Intro to Plyometrics

• March first: knee to hip height, opposite arm forward, tall through the chest.
• Then add a small skip. Quick off the ground, stay light on the feet.

Common mistake: Leaning back as the knee comes up.

• Step into a long lunge, back knee off the floor, both hands inside the front foot.
• Drop the inside elbow toward the front ankle, then rotate and reach that arm to the ceiling.
• Finish by pushing the hips back and straightening the front leg, then switch sides.

Common mistake: Rushing through it. Hold each position for a full breath.

• Band above the knees, drop into a half squat, step sideways.
• Do not let the knees cave in, and keep tension on the band the whole set.

Common mistake: Standing up tall and waddling. Stay low.

Skip it if you don't have a band.

• Stiff ankles. Bounce off the balls of your feet with only a little knee bend.
• Spend as little time on the ground as you can, like the floor is hot.

Common mistake: Landing on the heels or sinking into the knees.

• Hop forward a short way on one leg and freeze the landing for 2 seconds.
• Knee in line with the middle toes, hips level.
• Only add distance when every landing is quiet and steady.

Common mistake: The knee diving inward when you land.

• Quick dip and arm swing, jump up and land softly on the box in a quarter squat.
• Step down every rep. Don’t jump down.
• Pick a height you land quietly on, in the same position you took off from.

Common mistake: Choosing a box so high you have to tuck your knees to your chest to land.

Start lower than you think. Raise it only when the landing is silent.

• Swing the arms back, then throw them forward as you jump out, not up.
• Stick the landing: feet hip-width, knees over toes. Hold it for 2 seconds.
• Mark your best one each session.

Common mistake: Knees caving in on landing, or falling forward out of it.

• Push off the outside leg and bound sideways, landing on the other foot.
• Stick the landing for a beat, hips back and knee over toes, then bound back.
• Add distance as the landings get cleaner. This is your skating stride.

Common mistake: Landing with the knee caving or the chest falling over the knee.

• Two-footed hops sideways over a low cone or mini hurdle.
• Land quietly and bounce straight back.

Common mistake: Stopping between hops. Keep them rhythmic.

A rolled towel works instead of a cone.

• Back knee against a wall or couch, shin up the wall, front foot flat in a lunge.
• Squeeze the glute on the back-leg side and bring your chest upright until the front of the hip stretches.
• Too intense? Let the front knee sit lower and your hands rest on the front knee.

Common mistake: Arching the lower back instead of squeezing the glute.

• Hands on the wall, back leg straight, heel down, hips forward.
• Then bend the back knee slightly to reach the lower calf.

Common mistake: Letting the back heel lift off the floor.