Fitness enthusiasts are always ready to learn the best techniques for staying in shape. Plyometrics is one of the best exercises you can incorporate into your fitness program. It can help you develop speed and power, wake up your nervous system before your workout, and help you recruit more motor units and muscle fibers. This allows you to build more muscle and burn more calories to lose pot belly fat. The one caveat? Although plyometric exercises provide tremendous benefits, they’re often programmed improperly in HIIT classes and other circuit training studios.
Many fitness establishments have their trainees perform multiple reps and sets, often as fast as possible within a certain time interval. When it comes to performing plyometrics, however, they should be done in a controlled environment, focusing on exploding and getting as much power out of the movement while practicing safe landing mechanics. Performing them this way will keep your joints healthy, pain-free, and injury-free.
If you’re not used to doing plyometrics and want to start putting them into your workouts, here are four movements that are a great starting point. Check them out below, and get ready to lose pot belly fat fast. And next up, don’t miss The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.
Start Vertical Jumps by getting into an athletic stance position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest tall and core tight, throw your hips and your arms back while dipping into a quarter squat, then reverse the motion and jump up as high as you can with your arms all the way up. Land softly into a mini squat, and reset before performing another rep. Perform 8 to 10 reps.
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If you haven’t done a Box Jump before, make sure you master the squat form first and start with a low box. Begin by facing a box or bench just one arm’s length away. Keeping your core tight, swing your arms back, and dip into a squat, then immediately spring up and jump onto the box, landing softly. Stick the landing with your knees tracking straight and then step back down before performing another rep. Complete 5 to 8 reps.
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For this next exercise, grab a giant medicine ball, and position your feet outside shoulder width. Keeping your chest tall and core tight, bring the ball over your head towards one side in an arc-like fashion, slamming the ball down hard onto the ground. Flex your abs as you do this, then catch the ball and bring it over your head to the other direction.
Go back and forth until all reps are done on both sides. Complete 8 reps on each side.
Start this chest pass by grabbing a giant medicine ball and lying flat on your back with your legs fully extended. Hold the ball to your chest with your elbows and forearms on the ground. Perform an explosive chest pass up in the air, launching the ball up as high as you can. Catch the ball, and reset before doing another rep. Perform 8 to 10 reps.
Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.
