Some Workouts to Improve Your Speed and Vertical!

If you play any sports, or just know a lot about sports, you probably have a good understanding about explosive strength and speed. If you are not familiar with these aspects, they are extremely important and can make or break your performance in sports. If you need some workouts to help improve your speed and build explosive strength, you've found the right article!

Plyometrics:

Plyometrics are a type of training that involves explosive, powerful movements like jumping, hopping, and bounding to increase speed and strength. Plyometrics are important exercises for athletes. I personally love plyometrics and got introduced to them while running track.

The Simple Bound:

Bounds are exercises that fall under the plyometric category and are easy to do. Bounds can be done in your backyard, inside your house, or really anywhere! Bounds help you build form for running, make you stronger, and give you rhythm. Bounds help you with transitioning your legs, which translates directly to improving your explosive strength. To do a bound, first start on one leg, then explode off that leg and drive your opposite knee upwards, then land on your upwards leg. Use your arms through this workout because it will help you get rhythm in your bounds. There are also other types of bounds, such as straight leg bounds.

An image of someone doing a bound

Box Jumps:

Box jumps are probably the most well known plyometric exercise due to how many people have done at least one in their life. Box jumps are easy to do and require no effort. Box jumps train the fast twitch muscle fibers, which correlate with speed and power. Box jumps specifically focus on your lower body muscles which, yet again, correlate with speed and power; they also help with de-acceleration and coordination. To do a box jump, find a solid surface you are comfortable with jumping onto, then keep your feet planted on the ground and propel yourself upwards onto the surface of your choice. Depending on your comfort and ability, try to repeat box jumps many times.

A picture of someone doing a box jump

A-Skips:

A-skips are some of the easiest workouts you can do. They are so easy, in fact, that you can literally do them anywhere you want. A-skips target the lower body and allow you to provide power while pushing down your legs. These help with coordination, rhythm, and explosiveness. To do an A-skip, start with high knees, but add a skip in between so you are doing high knees, but skipping at the same time.

An image of someone doing A-Skips

Conclusion:

Plyometrics are an easy and extensive way to work out your lower body, work on coordination, work on speed, and much more. The workouts covered in this blog are only a fragment of the wide range of plyometric workouts. Thanks for reading!