3 Plyometric Exercises for Beginners

We recently dove into—or, should we say, “jumped” into—plyometrics training on our blog. This form of workout is a calorie-blaster, can be suited to fit your fitness level, and is pretty fun if you ask us. (Go ahead, ask us!) Today we wanted to equip you with three plyometric drills for beginners that you can try today! 

1| Squat Jumps

If you’ve been around here for any time now, you know we love squats. Add a jump to them, and you got a workout winner! This plyometric movement is excellent for beginners who have their squat form down (core engaged, straight back, etc.). If that sounds like you, then you might be ready to add on the jump for a dynamic movement!

How To Do A Squat Jump

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart
• Point your toes slightly outward
• Bend your knees to 90-degrees while engaging your core and keeping your back straight
• Jump up from the squat position as high as you can, keeping your core engaged
• Land softly back into starting position with your knees bent
  

Things to Remember

• Avoid bending your knee over your toes
• Do not hunch your back
• Do not lock your knees when you land

A Little More Info

If you haven’t quite worked your way up to a jump squat yet, you can try standing up instead of jumping. This adds a dynamic movement without the impact on your joints. For some of us with a previous injury, this just won’t be a move that we can do, which is A-okay. There are tons of squat variations—we even made a video a few years ago to show them off. You can find the jump squat starting at 10 seconds.

2 | Long Jumps 

Long jumps are another tremendous plyometric workout for beginners because the movement is familiar. Many of us had to at least attempt long jumps in High School during gym class, and whether or not you fell in love with them then, they can be quite fun to do as an adult. Instead of jumping upward as you would in the squat jump, this movement asks you to propel yourself forward, utilizing different muscles that will help with endurance exercises as you continue to practice.

How To Do A Long Jump

• Standing with the feet a little wider than hip-distance apart, bend your knees and get into your squat position
• Use all of your muscle strength to jump as far forward as possible
• Bend your knees as you land to absorb the shock
• Land on both feet at once
• Jog backward to starting position and repeat

Things To Remember

• Do not lock your knees as you land
• Be sure to keep your muscles engaged as you begin to jump
• Do not allow your knee to go over your toes as you squat down

A Little More Info

While this is not the same as a long jump on a track where you might run and jump forward to exert all of your energy, benefits remain. This is a great way to get used to jumping and even work your way up to more advanced exercises like the frog jump, tuck jump, and more!

3 | Burpees 

Along with squats, we really love burpees. They may just be one of the most effective full-body movements you can possibly do, and they have a pretty cool history. One of the reasons we love burpees for beginners is because you can do variations of this exercise to match your skill level—allowing you to start with some assistance and work your way up to advanced variations as you get stronger.

How To Do A Burpee

• Start standing with your feet hip-width apart
• Quickly drop into a push-up position by placing your hands on the ground and shooting your feet out as quickly as possible 
• Do a push-up and use the energy of the second half of that push-up to move your feet back toward your hands, landing you in a low squat 
• Jump into the air as high as you can and repeat

Things To Remember

• Form matters! (Keep that in mind for all of these plyometric workouts.) If you start to feel yourself arching your back, locking your knees, or any other no-no, take a break or stop for the day
• Do not hold your breath
• Do not force yourself to do an advanced version when you are not ready—you gotta start somewhere

A Little More Info

For other variations we love, you can simply drop into the pushup position and then walk your way up and repeat. Drop into the pushup position and jump back up. Or do the full movement. We dive into proper form, history, and more here if you would like to learn more about the burpee.

If you are ready to add plyometric exercises to your workout, you can do so at any of our locations. We also have wonderful workout videos led by our incredible instructors on iChuze Fitness. Try our virtual fitness platform out today to experience the Chuze Difference. Virtually or in-person, we will see ya soon!

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