We decided to add a little variety to our twice a week leg program by making one of the workouts a plyometric day. Plyometrics are bodyweight exercises that involve a fast or explosive motion, such as jumping, and we decided to give them a try to improve our agility, coordination, and overall athleticism (never a bad thing!).
Still being on the mend from my abdominal strain, I also wanted to give this style of training a go to train my legs for power without having to use weights. Power and strength are two different things (power incorporates speed), but have you seen the legs on an Olympic sprinter? Need I say more? Here’s our program…
Step Ups (on a high bench): 3 x 20
Box Jumps: 3 x 20
Bodyweight Jump Lunges: 3 x 20
Traveling Jump Squats: 3 x 20
It may not look like much, but 20 reps of any plyo exercise is A LOT. If you keep the rest intervals short this workout is exhausting! We have been forgoing the traveling jump squats the last few weeks because they put a lot of stress on your knees every time you land, but when the weather improves we may add them somewhere outdoors on grass so there is more cushioning.
Being on this program hasn’t built my legs the way 400lb squats did, but it has caused some rapid improvements with zero abdominal aggravation. Plus Marcella and I have both improved our vertical jump quite a bit, which is every bit as satisfying as improving your strength on a tough exercise! So, if you’re looking to try something different and want a no-weights workout that will burn up your legs, give this a shot!
– Derek
When I saw the screen capture for the video, I though, “No, he’s NOT going to jump onto that stack of steps.” And then you did. Inspiring (and a bit nerve-wracking to watch — I kept expecting the steps to tumble down)!