Plyo's workout

Plyo, or plyometric workout is a great way to improve agility, muscular strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Plyo workouts really target your fast twitch muscle fibers and your anaerobic system helping to build lean muscle mass.

One of the most important things to remember is that plyometric workouts place a lot of stress on the body and should be started at very low levels, then work up to more intense exercise. Many people can become injured if proper technique and form are not followed. Having said this, plyos are a great way to add intensity and excitement to a boring old workout.

Plyo workouts include quick, explosive exercisee designed to not only increase strength but also speed and power. Muscles lengthen during the eccentric phase, followed by a short rest, and then an explosive concentric phase. These three phases should be repeated as quickly as possible, again slower for beginners and faster for experts.

The goal of progression is to decrease the time between the eccentric and concentric phases, therefore increasing strength and power. Not only will your muscles develop strength and speed, tendons will become stronger the help reduce injuries through increased strength and elasticity. Your nervous system will also respond increasing neuromuscluar transmission and increases your overall athletic speed and power.

Here is a great ploy circuit that you can modify for any fitness level:
10 squat jumps, 10 plyo pushups, 10 alternating split squate jumps, 30 second lateral hops, followed by pullups to failure. (use an assistance pull up machine if needed and regular modified pushups if needed!)
Run through the circuit 3-5 times depending on your fitness level.

Remember to seek professional assistance to ensure your form is correct in order to reduce injury!

So now that we just had an intense exciting workout how do we refuel for tomorrow's exercise?
This weeks post workout snack suggestion:
1tbs peanut butter, 1/2 banana, on 2 rice cakes
remember post work out snacks are really important to replenish glycogen stores and rebuild damaged muscle. High to moderate glycemic foods are encouraged to provide quick delivery of nutrients. Snacks consumed within 30 minutes of exercise deliver the best results. Try to incorporate mostly carbs with a little healthy fat and lean protein. This snack is roughly 3:1 carbs to protein, and serving size can be modified to meet your individual caloric goals.

Remember this workout plan and snack is only a suggestion and may not be appropriate for all populations, especially people who are pregnant, suffer from previous injuries, or other special circumstances. Please consult a medical doctor prior to making lifestyle changes.