12 Plyometric Exercises to Construct Explosive Strength and Crank Up Your Workout’s Intensity

In case you’re seeking to crank up the intensity of your workout, may we advise adding plyometric exercises to your routine? These difficult moves can supercharge any session—plus provide some serious advantages in the method.

Plyometrics, or plyos for brief, are explosive exercises that require you to generate a considerable amount of force in a brief time period, NASM-certified personal trainer Keith Hodges, CPT, founding father of Mind in Muscle Coaching in Los Angeles, tells SELF. The moves involve your anaerobic system, which fuels your body during exercise that’s so intense you’ll be able to’t stick with it for greater than a pair minutes at a time, as SELF previously reported. That’s what makes them so tough.

Although you could not have heard the term plyometrics before, likelihood is you’re already acquainted with them. A box jump, for example, is a plyometric move, as is a burpee, a hands-release or plyometric push-up, and a pop squat. Possibly you’ve done plyometric exercises in a fitness class or when practicing for a sport that’s heavy on explosive movements (think: track, soccer, or basketball). Or perhaps you’ve seen other people bust out a plyo workout, but have yet to try these intense moves yourself.

You don’t have to go to the gym to achieve this, either. There are a number of different plyo exercises you’ll be able to try at home with just your body weight. And there are tons of advantages you’ll be able to reap by slotting plyometric work into your routine (that’s, so long as you do it safely—more on that in a minute.)

We tapped Hodges for expert input on what type of exercise plyometric moves are and their awesome advantages, in addition to how you can do them safely and suggestions for weaving plyos into your exercise program. And, in case you’re feeling inspired after reading this text, we rounded up some great examples of plyometric exercises. Keep scrolling for the whole lot you have to know.

What type of exercise are plyometric moves?

Plyometrics are mainly an influence exercise since they’re all about performing explosive movements at max effort (or near max effort). Plyos are also good for difficult your strength, since your muscles need to work hard to perform them accurately. And plyometrics can count as cardio, too, since they’re a high-intensity exercise that can get your breathless fast. That’s why you’ll commonly see them programmed in HIIT workouts.

Now, people may wonder if plyometrics are an isometric exercise technique. The reply? Nope. That’s because plyometrics involve quick movements and concentric (shortening) and eccentric (lengthening) muscle contractions. An isometric exercise, in contrast, involves muscles staying super still while they work. A plank, for instance, is an isometric exercise.

When it comes to which muscle groups plyos work, for probably the most part they are literally full-body movements, says Hodges. That said, many plyometric exercises—like jumping lunges, pop squats, and tuck jumps—place an additional emphasis in your core and lower half. But there are some upper-body-focused plyo moves, too, says Hodges—for example, plyo push-ups and explosive medicine ball throws.

What are the advantages of plyometric exercises?

There are numerous advantages of plyometric exercises that may just persuade you so as to add them to your workout routine. They may also help increase speed, strength, endurance, agility, and coordination, says Hodges. Plyos may also boost tendon strength and increase your rate of force development—essentially, your body’s ability to generate a number of power really fast, says Hodges. This may turn out to be useful for athletes whose sports require them to perform quick, powerful movements—like track athletes, for example, or volleyball players.