How to Lose Weight with Plyometrics

Plyometrics originally was used to train European Olympic athletes in the 1960's. It crossed over into personal training and mainstream fitness for event training and weight loss. Plyometrics combines short intervals of jumping and weighted throwing objects to increase muscular strength and tone. Plyometrics is a fast, intense, high impact workout recommended for athletic people who want to burn a lot of calories in a short period of time and lose weight.

Instructions

• 1

  Obtain proper footwear and padding. Idea Health & Fitness Association recommends shoes and landing surfaces that have adequate shock absorption for Plyometric drills.

• 2

  Warm up your muscles to reduce the risk of injury. Begin with a 10-minute power walk followed by a five- to 10-minute stretch of the large muscles groups, including the hamstrings, quadriceps, shoulders and chest.

• 3

  Prepare your body for impact. Idea Health & Fitness Association recommends starting with marching and skipping followed by lunges and alternating lunges, ultimately progressing to jumping intervals. Begin your Plyometric workout with short timed intervals, slowly increasing the speed between jumps.

• 4

  Rest in between each Plyometric drill. For maximum results and to prevent muscle fatigue and injury, Idea Health & Fitness Association recommends at least 30 seconds of rest between jumps.

• 5

  Squat jumps. Begin with your feet shoulder width a part with your arms at your sides. Bend your knees and sit back like you are going to sit in a chair. As you jump off your feet, swing your arms overhead. Land with your arms back at your sides and your knees bent in a squat position. Repeat squat jumps for 15 to 30 seconds.

• 6

  Lateral jumps. Begin by placing a foot-long piece of tape on the floor. Stand sideways next to the long side of the tape with your arms at your sides and your feet shoulder width a part. Bend your knees slightly and swing your arms while jumping sideways over the tape to the other side. Land softly with your arms at your sides and your knees slightly bent. Repeat jumping side to side for 15 to 30 seconds.

• 7

  Front jumps. Begin by facing the foot-long piece of tape. Stand with your feet shoulder width a part, with your arms at your sides. Bend your knees slightly and swing your arms while jumping forward over the tape to the other side. Land softly with your arms at your sides and your knees slightly bent. Repeat front jumps for 15 to 30 seconds.