More often than not, trainers and instructors are hesitant to introduce plyometric training into their clients’ exercise regime. Fair enough — it has a reputation of being challenging and hard on the body. However, there is a place for it in a trainer’s exercise tool box.
Plyometric training is beneficial and can be performed safely. Notable as well is its application across many age groups. Plyometric training is not just for the athlete or want-to-be athlete. Research continually studies performance and aging, and a strong indicator of poor power production is a loss of movement speed. Plyometric training can counter that.
Plyometric exercises involve rapid, repeated eccentric and concentric muscle contraction via movement patterning such as jumping, hopping, leaping, bounding and throwing. Plyometrics enable a muscle to reach maximum strength, in the shortest time possible. In a training studio, executing plyometric exercises such as depth jumps or continuous bounding will improve jumping performance. Yet in the real world, clients’ joints can’t tolerate the impact from jumping on hard surfaces.
Enter the fitness trampoline, or the rebounder. A fitness trampoline is the perfect playground for plyometric training. It provides a non-impact workout surface, it was naturally created for jumping and it can even be transformed into a throwing surface.
When designing a plyometric program using a fitness trampoline, choose exercises for both the lower and upper body. Ensure that proper progressions and regressions are applied. Advancement should only occur when the exercises are done correctly. Not all rebounders are built for advanced exercises. Double check that the rebounder is sturdy and can handle impact.
Easy starting points for plyometric training on a rebounder are bounding and jumping exercises. Jumping starts and ends with one or both feet. Bounding, on the other hand, includes leaping exercises that exaggerate normal running strides. From a standing athletic position on the floor, jump from a two-foot start position onto the trampoline surface, landing on two feet. Advance to landing on one foot and eventually, jumping from and landing on one leg. Focus on sticking the landing. Repeat the patterning, alternating the lead legs. For an advanced exercise, add an immediate jump into the air once the landing has happened. Next, try continuous tuck jumps. Start with easy two-foot bounding, progressing to continuous tuck jumps. The focus should be on core activation as well as fast-movement patterning. Repeat the tuck jumps for either time or reps.
For upper-body plyometrics, place the hands on the trampoline with feet on the floor. Keeping the arms straight, the body long and the core activated in a plank position, begin by bounding the hands in and out. Start slowly, then pick up momentum for a greater intensity and plyometric effect. Another effective exercise are plyo-push ups. With the hands on the mat, feet on the floor, lower the body, performing a push up. Explode up and add a clap mid-air before landing back down on the trampoline and repeating the exercise.
If your training studio or club doesn’t have cement walls to throw a medicine ball against, no problem. A fitness trampoline that is designed and securable on a 30- to 45-degree angle creates a multi-dimensional throwing and jumping environment. Facing the trampoline, begin tossing a medicine ball or plyoball against the mat. Observe the trajectory response of the ball on the rebound. Progress to continuous overhead tosses throwing the medicine ball harder, from further away and faster, for a greater plyometric effect. In addition, add a jump either on the throw (jump up while throwing) or from the catch (jumping and catching the ball in the air), or try single-arm throws.
Plyometric training has many benefits, including introducing clients to a different and challenging training program, while enhancing power, strength, performance, joint mobility and neuromuscular proprioception in both the upper and lower body. The fitness trampoline is the perfect environment to do all of the above. It is fun, and the choice of exercises is limited only to the creativity of the trainer.
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Krista Popowych is a Master Trainer and the Education Director for JumpSport® Fitness Trampoline’s™. She can be reached by e-mail at kristap@jumpsport.com.
