Plyos- Ladies Listen Up!!!!!

It's no secret that nearly every woman out there wants a firmer butt and tighter legs. Myself included. In fact one of the focal points of my training all year has been to try to find the right combination of exercises to tone and trim my own legs for the stage. I've tried everything- heavy lifting, light lifting, different cardio, running, etc and the bottom line is PLYOMETRICS have really done the trick for me. Granted I do some track work (sprints etc) and I hit the stepmill daily, but infusing plyometrics into my workouts and training like an athlete has really done the trick for my lower half.

Plyometrics generate fast results- the rapid change in movement from static (i.e the bottom movement of a squat) to dynamic (exploding in the air as in a squat jump) shocks your muscles so you see results pretty quickly. It's also a great way to up your intensity and add some variation to your workouts- I was really resistant to plyos when I started them, but now I LOVE them. They're challenging, intense, and they really get my heart rate pumping. More so then traditional weight training I've found (especially where my legs and glutes are concerned) that the high impact, explosive motion of plyos tones and trims much better.

The exercises I recommend the most in terms of Plyometrics are:

1) Squat Jumps or Pop Squats

2) Lunge Jumps

3) Line Jumps

4)Power Skips

5)Step Ups with Knee Raise

6) Box Jumps

7) Power Jacks using a box

Plyometrics can be incorporated into your workouts in a variety of ways.

One way you can add plyos into your workouts are to incorporate them into your traditional weight training for added intensity and cardiovascular burn. For example when I train arms- I also do plyos. Since I no longer lift heavy sets on my arms ( I don't need ANY more size there) I am lifting just to maintain and tone. Rather then taking traditional rest periods in between sets, I'll incorporate plyometric exercises to ramp up my heart rate and increase my body's ability to burn fat. For example;

Dumbbell Bicep Curls 15-20x

Squat Jumps 25x

Repeat (NO REST)

Another great way to incorporate plyometrics into your workout is to infuse them into your cardio routine. My own personal form of satism is to mesh plyos into my stepmill workouts to break up the monotony of walking uphill. For exmaple, I'll do 5 minutes on the stepmill, then jump down and do 15-25 reps of lunge jumps or squat jumps, then get right back up on the stepmill. I repeat that interval;

5 minutes stepmill (level 8-10)

20-30 lunge jumps or squat jumps

repeat

It gives me a rush and really revs up my heart rate- you will SWEAT doing this!

The third way is to string together a series of different plyometric exercises and do them back to back. I do this once or twice a week in place of a cardio session. Just 30 minutes will do the trick. I'll perform a series of maybe 6-8 plyometric exercises back to back. One routine I like is:

1) Squat Jumps (15x)

2) Lunge Jumps (30x)

3) Line Jumps (20x)

4)Power Skips (2x across aerobic room)

5) Mountain Climbers (60 seconds)

5)Step Ups with Knee Raise (20x each leg)

6) Box Jumps (15x)

7) Power Jacks using a box (15x)

8) Walking Lunges NO WEIGHT (1x across aerobic room)

REST TWO MINUTES. REPEAT CIRCUIT AGAIN.

I'll do that circuit several times, about 30 minutes worth total. I'm in a full sweat by the time I'm done and the impact these explosive movements will have on your glutes, hamstrings, and quads is incredible.

Ladies if you want tighter, rounder glutes, I'm telling you- PLYOS are the way to go!!