Fitness: What Actually are Plyometrics and Plyometric Training?

What Actually are Plyometrics and Plyometric Training?

Written by Kevin Doberstein CFT

Article intro: I was first introduced to Plyometrics for competitive karate tournaments. More specifically, sparring or point fighting. I used plyometric-training theories to help me come off repparttar

line faster and beat my opponent to repparttar 148359

first point scored. Sometimes a simple backfist punch was repparttar 148360

only thing needed to win repparttar 148361

match. I also used Plyometric training to increase my kicking speed. In this brief article, I will be discussing some highlights of Plyometrics.

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I was first introduced to Plyometrics for competitive karate tournaments. More specifically, sparring or point fighting. I used plyometric-training theories to help me come off repparttar 148362 line faster and beat my opponent to repparttar 148363 first point scored. Sometimes a simple backfist punch was repparttar 148364 only thing needed to win repparttar 148365 match. I also used Plyometric training to increase my kicking speed. In this brief article, I will be discussing some highlights of Plyometrics.

Plyometrics by definition is; a type of exercise using explosive movements to develop muscular power, esp. bounding, hopping, and jumping. This somewhat narrow interpretation doesn’t go into detail what this training method can do to help you with your chosen field of sport. It is without nutrition particulars that coincide with plyometric training. Also, it fails to specify which energy system is used by repparttar 148366 body for this type of conditioning.

The term “Plyometrics” was created in repparttar 148367 mid-seventies by track coaches looking for an edge. Plyometric training stimulates repparttar 148368 fast twitch muscle fiber. The fast twitch or white fiber is responsible for explosive type of muscular movements. The main objective in Plyometric training is to improve fastness through strength. This is accomplished by applying exerted energy with velocity. This process includes making repparttar 148369 amortization portion of repparttar 148370 strength curve as short as possible to increase power in repparttar 148371 concentric motion. The strength curve is comprised of 3 components. The eccentric, amortization and repparttar 148372 concentric. To better explain let’s take repparttar 148373 bench press for example. At repparttar 148374 beginning of repparttar 148375 bench-press you are holding repparttar 148376 barbell overhead. As you lower it to your chest repparttar 148377 eccentric (or negative) portion is being preformed. When you stop at repparttar 148378 bottom, or on your chest, repparttar 148379 amortization period takes place. When repparttar 148380 barbell is lifted off your chest, repparttar 148381 concentric movement is preformed.

Are you breathing properly?

Written by David Kane

Copyright 2005 David Kane

Most people become lousy at breathing. Our bodies are naturally designed to breathe properly, but we tend to override this advantage with bad breathing habits. Your shoulders should not lift. Your chest should not stiffen. Your stomach should not push out as you exhale. If you breathe in more than sixteen times a minute your breathing is too rapid and too shallow.

The rib cage and repparttar diaphragm are repparttar 148350 main parts of repparttar 148351 body involved in inhaling and exhaling. You can feel your rib cage, but you are probably unaware of your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a thick layer of muscle between repparttar 148352 lungs and repparttar 148353 intestines. When you breathe in it contracts, pulling downward on repparttar 148354 chest cavity and pressing down on repparttar 148355 stomach and intestines. When you exhale it relaxes.

Do you use your diaphragm correctly when you breathe? Try this exercise to find out. Lie on your back with your right hand resting on your upper chest, and your left hand on your abdomen. Relax for a while until your breathing becomes normal then notice what your hands are doing. When you breathe in your left hand should rise and your right hand should remain fairly still.

Breathing is also important because it can produce a calming effect when we feel anxious. Deep breathing is accepted as a way to calm nerves in many situations. Even professionals use repparttar 148356 technique before stepping on stage or standing up for a speech. Try repparttar 148357 following next time you feel yourself becoming tense.

Breathe in for a count of one, and then breathe out for a count of one.

Breathe in for a count of two, and then out for a count of two.

Breathe in for a count of three, and then out for a count of three.

Continue until you are breathing in for a count of twelve, and out for a count of twelve. Keep repparttar 148358 counting at a constant rhythm. If you cannot comfortably reach twelve do not strain yourself to reach this figure. Inhale and exhale for as long as you find comfortable and do not hold your breath to complete repparttar 148359 count. During this exercise focus on how your body expands and relaxes as you breathe in and out. More oxygen will reach your brain as you do repparttar 148360 exercise, making your mind sharper and making you feel refreshed and relaxed.

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