Build Power and Speed With This Quick Plyometric Workout

For speed, agility and power, nothing works the body better than plyometric drills. Plyometrics are classified as exercises that require you to store elastic energy to help you jump or bound repeatedly.

This workout takes less than 30 minutes, and it will enhance your power and speed, as well as do the following:

1. Develop connective tissue elastic strength
2. Create the ability to leap and bound
3. Challenge the high-intensity metabolic cardiovascular system

Please note: Because of the resiliency needed for this workout, we do not recommend you attempt this workout if you are new to fitness or have not been training regularly over the last few months.

Instructions: Perform all movements once. Pay particular attention to the rest times because they are very important for full recovery. Do not attempt this program in a circuit format.

Warm-Up

Run or Jog
Reps/duration: 60 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
Sets: 1

Workout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAQA9f2PkME

Two-Foot Bunny Jump (travel forward)
Reps/duration: 10 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
Sets: 5

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Like a bunny, jump forward with both feet coming an inch off the ground.
• Land on the balls of your feet and quickly spring off the ground as you hop forward again. Do not land with your heels touching the ground.
• Keep your body like a strong piece of iron as you hop. Pretend there is lava on the ground. Get off the ground as quickly as possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K53RWuJDGRc

Forward Skip (travel forward)
Reps/duration: 10 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
Sets: 5

• Begin standing with your feet under your hips. Pretend like you are a little kid and skip from one foot to the other. When we skip, we take off and land on the same foot.
• Spring forward off your right foot and drive your left knee up, landing on your right foot. Plant your left foot into the ground for takeoff, driving your right knee high as you leave the ground and landing on your left foot.
• Stay tall as you skip forward, alternating feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qltf1vBSd18

Two-Foot Lateral Bunny Hop
Reps/duration: 10 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
Sets: 5

• Stand with your feet under your hips.
• Bring your hands up like you’re a skier, and begin hopping your feet side to side, even and controlled.
• Hop back and forth, landing softly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4hfNFN2mLU

Two-Foot Rotational Jump
Reps/duration: 10 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
Sets: 5

• Begin standing with your feet under your hips, hands up like a skier.
• Begin to hop off the ground, rotating through your trunk to turn the lower half off your body at a 45-degree angle. Land, then hop back, rotating 45 degrees the other way.
• Continue hopping side to side, landing softly and springing quickly off the ground.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bedo3xJFV4

Push-Up with Clap
Reps/duration: 10 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
Sets: 5

• Begin in a push-up position, with hands slightly wider than shoulders and feet hip-width distance apart, toes on the ground.
• Lower into a push-up. At the bottom of the push-up, press through your palms to spring your hands off the ground and clap.
• Return your hands outside your shoulders and repeat.

Cool-Down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG-jrSzgglA

Standing Calf Stretch
Reps/duration: 60 seconds
Sets: 1

• Begin standing with your feet staggered, right foot about a foot in front of your left.
• Bend your right knee and lean forward, pressing your back heel into the ground to stretch your hamstring.
• Rock back, straighten your front leg and bend your back knee, pointing your right toes toward the ceiling.
• Continue stretching back and forth for 30 seconds, then switch legs.

Tip: Breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your nose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZxr4SjaxeA

Pec Stretch
Reps/duration: 30 seconds each
Sets: 2

• Begin standing facing a wall. Bend your right arm at the elbow and place your forearm against the wall, hand pointed straight up.
• Keeping your arm glued against the wall, rotate through your trunk and turn your head away from the wall until you feel a stretch in your chest. Hold this for 30 seconds.
• Switch arms and repeat.

Tip: Breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your nose.

Photo credit: Boggy, Adobe Stock
Video credit: Tom Casey, box24studio.com