What are plyometric exercises? How all that hopping and jumping builds strength, speed and power
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-keogh-129041">Justin Keogh</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mandy-hagstrom-1180806">Mandy Hagstrom</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p>
<p>If you’ve ever seen people at the gym or the park jumping, hopping or hurling weighted balls to the ground, chances are they were doing plyometric exercises.</p>
<p>Examples include:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEwh2mRg3EU&t=315s">box jumps</a>, where you repeatedly leap quickly on and off a box</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS4F_YrwZVs">lateral skater hops</a>, where you bound from side to side like a speeding ice skater</li>
<li>rapidly throwing a heavy <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iGj4gdfv4E&t=175s">medicine ball against a wall</a>, or to the ground</li>
<li>single leg hops, which may involve hopping on the spot or through an obstacle course</li>
<li>squat jumps, where you repeatedly squat and then launch yourself into the air.</li>
</ul>
<p>There are many <a href="https://us.humankinetics.com/products/training-for-speed-agility-and-quickness-3rd-edition-with-hkpropel-online-video?srsltid=AfmBOor2XNPNu3WtrytuxooFb_HmqXf6kEYwlBILhmEiMO2O1uOTIj81">more examples</a> of <a href="https://us.humankinetics.com/products/plyometrics-pdf">plyometric exercises</a>.</p>
<p>What ties all these moves together is that they use what’s known as the “<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/10437/the-stretch-shortening-cycle-of-active-muscle-and-muscle-tendon-complex-what-why-and-how-it-increases-muscle-performance/magazine">stretch shortening cycle</a>”. This is where your muscles rapidly stretch and then contract.</p>
<h2>Potential benefits</h2>
<p>Research shows incorporating plyometric exercise into your routine can help you:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1302610/full">jump higher</a></li>
<li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22450257/">sprint faster</a></li>
<li>reduce the chances of getting a serious sporting injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36244964/">(ACL) tears</a></li>
<li>build <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19897415/">muscle strength</a></li>
<li>improve <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38305252/">bone mineral density</a> (especially when combined with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33357834/">resistance training</a> such as weight lifting), which is particularly important for women and older people at risk of falls.</li>
</ul>
<p>Studies have found plyometric exercises can help:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30387072/">older people</a> who want to retain and build muscle strength, boost bone health, improve posture and reduce the risk of falls</li>
<li>adolescent athletes who want to build the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36767213/">explosive strength</a> needed to excel in sports such as athletics, tennis, soccer, basketball and football</li>
<li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27704484/">female athletes</a> who want to jump higher or change direction quickly (a useful skill in many sports)</li>
<li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33956587/">endurance runners</a> who want to boost physical fitness, run time and athletic performance.</li>
</ul>
<p>And when it comes to plyometric exercises, you get out what you put in.</p>
<p>Research has found the benefits of plyometrics are significantly greater when every jump was performed with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30741877/">maximum effort</a>.</p>
<h2>Potential risks</h2>
<p>All exercise comes with risk (as does <em>not</em> doing enough exercise!)</p>
<p>Plyometrics are high-intensity activities that require the body to absorb a lot of impact when landing on the ground or catching medicine balls.</p>
<p>That means there is some risk of musculoskeletal injury, particularly if the combination of intensity, frequency and volume is too high.</p>
<p>You might miss a landing and fall, land in a weird way and crunch your ankle, or get a muscle tear if you’re overdoing it.</p>
<p>The National Strength and Conditioning Association, a US educational nonprofit that uses research to support coaches and athletes, <a href="https://www.nsca.com/store/product-detail/BOOK/2275/9781718210868">recommends</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>a maximum of one to three plyometric sessions per week</li>
<li>five to ten repetitions per set and</li>
<li>rest periods of one to three minutes between sets to ensure complete muscle recovery.One <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30387072/">meta-analysis</a>, where researchers looked at many studies, found plyometric training was feasible and safe, and could improve older people’s performance, function and health.</li>
</ul>
<p>Overall, with appropriate programming and supervision, plyometric exercise can be a safe and effective way to boost your health and athletic performance.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/246322/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-keogh-129041">Justin Keogh</a>, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mandy-hagstrom-1180806">Mandy Hagstrom</a>, Senior Lecturer, Exercise Physiology. School of Health Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p>
<p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>
<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-plyometric-exercises-how-all-that-hopping-and-jumping-builds-strength-speed-and-power-246322">original article</a>.</em></p>
