Plyometric training is one of the most effective ways to increase power, speed, and explosive performance. 

What exactly are plyometric exercises? Plyometric exercises are defined by Physiopedia as “a series of explosive body weight resistance exercises using the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) of the muscle fiber to enhance physical capacity such as increasing musculotendinous stiffness and power”.

These high-intensity exercises develop fast-twitch muscle fibers and train your body to generate force quickly, a crucial ability in sports like football, wrestling, lacrosse, and hockey.

At Peak Strength, we use a high variety of plyometric movements to develop lateral, explosive, and elastic physical adaptations in athletes. 

Here are 10 plyometric exercises every athlete should know to take their performance to the next level.

10 Plyometric Exercises for Athletes

1. Box Jumps

Box jumps build explosive power by training the stretch-shortening cycle. This teaches muscles and tendons to produce force quickly. They improve lower-body rate of force development, coordination, landing mechanics, and reactive strength, all of which transfer to sprinting, jumping, cutting, and overall athletic performance. 

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=vr48ZlE4o0twjyhi&t=28

Physical adaptations: Box jumps develop explosive lower-body power, improve reactive strength through the stretch-shortening cycle, and enhance landing mechanics and joint stability. They also boost neuromuscular coordination, translating to better acceleration, jumping, and overall athletic performance.

Skill level needed: You don’t need to be an advanced athlete to do them; beginners just need lower boxes and proper landing mechanics.

Training Tip: Focus on soft, controlled landings to minimize joint stress and build landing stability.

2. Hurdle Hops

Hurdle hops train the body’s ability to absorb and re‑apply force rapidly. You jump over a hurdle, land, then immediately rebound into another jump. This teaches the stretch‑shortening cycle, which is critical for explosiveness. 

Demonstration Video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=9_SV1tymueFjLEti&t=40

Physical adaptations: You improve reactive strength, lower‑body power, landing mechanics (hips/knees control), and horizontal/vertical explosion which are all useful for acceleration, change of direction, and jumping. 

Skill level needed: You don’t have to be an elite athlete to use them — but you should have a baseline of strength and jumping competency. Start with lower hurdles and simpler versions, then scale height and complexity as you progress. 

Training tip: Keep ground contact short. Think “springy” and light to build elasticity in your ankles, calves, and lower leg tendons. 

3. Stair Jumps

Stair jumps combine vertical and horizontal power. Jump up multiple steps at a time using both legs to generate forward drive and extension through your hips. 

Stair jumps are ideal for athletes who need sharp first‑steps, acceleration, bounding ability and change‑of‑direction power (e.g., football, soccer, basketball, track). Essentially athletes who benefit from fast‐force production and multidirectional explosiveness.

Demonstration Video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=fHaPbe3WKbWFPYze&t=53

Physical adaptations: Stair jumps develop combined vertical and horizontal explosiveness by forcing the athlete to propel upward and forward with each bound. This enhances lower‑body power, reactive strength, and coordination while reducing joint impact compared with some other plyometrics.

Skill level needed: These can be scaled for a wide range of athletes. Beginners can start with small step‑jumps on low stairs, while more advanced athletes can jump multiple steps at once or increase speed.

Training tip: As you advance and develop coordination, try to reduce any pauses, stutters, or hesitations when landing and going into the next jump. Work on making jumps fluid and continuous. 

4. Tuck Jumps

Tuck jumps help develop fast-twitch power and coordination. Jump as high as you can while bringing your knees to your chest, then land softly before immediately performing the next rep.

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=2D0evXi9gBkHKQWe&t=177

Physical adaptations: Tuck jumps train rapid hip flexion/extension and reinforce the stretch‑shortening cycle by forcing a high vertical jump and quick knee tuck at the apex. This enhances explosive lower‑body power, increases neuromuscular coordination, improves hip‑and‑core connectivity, and sharpens landing absorption/transition for dynamic sport actions.

Skill level needed: This exercise requires a solid base of strength, decent jumping competency, and good landing mechanics. It’s best used by intermediate to advanced athletes. Beginners can start with simpler vertical jumps and focus on landing safely before progressing into full tuck jumps.

Training tip: Think about using the hips and core to bring your knees to your chest. 

5. Skips for Distance

This track-and-field staple builds stride length, rhythm, and power. Drive your knee up explosively, swing your arms powerfully, and skip for maximum distance.

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=hSBi5zLkov2OMga-&t=224

Physical adaptations: Skips for distance train the body’s ability to apply large amounts of force over a short ground‑contact time while projecting forward. They enhance horizontal explosiveness, improve stride length/frequency, enhance stretch‑shortening cycle efficiency and hip/glute/hamstring power. 

Skill level needed: This exercise sits in the intermediate range. The athlete should have decent strength, good landing control and basic plyometric competency before pushing for maximal distance. Beginners should work on standard skips or bounding first.

Training tip: Drive the knee up, push aggressively into the ground and project forward. Count how many skips you take to cover a set distance and aim to reduce the skip count over sets; focus on staying tall, landing softly with dorsiflexed feet, and keeping a steady rhythm.

6. Bounds

Bounding mimics sprinting but with exaggerated, powerful strides. Each bound develops hip extension, coordination, and balance while improving horizontal force production.

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=yVJRPLvuxziYbmZ1&t=255

Physical adaptations: Bounds enhance horizontal and vertical explosive capability by maximizing ground‑contact power, improving the stretch‑shortening cycle, increasing hip/hamstring/glute power, and refining landing mechanics and bilateral stability.

Skill level needed: Best suited for intermediate athletes: you should already have good base strength, solid single‑leg control, and landing proficiency before loading high‑velocity bounds. Beginners should first master basic pogo hops and broad jump mechanics before full bounds.

Training tip: Push off aggressively with each jump, fully extend at the hips, absorb the landing quickly with slightly flexed knees, and immediately explode into the next bound. Think ‘fast feet, build distance, and stable landing at the finish. 

7. Gwiz Jump (Named After Nick Gwiazdowski)

The Gwiz Jump, inspired by world-class wrestler Nick Gwiazdowski, starts from a one-knee position and transitions into an explosive single-leg jump onto a box. This exercise builds unilateral leg drive, balance, and lower-body explosion. Perfect for wrestlers and field sport athletes.

Execution:

1. Start on one knee facing a box.

2. Drive through your front leg and explode upward onto the box.

3. Land softly in an athletic stance.

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=jOw7W2LjAHMl-BfR&t=350

Physical adaptations: Gwiz Jumps enhance unilateral and bilateral explosive power, improve hip/leg drive, and train a fast stretch‑shortening cycle under a more complex movement pattern which helps increase vertical force output and reactive strength.

Skill level needed: This is an intermediate to advanced exercise. Athletes should already have solid lower‑body strength, single‑leg control, and landing mechanics before performing Gwiz Jumps safely.

Training tip: Keep the back foot off the ground and use only the lead leg to drive upward. Explode up, land softly, then rebound quickly; stay tall, brace the core, and avoid letting the rear leg become a push‑off.

8. Plate Overhead Single-Leg Jumps

Hold a light plate overhead and perform single-leg jumps to challenge your stability and coordination. The overhead position forces your core and shoulders to engage while building balance and control through your lower body.

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=69NgX9bR4WtyG0iX&t=451

Physical adaptations: This drill enhances unilateral hip and glute power, improves single‑leg reactive strength and balance, reinforces overhead stability (core/trunk) under dynamic load, and sharpens landing control. All of which support explosive movements, stabilization and injury resilience.

Skill level needed: Intermediate to advanced. Athletes must have solid single‑leg strength, good landing mechanics, and overhead stability before loading a plate and jumping from one leg safely.

Training tip: Extend your free leg behind for balance, hold the plate steady overhead with arms locked, explode off the jumping leg, land softly with a slight knee bend, pause briefly, then rebound. Keep the torso tall, hips forward, and don’t collapse into the landing.

9. Jan Jump Series

The Jan Jump Series is a progression of vertical, lateral, and forward jumps performed in sequence. This series challenges your ability to generate power in multiple planes of motion. An essential skill for athletes who need dynamic, game-ready agility.

Sample Sequence: Lateral hops → hurdle hops → box jump

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=HhstVzgeKW9Cgope&t=534

Physical adaptations: The Jan Jump Series develops multi‑directional power and reactive force by combining angled unilateral jumps with a bilateral explosive finish. It enhances hip drive, unilateral leg stiffness, coordination through transitions (unilateral → bilateral), and improved take‑off/landing mechanics under rotational/angled stress. 

Skill level needed: Intermediate to advanced. Athletes need good single‑leg strength, proprioception, landing control, and ability to absorb and re‑apply force from non‑straight‑ahead angles before attempting this sequence. 

Training tip: Focus on “one‑leg, one‑leg, then both together” in the sequence. Execute angled single‑leg jumps (left then right), then immediately transition into a bilateral explosive jump over a hurdle. Keep the body upright, land softly, maintain hip extension, and avoid letting the knees cave in during the transition. 

10. RB 1 Jump Series

Start by jumping laterally, land softly, then immediately explode forward over a hurdle. This sequence should be completed 2-3 times consecutively to count as a single set. This drill teaches quick redirection and builds coordination between your hips and core.

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=gENMU3gTc8R2cHyQ&t=612

Physical adaptations: This series builds rapid force production, unilateral-to-bilateral transition strength, improved single‑leg stability and explosive hip/leg drive which are key for powerful takeoffs, fast transitions, and reactive landings.

Skill level needed: Best suited for intermediate to advanced athletes who already demonstrate solid single‑leg strength and landing mechanics; beginners should build up with simpler unilateral plyos before attempting the full series.

Training tip: Execute each rep with maximum intent. Drive through the plant leg, explode into the jump, land quietly and controlled, then immediately rebound into the next movement. Maintain tall posture, forward‑lean minimal, and be aggressive with the hip drive.

Bonus: Impulse Burst Jump Series

The Impulse Burst Jump Series emphasizes rapid eccentric loading and reactivity. It includes drop jumps, depth landings, and rebound hops to train your muscles to absorb and produce force quickly.

Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/oMXHBcI1wJU?si=vl-v0SKYp2RmiID8&t=687

Physical adaptations: The Impulse Force Series enhances an athlete’s ability to generate high levels of force in a very short time. This means improving the “blast impulse” capacity (rapid force production) and optimizing rate of force development. It also trains better coordination of eccentric loading and explosive concentric output, which improves acceleration and reactive power.

Skill level needed: This series is best suited for intermediate to advanced athletes who already demonstrate solid landing mechanics, base strength, and proficiency in simpler plyometric drills. It involves rapid transitions and high‑explosive demands.

Training tip: Explode as soon as you hit the ground. Minimize ground contact time, keep the torso upright, drive through the ball of the foot, and imagine punching the floor away beneath you.

How to Add Plyometrics Into Workouts

Plyometrics can be tricky to implement during training. That’s why in Peak Strength, we have an entire day dedicated to plyometric development called an “athlete day”. Below is an example of an athlete day for a football player in the offseason. 

In the Garage Strength training system, Dane Miller recommends around 40-50 intentional and high intensity touches a week for advanced athletes to improve explosiveness and rate of force development.

For someone that is a beginner or intermediate in the gym, the recommendation is 150-200 lower intensity touches per week. 

A “touch” is defined as a connection to the ground where force is either applied or absorbed. So a sequence of jumps such as hurdle hops or the Jan Jump Series will have multiple touches throughout the sequence which is counted toward your total of around 40 reps. 

If you’re serious about building explosive power, improving athletic performance, and dominating your sport, Peak Strength will provide a a training plan that uses bilateral and unilateral plyometrics to help remove the guess work for coaches and athletes. 

Wrap Up: Train Explosive, Perform Dominant

Plyometric training is one of the fastest ways to develop elite-level athleticism and overall coordination. From box jumps to the Gwiz Jump, each movement builds speed, coordination, and total-body power.

By incorporating some of these 10 plyometric exercises into your weekly routine, you’ll improve your ability to accelerate, jump higher, and move with greater control. Combine this explosive training with a structured training plan from Peak Strength to unlock your true athletic potential and dominate your sport year-round.