 Ask an inSHAPE Personal Trainer. I did last week’s Sweat It Out Power Circuit, and had a hard time making it through and was really sore the next day. Just because it was tough, I want to say it was a good workout, but what do I really stand to gain from jumping around like that?
The jumping around to which you refer is formally known as plyometrics; a type of movement exercise that mimics the actions that occur naturally in almost every sport. Ultimately, plyometric training is designed to produce fast, powerful movements, improve the functions of the nervous system, and enhance performance in sports.
How do plyometrics work?
When muscles are quickly stretched right before engagement, they will contract more forcefully and rapidly. For example, if you lower yourself down before jumping up instead of jumping from flat feet, the muscles involved will be momentarily stretched and stimulated, producing a more powerful movement. Plyometrics is all about capturing this stretch-shortening cycle and utilizing it to train your muscles to engage more explosively when they are called into duty during performance. Some basic plyometric moves include vertical and lateral jumps, skips, and sprints.
What do I get out of it?
While a clinical term like plyometrics and the high intensity workouts that come along with it can be intimidating, anyone wanting to run faster, jump higher, throw farther or move more quickly can benefit from plyometric training. Most plyometric moves engage the legs, and strengthen all lower-body muscles. They also require the engagement of the core: your abs, back, glutes, and pelvis. When performed regularly, plyometrics improves the spring-like ability of the muscles and tendons around the joints.
Impact movements have also shown to strengthen your bones. Studies investigating femur tissues in both runners and swimmers showed as much as 40% greater bone density in runners than that of swimmers and completely sedentary individuals. Lastly, jumping is a top notch cardio exercise - you can't sustain the motion of jumping without getting your heart rate up. The bottom line is that jumping around is good for your body.
Preparation
With plyometrics, it is important to maintain quality over quantity. Since the workouts have such an emphasis on speed, rather than endurance, it is wise to perform short intervals (30-45 sec) and/or maintain low reps (5-10). You should also split the workout into sets with ample recovery between each. Additionally, due to the heavy loads applied to the muscles and tendons during these types of workouts, always make sure that you have sufficient level of strength and general fitness before beginning, and try to incorporate plyometrics into your training conservatively. Speak to your medical professional or personal trainer if you are at all concerned about adding plyometric moves to your workouts.
How do I know how much I can handle?
If you jog or run recreationally, workout with a trainer, or attend pretty much any group exercise class (with the exception of anything labeled non or low impact), you are already doing plyometrics. Most of us in the industry work plyo moves into various circuits because of all the benefits we describe above. If you workout at home or alone in your exercise facilitiy, here's a good rule of thuumb:
- For someone who isn't exercising at all or who exercises minimally: start with adding 30 sec intervals of bunny hops, where your feet are together and you hop lightly, landing on the balls of your feet, in place, with a straight back and arms on your hips. Add 3 segments per 10 minutes of exercise.
- For a slow jogger or someone with a moderate level of fitness: work 3 sets each of 3 plyo moves (see last week's workout) into each 30 minute workout session, 2-3 days per week. Stay fairly close to the ground but try to get your feet up a little higher for some of your jumps to build greater explosive power.
- For performance based training: it's really all about what you want to achieve at this point. Talk to a trainer if you want ideas for your personal training regimen, but one thing to be mindful of is to avoid power-based workouts the day before or day after long endurance workouts (like if you are doing a run or cycle for more than 90 min). Your body needs recovery time from these sessions, so avoid plyometrics on these days.
Please let us know if you need any additional help - send an email to info@inshapellc.com or call 212.362.1001.
 Tip of the Week: Burn calories When you don't exercise!
Physical activity is mandatory - you can't just sleep and sit your way through life. But consider for a moment how that scenario would play out. In a 24-hour period:
- 8 hours of sleep = 60-80 calories per hour or a total of 480-640 calories
- 16 hours of sitting at work, watching tv or other media, driving a car or riding a train, sitting at a meal = 70-90 calories per hour or a total of 1120-1440
- Daily caloric expenditure = 1600-2080 (range accounts for weight differences between 130-200 lbs)
To be fair, we know that you have to walk from your bed to your desk or couch, to and from your car, etc; so you easily burn an additional 5-10% more calories each day by default.
In addition, we know that as inSHAPE clients, you make physical activity part of your life. But it's clear that for most people, a deficit emerges in relation to caloric intake. In fact, the World Health Organization reports that adults in industrialized nations eat an average of 3300 calories per day.
Wow - it's really no wonder we struggle with our weight. The bottom line is to make physical movement a part of your day, and here are some great ways to bump up the output side of the equation without hitting the gym:
- House cleaning: tidying up, vacuuming, dusting, and even doing the dishes can boost your hourly caloric output from about 100 calories per hour (for simply standing) to 175 - 250 calories per hour.
- Gardening or Mowing the lawn: sure, it's easier to hire someone to do the lawn work, but doing it yourself is a sure fire way to burn lots of calories (350-450 calories per hour).
- Organizing: spend an hour organizing your closet, alphabetizing your books, or re-arranging some furniture. This will boost your caloric output to between 250-400 calories.
- Shopping: that's right, trying on clothes and pushing around a shopping cart are calorie burners, and shopping can burn 250 calories an hour.
- Sex: moderate physical activity under the sheets burns about 100 calories an hour. Make it a little crazier and you and your partner can burn as much as 250 calories an hour.
The next time you are sitting around, watching television, playing a game on your ipad, or staring at your computer screen, consider how you can double or triple your caloric burn by getting up and doing something. Or take a walk after your meal so that your body has a little help making use of the calories you just took in. This week's workout is perfect for those times when you really don't feel like exercising, but know that you need a little movement. Check it out on our blog.
inSHAPE is committed to your successfully active lifestyle, and if you need any assistance getting started with a fitness program or nutritional regimen, please let us know. Give us a call (212.362.1001) or send an email (info@inshapellc.com) so that we can help you and your heart stay fit and healthy. Click here for last week's edition, and check out our blog for a new in home workout each week.
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