{"id":64221,"date":"2017-12-21T07:15:19","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T12:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=64221"},"modified":"2017-12-26T11:45:24","modified_gmt":"2017-12-26T16:45:24","slug":"bodyweight-plyometrics-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/bodyweight-plyometrics-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Plyo Exercises to Supercharge Your Workout"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"5
Photo: Ryan Kelly \/ Power Cardio<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We\u2019re about to take your workout from basic to beyond. Plyometrics, also known as jump training, turn ordinary exercises into powerhouse moves.<\/p>\n

And the magic starts deep within your muscle fibers<\/a>. Your slow-twitch (type I) and fast-twitch (type II) muscle fibers to be exact. Training your slow-twitch muscle fibers helps improve how you use oxygen<\/a> during aerobic exercise. On the other hand, fast-twitch muscle fibers generate more force and are activated during plyometric exercises. Imagine running a race: Your slow-twitch muscle fibers will give you the stamina to get through each mile. As you approach the finish line, your fast-twitch muscles kick in so you can sprint to the end.<\/p>\n

But faster doesn\u2019t always mean better \u2014 it\u2019s important to activate both muscle groups. CeCe Marizu, Daily Burn 365<\/a> trainer, says, \u201cFast-twitch muscle fibers wear out faster than slow-twitch muscle fibers and are used when the body is pushing to its max potential.\u201d Here\u2019s your perfect workout to keep it simple \u2014 or power up with a plyometric variation.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>3 Quick HIIT Workouts for Beginners<\/a><\/p>\n

5 Bodyweight Exercises to Make Plyometric<\/h3>\n

Here Marizu shows us how to take five bodyweight training<\/a> moves, then level them up. Do 15-20 reps of each bodyweight exercise and then three to five reps of its plyometrics counterpart. Rest for a minute after completing one round of each pair of moves.<\/p>\n

\"5<\/p>\n

1. Squat to Squat Jump<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The squat is one of the most important functional movement patterns<\/a> to master. When you pick up a bag of groceries off the floor, you\u2019re squatting. Squats primarily train the muscle fibers in your glutes<\/a>, but they also work your hip flexors, core and back. Scale your squat up not just by adding weight or some height, too.<\/p>\n

\"5<\/strong><\/p>\n

To make it plyometric: <\/strong>From the bodyweight squat position, release the tension in your glutes by driving your hips forward and swinging your arms behind you as you jump off the ground. Marizu says the key to creating momentum is using your arms. \u201cTry jumping with your hands behind your head \u2014 it\u2019s hard! Your arms act almost like sails to take you up a notch,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>6 Plyometric Exercises for a No-Running Cardio Workout<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Bodyweight<\/h3>\n

2.\u00a0Lunge to Plyo Lunge<\/h3>\n

Unlike squats, which use a broader base of support, lunges<\/a> are more dynamic and force you to recruit more muscles in your core and quads to maintain balance. Get a leg up on your lunges by adding some speed to your split stance in the plyo version.<\/p>\n

\"5<\/strong><\/p>\n

To make it plyometric: <\/strong>\u201cMake sure your stride is big enough between your front and back legs so you can still feel that connection with your heel and the floor. Also, use your quads to help you out,\u201d Marizu says. Because plyo lunges can make you tired faster (and require a bit more coordination, too), Marizu recommends focusing on the depth of your lunge and to slow down so you don\u2019t sacrifice form.<\/p>\n

\"Bodyweight<\/p>\n

3. Step Jack to Star Jumps<\/h3>\n

Step jacks<\/a> are used in every warm-up before a workout or run for a reason. \u201cThey work everything from your glutes to your calves and inner thighs,\u201d Marizu says. Meanwhile, the plyometric variation, the star jump, also recruits your arms, deltoids<\/a> (shoulders) and lats to help pull your body upward.<\/p>\n

\"5<\/strong><\/p>\n

To make it plyometric: <\/strong>Marizu says slightly bending your knees<\/a> will help prevent your fast-twitch muscle fibers from tiring too quickly, so you don\u2019t lose height. \u201cThink of your knees like a coil. When you press down into them in a tighter position, the spring moves a little faster and with more force,\u201d Marizu explains.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Burn Calories Fast with This 10-Minute Plyometric Workout<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Bodyweight<\/p>\n

4. Plank to Plyo Spider Lunge<\/h3>\n

The ultimate isometric exercise, the plank<\/a> is a true test of core strength. Start by holding a plank for 30 seconds and work your way up to a full minute. The dynamic variation, the spider lunge, uses your upper body and core to push off the floor to stabilize your body. Just remember to keep your core<\/a> tight and your back and pelvis lifted throughout the exercise.<\/p>\n

\"5<\/strong><\/p>\n

To make it plyometric: <\/strong>\u201cPush the floor away from you to create room for your foot to come up and keep your joints in alignment,\u201d Marizu says. Another pro tip: Pull your stomach up and in to allow more space to fill your abs. \u201cThe small details in this move help make it one tough move at any pace!\u201d Marizu says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>3 Plyometric Planks You Need to Try ASAP<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Bodyweight<\/h3>\n

5. Plank to Frogger<\/h3>\n

The frogger, also called a squat thrust<\/a>, is one of the most underrated bodyweight exercises, Marizu says. It combines lower body strength, shoulder stability, hip mobility and balance. The low-impact step-up frogger exercise is a great way to practice good plank and squat form. But if you\u2019re ready to power things up (and burn more calories), go for plyometrics!<\/p>\n

\"Bodyweight<\/strong><\/p>\n

To make it plyometric: <\/strong>Hop your feet forward from the high-plank position to generate more force. Use the same pushing motion in the plank to spider lunge to engage your core and get into a squat position.<\/p>\n

Read More
\n<\/strong>Hate Squats? 7 Glute Exercises for an Instant Butt Lift
\n<\/a>8 Arm Exercises You Haven\u2019t Done Before
\n<\/a>5 Mountain Climbers for Seriously Sculpted Abs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Power up your basic bodyweight workout with these calorie-blasting plyometric exercises from Daily Burn trainer CeCe Marizu. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":64251,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6,14],"tags":[32,288,431,281,341,343],"class_list":["post-64221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-bodyweight","tag-cardio","tag-plyometrics","tag-strength-training","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}