DO IT RIGHT

Avoid these plyometric mistakes to get the most from a session

Skipping stability work. Before you can leap on one leg, you have to be able to stand on it, says Santucci. Otherwise, there’s a good chance you’ll get injured. That’s why, before starting a plyometric programme, he recommends adding balance moves, such as single-leg dead lifts and lateral lunges (with and without weight) into your workouts. Once you have mastered those moves, you can start adding plyos. Thinking every jumping exercise is plyometric. ‘Plyometrics may involve jumping, but not all jumps are plyometric,’ says Rosante. One common mistake he sees: squat jumps. Lowering into a deep squat and jumping as high as you can means your feet are in contact with the ground for too long; the muscle tension dissipates so you have to generate force to jump. Instead, perform a depth jump (right) to practise building eccentric strength and keeping ground contact light and fast. Doing a million reps. More doesn’t always mean better. Going all out on your rep count means you’re probably overtaxing type II muscle fibres – the ones used for fast, explosive moves such as sprinting – which will actually make them less effective at firing, says Santucci. Instead, keep your reps in the six to 10 range and focus on fully extending the muscle each time. Sticking with the same four exercises. Being too committed to moves means you miss out on some muscle-boosting benefits. After four to six weeks, there isn’t much left to gain from doing the same moves, says Santucci. Make sure you’re constantly changing exercises, reps and rest periods. Taking on too much. Just because you can easily do weighted step-ups doesn’t mean you’re ready for weighted hurdle hops. If you’re new to plyo, start with simple jump training – skips, bounds and low hurdle jumps – and build from there, says Rosante. Perform one jump at a time, focusing on form. ‘It may sound tedious, but if you want to get the real benefits, you need to train correctly,’ he says. Those who are ready for more can progress to jumps in succession, then move on to leaps, medicine ball-throw variations and depth jumps.