When you train with me, you’re doing plyometrics.
Skipping, jumping, tossing, bounding.
These movements seem like they should be reserved for the playground. But in actuality, these explosive exercises — known as plyometrics — are necessary regardless of how long it’s been since your schoolyard days.
In fact, I have all of the Equinox members I train hopping, sprinting, and leaping regularly. Here’s why.
Why You Need Plyometrics
Plyometrics is all about the stretch-shortening cycle, meaning the muscles are first stretched during an eccentric contraction, storing elastic energy, then quickly shortened during a concentric contraction. Think about a broad jump. You’ll initially sit into a mini squat, stretching the glutes and hamstrings. Then, you'll contract those same muscles to explode out of the squat-like position and propel your body forward.
It’s a complex process, but your body basically acts as a rubber band. And this stretch-shortening cycle ultimately enhances performance during the concentric action, according to a review published in Sports Medicine Open. Plyometrics as a whole has been shown to improve sports metrics like sprint time, agility, and jump performance, as well as muscular strength, power, and endurance.
Even if you’re not a pro athlete, plyometrics can make you feel like one — whether you're on the rec kickball field or Spartan Race course. Consider my 64-year-old client’s success story: She’d been weight training and running marathons and half-marathons for years. Yet, plyometric exercises were never part of her routine. Once we started incorporating these explosive movements into her workouts, she ran a faster marathon and had less pain in her knees, ankles, and hips after running. Nearly three years later, she hit a half-marathon PR.
There’s a longevity benefit to plyometrics, too. As you age, osteoporosis risk increases, while muscle mass and balance generally decrease. These changes bring a greater likelihood of mobility loss, falls, and fractures. Plyometric training, however, can mitigate those risks; the resulting improvements in agility and lower-body power can enhance balance, minimizing the odds of fall-related injuries.
And no, it isn’t inherently bad for your joints. Plyometric training can lead to beneficial changes in knee landing biomechanics that can ultimately reduce the risk of ACL injury. It’s been shown in a 2018 systematic review to be safe for older adults. And in one 2024 case series, three participants with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis did plyometric exercises in addition to physical therapy. At the end of the study, they showed improvements in both knee pain and function. Gradual, managed exposure is key.
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Your Quick-Start Guide to Plyometrics
The squat jump isn’t the only plyometric exercise you should add to your rotation. Try out a few of my favorites:
• Alternating lunge jacks: jumping lunges with a hop in the middle of the movement (option: take out the hop)
• Pogos to plate: small, continuous single-leg jumps from the ground to a bumper plate (option: perform with both legs)
• Zig-zag broad jumps: continuous broad jumps going first to the left, then to the right (option: jump straight forward)
• Deep tier jumps: continuous small jumps while holding a deep squat
• Single-leg broad jumps: broad jumps starting on one leg and landing on both
• Lateral bounds: leaps from left to right, often known as skaters or Heidens (option: reset between each leap)
Though the specifics will depend on your goals, you’ll generally want to do three to five reps for max-effort jumping movements and 10 to 20 reps for hops and skips. Try two to three sets of plyometric exercises, programmed at the beginning of your workout. Between sets, make sure your heart rate goes down to a steady state.
If you typically experience joint pain, self-assess throughout your workout using the traffic light system. If you’re feeling no pain, your light is “green” — you’re good to proceed as planned. If you’re having some pain but it’s not majorly affecting your technique or ability to do the exercise, your light is “yellow” — proceed with extra attention. If you’re dealing with a notable amount of pain and it’s affecting your performance, your light is “red” — it’s time to shift gears.
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I like to practice plyometrics twice a week, but you might do three days if you’re already adapted to the demands of this training style. Pay attention to your overall activity levels (how many hours you’re on your feet each day, how many high-intensity workouts you’re doing, what other high-impact activities you’re performing). Take note of your recovery and how your ankles, knees, and other joints feel between training days. Adjust how often you’re doing plyometric training accordingly.
If you’re nervous about adding plyometrics into your workouts, reach out to a COACH at your Club, who can make sure you’re progressing safely. Don’t let fear stop you from becoming the explosive athlete you were meant to be.
Isis O’Flynn-Shahaf is a COACH at Equinox SoHo. She has worked there for three years and has loved the amount of educational opportunities and community she has found. Before personal training, she was a competitive swimmer and volleyball player, which is how she first got into lifting weights. She was born and raised in New York City and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at New York University, where she hopes to write about women’s health and fitness.