tried the Jump squats, Box jumps, Jumping lunges.
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