7 Plyometric Exercises to Build Strength and Power

Plyometrics: Man Doing Plyometric Pushup

Plyometrics: The Science Behind the Exercises

Plyometrics can be a powerful way to enhance your current workout program and unlock gains you didn’t think were possible. Maybe you’ve heard the term but aren’t sure what it actually means — if so, you’re in the right place.

This article covers a working definition of plyometrics, how they can benefit your training, and practical exercises you can add to your strength and conditioning program. I’ve also included information on minimizing injury risk, since that’s a real concern when someone tries to do too much, too soon — plus the research behind why “plyos” work.

Plyometric Pushup

Plyometric Jump Squat

Plyometrics: A Primer

Plyometrics are explosive movements designed to increase strength, power, and speed. These high-intensity exercises trigger a stretch reflex and elastic recoil in the muscle, producing a forceful contraction that overloads both Type I and Type II muscle fibers — which is what stimulates gains in strength and power.

Related: Muscular strength vs. power

Who Invented Plyometrics

Plyometric-type movements have technically been around for centuries, but the term itself was coined by U.S. Olympic long-distance runner Fred Wilt, who’s on record saying it’s not the best name for these movements.

According to the literature, Wilt landed on the name after watching Russian athletes warm up before competition in the 1980s. He noticed the Americans were relying on static stretching, while the Russians were using explosive “jump type” movements — and he hypothesized that difference was partly why the Russians were outperforming everyone else.

Others contributed heavily to the field too, including Yuri Verkhoshansky, widely regarded as the “Father of Plyometrics,” and Michael Yessis, a sports performance trainer and biomechanist.

Plyometrics and Body Building

Plyometrics and Body Building

People into bodybuilding often want to add plyometrics to their routine because explosive movements have a reputation for accelerating gains — and the research backs that up. One study from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center recorded significant increases in both strength and power among athletes training for upper body size.

The benefits aren’t limited to chest and shoulders, either. Plyometrics used as part of a broader bodybuilding approach have shown measurable gains in the lower body — particularly the thighs, hamstrings, and calves.

How Plyometrics Work

Plyometrics operate on a core principle of sports physiology: a motor unit is trained in proportion to how much it’s recruited. In plain terms, you only improve your capacity for powerful movement by training the specific motor units involved in that movement — which means overloading your muscles at high speed if power is the goal.

Related: What is progressive overload

Most weight training uses several muscles at once, even for “isolation” moves. An arm curl with a 30-lb dumbbell is technically targeting the biceps, but you’re also pulling in the brachialis, trapezius, and deltoids to a lesser degree.

That’s the gap plyometrics fills. Traditional compound lifting builds targeted muscle size effectively, but it doesn’t train muscles to fire together explosively as a unit. You can build enormous biceps and still lack real upper body power — because power requires strength and speed working in tandem, not just size.

Plyometrics and Injuries

Plyometric Exercises and Injury Risk

As with any training designed to build muscle and power, plyometrics carry real injury risk if you rush them. Start gradually and progress slowly. If you feel pain — or it persists after a session — scale back the sets and reps rather than pushing through.

What to Wear

Stick to what you’d normally wear to train — light, breathable shirts, shorts, and sweats that don’t restrict movement. Your footwear matters more than you’d think: plyometric exercises release a large amount of kinetic energy through your legs and feet on landing, and a worn-out or unsupportive pair of sneakers won’t absorb that load well. Look for a well-cushioned cross-trainer built for lateral movement and impact absorption, and replace your shoes once the cushioning starts to break down.

Keep In Mind

Before jumping into the exercises below, keep these principles in mind:

The exercises below are just a starting sample — there’s no way to cover every plyometric variation in one post. A few additional resources are linked at the end if you want to go deeper.

1. Tuck Squat Jumps

Tuck jumps build explosive strength and power in the legs — excellent for developing raw jump height.

How to do tuck squat jumps:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart; bend your knees slightly.
• Jump up explosively, driving your arms upward and tucking your knees toward your chest at the top of the jump.
• As you land, extend your legs, retract your arms, and immediately prepare for the next jump.
• Do 5–10 reps, minimizing rest time between jumps.

2. One Leg Squat Jumps

If you want to build leg power to support your other lower body exercises, single-leg squat jumps are one of the more demanding but effective options.

How to do one leg squat jumps:

• Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee.
• Jump up, driving your arms upward.
• As you land, retract your arms and immediately jump again.
• Do 5–10 reps per leg, minimizing rest time between jumps.

3. Lunge Jumps

Lunge jumps build both muscle size and explosive power in the legs. Fair warning — they’re harder than they look.

How to do lunge jumps:

• From standing, jump up and land in a split position with your right leg bent and your left leg extended behind you.
• Immediately jump again, switching leg positions in the air.
• Keep your torso upright and jump as high as possible on each rep.

4. Calf Jumps

If you’re chasing bigger, more defined calves, calf jumps are one of the more efficient ways to get there through explosive training.

How to do calf jumps:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips.
• Bend your knees slightly.
• Using mainly your calf and ankle muscles, jump rapidly in place for 10 reps, minimizing ground contact time between jumps.

5. Rope Skipping

Jump rope is one of the best all-around plyometric exercises you can do — it builds core stability while training explosive power through cardio endurance.

Leather ropes with wooden handles and ball-bearing swivels tend to hold up best and offer the most control. Most sporting goods stores carry a solid option, or you can find one online.

How to do rope skipping:

• Hold a handle in each hand with the rope behind you.
• Swing the rope over your head and jump over it as it reaches your feet.
• Keep swinging and jumping continuously.
• Increase your speed as your coordination improves.
• Start with 10 rounds of 15 seconds each, and progress toward 5–20 rounds of 1–3 minutes each.

6. Box Jumps

Box jumps involve jumping onto a box, bench, or step, and they’re excellent for building lower body power and strength.

Use caution here — jumping from too high a box, or landing carelessly, is a common way to get hurt. If you have any back issues, be especially mindful of your spine. See this post on effective back exercises for more on that.

How to do box jumps:

• Stand facing the box with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, spine erect.
• Jump up onto the box, landing softly with bent knees.
• Step — don’t jump — back down, and reset before your next rep.

7. Plyometric Pushups

If pushups are already a staple in your routine, plyometric pushups are one of the best upgrades you can make — they build upper body strength and explosive power at the same time.

Start with the basic version before adding a clap.

How to do a plyometric pushup:

• From a standard or modified pushup position, lower under control, then push up forcefully enough that your hands leave the ground.
• Land softly back in pushup position and repeat immediately.
• Add a clap between reps once your form and power are consistent.

Plyometric Considerations

Plyometrics: Other Thoughts

Any exercise built around speed and power comes with high intrinsic intensity — that’s the point. Build into plyometric training gradually, letting your endurance and technique catch up before you push volume or difficulty.

Depending on your fitness level, you may be able to work plyometrics into your routine several days a week without feeling wrecked. But if you’re new to this style of training, expect it to feel genuinely stressful at first — that’s normal. Like most things worth doing, there’s a real learning curve, and with plyos, that curve is both physical and mental.

Plyometric Exercise Resources

If you want to go deeper on plyometric training, Dr. Donald Chu’s Jumping Into Plyometrics is a well-regarded resource with roughly 100 exercises built specifically for strength and power development — worth a look for structuring an off-season training block.

Plyometric Myths

The world of bodybuilding and sports training is full of myths, and plyometrics has its fair share. A few of the more common ones worth debunking:

None of these hold up under real scrutiny. Properly scaled and progressed, plyometric training has a place in almost any fitness program, regardless of age, gender, or sport.

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Related:

• Common excuses for not working out
• 3 powerful upper body workouts

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