10 reasons to add plyometrics in your workout and a sample leg-day workout

Robert came to visit me in Finland <3 First thing we did, was to visit the gym. Ah, so romantic... hehe :D So today, we had anti-chicken-leg workout! Today, we incorporated plyometrics to our workout, because we want to not only stronger, but also faster and jump higher. Summer is coming and so is the beach volley season! Plyometrics will bring incorporate features common from HIIT-trainings to your normal workout. 

Plyometrics: "One of the most effective ways to increase power. Unlike typical strength training exercises that involve long, slow movements designed to increase muscular strength and mass, plyometric training consists of quick, explosive movements designed to increase speed and power. This can be achieved through performing multiple exercises that focus on training our bodies and brains to activate more muscle fibers." (Box life magazine)

10 reasons why to do plyometric training

1. It burns more calories (650 kcal per hour)
2. It it a good stimuli for the muscles -you will get faster legs (good for running, basketball and volleyball etc.)
3. It is more exciting than normal training :D
4. Good training for your heart, you will improve the blood circulation
5. You will more burn more calories afterwards
6. You are training the explosiveness of your nerves/muscles,
7. You are not totally dead afterwards, because you are training the maximal speed and not the maximum strength. You will feel the burn the following day.
8. Plyometrics help to build muscle:

"The body’s muscular system is made up of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. The fast-twitch fibers are our largest, strongest fibers in our body. They are trained through heavy lifting, anaerobic efforts, and explosive movements. This is contrary to their slow-twitch counterparts, which are typically geared towards endurance, and aren’t as high in absolute strength." (Men's fitness) 

9.You can substitute some of your cardio training with plyo-training
10. Plyotraining is very versatile, the amount of different jump training compilations is almost endless

You can do normal 3 sets of 8-10, but we also wanted to challenge our squat routine with the pyramid sets!

1. Squats


Pyramid sets

12 repetitions -(rest and add some weight)
10 repetitions (rest and add more weight)
8 repetitions  (rest and take some weights away)
10 repetitions -(rest and decrease the amount of weights)
15 repetitions

Don't load too much weights to the last sets, since the aim is to do the movements as fast as possible correctly.

2. Plyometrics: Box jumps

3-4x 10 jumps

Me doing box jumps

3. Leg press
3x10 reps
Do the sets fast and remeber to rest in between.


3. Burpee and high pull
3 x 10

Me doing burpee and high pull

4. Leg curl
3x10 (you can do normal sets or plyo sets)


5. Leg extension
3x10 (you can do normal sets or plyo sets)

6. Last 3 minute grande finale
Do a final set of  30 seconds of jump lunges and 30 seconds of push ups for 3 rounds

30s Jump lunge -no changing time- 30s Push ups
x Repeat 3 times!