Full-Body Plyometric Workout

This plyometric workout is made up of 8 exercises that target your upper and lower body. Each is described so that you can easily start doing this workout.

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Remember to do these exercises on a soft surface, like a gymnastics mat or grassy earth. Doing this plyometric workout on concrete is a sure way to get joint pain and other un-fun aches.

Also, make sure you've got some other strength training under you belt before you try these. That base level of conditioning will keep you from hurting yourself.

For each exercise in this plyometric workout, do 10 to 15 repetitions for 2 to 3 sets. If you want to print it off, click on the link below for a complete weekly plan.

Click here to download a PDF of the plyometric workout. If that gives you trouble, try right-clicking and choosing "Save Link As..."

- 5 Lower Body Plyometric Workout Exercises -

Side-to-Side Ankle Hops, Single Foot

Equipment: Two marks on the ground (cones, tape X's, etc.) 3 to 4 feet apart.

Begin by standing on one leg next to one of the marks on the ground, feet at shoulder width and your arms relaxed, hanging at your sides.

• Hop back and forth between the marks on the floor, landing on your right foot near the right mark and you left foot next to the left mark.

Standing Jump-and-Reach

Equipment: A wall or hanging object.

Begin by standing straight, feet at shoulder width and arms relaxed at your sides.

• Squat slightly and then jump upward as high as you can. Extend your arms up above your head to try to grab the object, or mark as high as you've jumped on the wall.
• Repeat.

Standing Jump Over an Obstacle

Equipment: A cone, low hurdle, or other object 12 to 24 inches high.

Begin by standing straight, feet at shoulder width and arms relaxed at your sides.

• Bending slightly at the hips, jump over the obstacle. Keep your body upright and tuck your knees up and together, toward your chest, to clear the obstacle.
• Land, turn around, and jump over the obstacle again.

Squat Jump

Equipment (OPTIONAL): Barbell or dumbbells that weigh up to 60% of your body weight.

Start standing straight up, holding your weights if you have them.

• Drop slowly to a low squat position, thighs at a right angle to the upper body and parallel to the floor, then stand back up. Repeat 5 times.
• Drop quickly into the low squat position and stand up quickly. Do this 5 times.
• Drop into the squat position quickly and jump explosively upward 5 times.
• This makes 1 set of Squat Jumps.

Pike Jump, Split

Equipment: None.

Begin by standing straight, feet at shoulder width and arms relaxed at your sides.

• Bending slightly at your hips and knees, jump up as high as possible.
• Doing your best to keep your legs straight, bring them up to either side of you and bend forward to try to touch your toes with your hands at the peak of your jump.
• As soon as you land, jump again.

- 3 Upper Body Plyometric Workout Exercises -

Clapping Push-up

Equipment: None.

Start on the ground, hands at shoulder width and toes on the floor in a regular push-up position.

• Drop quickly all the way down to the floor, and then push-up explosively into the air.
• While in the air, clap you hands together once before you drop to the ground and start your next push-up.

Incline Depth Jump Push-ups

Equipment: A box that's high enough to raise your feet above your head when you're down in a push-up position. Also, mats to place under your hands.

Start on the ground, hands at shoulder width and up on your toes as in a regular push-up position, but with your feet up on the box. Your hands will start in between the mats, on the floor.

• Explosively push up off the floor into the air and then land by catching yourself with both hands on the mats in a push-up position (which will have a slightly wider hand placement than when you started).
• Reset your hands on the floor before the next repetition.

Elevated Explosive Push-ups

Equipment: 3 Boxes, stacks of books, or other objects of equal height (6 to 12 inches off the floor) that you can position beneath your hands and feet.

Start in a push-up position with your hands and feet on the 3 boxes, hands at shoulder width and with your arms extended. Your feet will stay on their boxes the entire time.

• Take your hands off the boxes and drop to the floor.
• Absorb as little of the impact against the floor as you can, then explosively push yourself back into the air.
• Coming down from the explosive push-up, land with your hands on the boxes. That's one rep.
• After absorbing as little of the impact on the boxes as possible, push-up explosively into the air to start the sequence all over again.

There, that's the entire plyometric workout. You can use it to get benefits for a variety of sports, or just to jump higher and make your punches snap out faster.

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References:
Chu, Donald A. 1998. Jumping Into Plyometrics. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.