Erupt off the defensive line. Sail skyward to the net. Land a bone-crunching roundhouse. To be a contender in any sport, a chunk of your strength and conditioning must focus on your capacity for explosive power. Plyometric training builds the rapid muscle recruitment that allows such power.
You’re already familiar with box jumps, right? Hop onto the top of a box. Return to the ground. Cycle up and down, over and over again. The quick stretch to your muscles as you land on the floor, followed by the immediate contraction propelling you upward, is the defining feature of plyometrics.
By adding a plyometric component to other movements, you can reap the benefits of improved power production, which is immediately transferrable to a number of other things you know well and love. So if you’re at all interested in moving more weight on the squat, deadlift, lunge, bench press or pull-up, why not train for more power? Here are five plyometric skills that go beyond the box jump to add a little plyometric flavor to your training.