Wednesday, October 31, 2012

What is Plyometric Training?

What is Plyometric Training?


Author:Dennis Blair


Plyometric training is a method of training that is specifically developed for athletes to improve performance. Plyometric training is high intensity training. High intensity is a set of exercises that pushes your body to the max, making heart rate go up and to burn a lot of calories. Plyometric training is basically developed so you can jump higher, run faster or even throw farther.

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Benefits

Plyometric training is an essential part of an athlete's life. It is utilized by those athletes that play high intensity sports or sports that require regular movements. These athletes need power in order to be at the top of their game. Two examples of sports that utilize this training are runners that compete in the 100m dash or athletes that do the hammer throw. The athlete that competes in the 100m dash needs a lot of speed and strength to complete that race. The hammer throw athlete requires a lot of strength in order to throw that hammer farther. This is what plyometric does; it increases an athlete ability to perform. It develops strength, speed, stamina and overall power. The development could be utilized in swimming, throwing, running, jumping or any other sports activity out there. Here are the main benefits:

  • It burns calories; it is unlikely to find a person that engages in plyometric training to be overweight. This is due to the high intensity of the training. In plyometric training, the body is constantly active and needs a fair amount of muscle endurance which is good for burning calories.

  • Increases muscular power; plyometric training is not just simple cardiovascular work. It takes a great deal of power in order to complete a workout. Power requires muscular strength, but unlike regular weight lifting, the muscles not only get stronger, but they are also leaner and better equipped for athletic performances.

  • Muscular endurance; even though weight lifting is good for gaining strength, it does not increase muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is the ability for your muscles to continue working for a longer period of time without getting tired. A sport like football requires muscular endurance because the game is continuous with not too many breaks.

  • It is cheaper that other forms of exercises. Some exercises require bulky equipment and gadgets in order to carry out an exercise. However, plyometric uses a small amount of equipment; in fact sometimes none is needed. This training can use your body to get more benefits in order to increase you performance.

  • Better performance; for those who are actively involved in sports, plyometric can be excellent in order to build performance. It is not just for one specific sport but any sport that requires performance. For example, it helps an American football player jump higher, it can help a track star to run faster and it can also help a boxer to punch harder.

  • The most important part of plyometric is that it is not just for professional athletes as it allows for changes in routines for anyone to manage.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/what-is-plyometric-training-6271746.html

About the Author

Dennis Blair is a Fort Collins Personal Trainer whose programs help those in Fort Collins, Colorado lose weight, gain lean muscle tissue and have more energy. You can find out more about these programs by going to Fort Collins Personal Training.