Rec and Sports

Plyometric Training For Runners

Plyometric training is the little known secret that competitive athletes do not want you to know about, since it gives them an enormous advantage over their competitors. If you desire to increase your speed and explosiveness in movement, plyometric exercises are one of the few that are very effective. Even those who are not competitive athletes can benefit from plyometrics and greatly enhance their physical conditioning.

Weight training is good for developing your strength for your legs, but it does little in developing quick twitch muscles needed for explosiveness and quickness. Plyometric training involves jumping exercises that not only increases muscle strength, but speed and explosiveness. Plyometric exercises also develops other muscles besides the legs needed to jump higher.

Plyometric exercises focuses typically on the development of quick twitch muscles which are important for quickness and explosive movements. Competitive athletes are gaining enormous advantages by applying plyometric training exercises in their workouts.

There is a variety of exercises you can perform, jumping on and off an sturdy object is one example. This exercise can be repeated over and over again, but the purpose is to develop explosive power, and not endurance. Therefore, each rep or jump should attempt to jump as high as you can. As soon as your jump max is starting to decline because of fatigue, it is time to stop that exercise.

You should always adjust your plyometric exercises according to your goal and physical abilities. Novice athletes can get by with less number of reps and with less intensity. But when you exercise with intensity and at maximum effort, you will receive greater benefit from you plyometric training.

Pay attention to your body when you exercise. If you begin to experience achy knees or sore muscles, take a break. By allowing your body to recuperate, your plyometric training will more likely be safe and effective.

If you desire to learn how to jump higher, plyometrics is a must. If you work on plyometric exercises, you will drastically increase your vertical jump.