Hi friends!  Since I have a habit of sharing way too many recipes with you guys (I can’t help it … I love food!), let’s switch gears and talk fitness today!  You all are very lucky because I have the amazing Lindsay here to share a guest post on plyometrics with you!  Lindsay is absolutely amazing, and knows way more about fitness than I do!  So enjoy!

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Hello to all of Kristen’s readers!! Aren’t she and her blog just fabulous?? Kristen and I “met” through blogging about a year ago and we’ve been great buds ever since . Anyway, my name is Lindsay and I’m the blogger behind In Sweetness and In Health! My blog is about fitness and health, and of course about enjoying the sweeter things in life. I also like to throw some randomness in there sometimes including things like: favorite pins on pinterest, books I’ve read, little tidbits about me, and wedding planning stuff!

Today, I thought I would chat about my newfound love of plyometrics.

• According to webMD: “Plyometrics – also known as jump training – is a training technique designed to increase muscular power and explosiveness. Plyometric training conditions the body with dynamic resistance exercises that rapidly stretch a muscle (eccentric phase) and then rapidly shorten it (concentric phase)”. Plyometrics are often used by athletes to improve their performance in sports.

If you had asked me a year ago what plyometrics was, I would have looked at you with a blank stare. I had no idea haha. Now however, I try to incorporate them into my workout around times a week.

Based on my personal experience, I have found several benefits of doing plyometric exercises and workouts. They are:

1. Increased muscular endurance
2. They are an effective way to burn a lot of calories in a shorter period of time
3. Minimal (if any) equipment needed to complete
4. Increased leg strength, agility, and coordination
5. Increased cardiovascular fitness (strengthening your heart)

• When I lift weights- either at the beginning or end of a workout or in-between sets to up my heart rate and increase the challenge. Here’s an example of a lower body strength workout that I created.
• As part of a circuit workout. Circuit workouts naturally help you bring up your heart rate because the exercises are done back to back. When plyometrics are included or are the sole type of exercise you get a really good workout! Here are two circuits I’ve created: plyometric pyramid and sweat it out circuit
• As an interval workout. I also have recently come to love tabata workouts. This is a type of interval workout and when you use plyometrics during them you get an excellent workout in a short period of time. Here’s an example of a quick one!

And finally, here are some of my favorite moves:

• Burpees and one-legged burpees
• Box jumps
• Plank jacks
• Bench jumps
• Medicine ball squat to toss
• Bench clap push-ups
• Skaters
• High knees
• Jumping lunges

There ya have it . I hope this inspires some of you to try out plyometrics! I was really intimidated the first time I did them and after that I was hooked!

 

Thank you so much to Kristen for letting me take over her corner of the blog world today!

 

Question for ya …

Ever tried plyometrics?  Did you even know what they were before today??

Let’s be honest … I (Kristen) didn’t!

Who loves Lindsay as much as I do??

What have you been doing recently to work up a good sweat?