OnFitness Magazine - September/October 2017 - 76

W W W. O N F I T N E S S M A G . C O M | V O L 1 8 N O 2 | 2 0 1 7 7 2

One study, published in
the Japanese Journal of
Physiology in January 1996,
attempted to quantify the hormonal
responses during high-impact activity. The
study was conducted with 16 Italian professional
soccer players. The researchers asked the participants to
complete 60 seconds of consecutive vertical jumps to consequently
induce complete muscle fatigue. The study recorded blood serum levels
of hormones such as HGH, testosterone, cortisol and others
immediately after the 60-second supramaximal effort. They found
significant increases in amounts of cortisol and testosterone released,
among others. There was an increase in HGH also, but not to a
significant degree.
Additionally, the most pronounced testosterone release was
found in the subjects with the highest vertical jumps and the
largest power output. Since increasing testosterone levels in the
bloodstream has been shown to prevent loss of fat-free mass
(such as muscle) and prevent a gain in fat mass as we age, it is
beneficial to perform exercises that create this
effect, such as jumping. It is also beneficial to
do jumping activities in a way that
consequently induces muscle failure, for even
more pronounced effects. Preservation of muscle mass
as we age will also prevent a sluggish metabolism, since
muscle tissue requires energy (caloric) burning for
maintenance.
Who can jump
Teaching a client to jump can be challenging, but now that you know
how effective it can be for the average gym-goer, use your skills as a
personal trainer to help your clients overcome their fear of plyometrics.
Remember, if you believe they can do it, instill that trust in them and
they will be much more likely to attempt a plyometric exercise.
Likewise, 90 percent of the time, they will be successful.
Some of the best clients for jumping are children or teens; they
naturally love to jump. For conditioning teen athletes or other children,
don't shy away from squat jumps, squat thrusts and other bone
enhancing exercises. If they have good joint health, jumping will only
make their joints stronger.
For older adults, jumping can be scary, so begin slowly. You should
not start an older or frailer client on switch jumps or bench jumps, but
you should ask them to attempt a small hop in which their feet are
only an inch or 2 from the floor. As a personal trainer, you make safety
a top priority, so this regression is much less risky for ankle rolls or
knee pain. Even a small jump will induce positive muscular and bone
effects for your clients.
For athletes, let them have it all. If they have great joint health, do
not hesitate to cue switch jumps or bench jumps, or even add weight
to jumps. The more fit the client, the more progressive you can make
the exercises, and the bigger the effects are going to be.
Obese clients should not necessarily be jumping right away. When
someone jumps, the force of the landing can be up to 4 times the body
weight. If the client is already overweight or obese, it can cause even
more stress on the joints and can be dangerous. Obese clients already
have large forces on the joints of their lower extremities and usually are
not at risk for osteoporosis, but deal more with osteoarthritis, causing
joint pain in the hips, knees and ankles.
Incorporate regular weight training and low-impact, high-intensity
cardiovascular intervals such as on a recumbent bike for obese clients
to help them lose weight first. Once a good amount of weight is lost
and as long as the client has good joint health, begin slowly
incorporating higher-impact exercises into the routine, such as high
knees or short sprints. Progress to jumping and sprint intervals and
watch as the fat melts away even quicker.
Jump-start your clients' training
Impact activities are a necessary piece of any client's training regimen,
regardless of goal. For fat loss, hormonal effects of jumping allow the

body to become a more efficient fat
burner. For older adults, impact
movements create an acute
sense of neuromuscular
control and awareness to
prevent injuries such as falls
and twisted ankles, not to
mention prevent
osteoporosis and loss of fatfree mass.
For athletes, plyometrics enhance functional
parameters such as power, agility, balance and
coordination, all of which are of utmost importance
for performance. Remember to steer clear of
plyometrics for obese clients until a good
amount of weight is lost, or else joint
health will be compromised. All in all,
impact activities are beneficial for almost
every client, so stop shying away from
them and instead start challenging
your clients in a different, more
impactful way and watch as
they grow, change and
improve.
Plyometric workout routines
The plyometric routines on page 48 will not only train the aerobic
and anaerobic systems but also increase muscular endurance, as
well as release huge amounts of fat-burning testosterone.
Remember to generate failure by doing as many repetitions in
succession as possible until the point of burning and breathlessness,
then rest until you can go again. The time will still be ticking whether
the trainee is resting or not. Perform the given exercises for their
designated work time and then recovery for the given rest time before
moving to the next exercise. Complete 3 rounds of each workout. Z
Workout 1: the basic jumping
Complete 3 rounds
_______________________________________________________________________
EXERCISE
WEIGHT
WORK TIME
REST TIME
_______________________________________________________________________
Squat jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none . . . . . . . . . .30 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 sec
Switch jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none . . . . . . . . . .30 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 sec
Squat thrust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none . . . . . . . . . .30 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 sec, repeat
(Squat down on toes, hands on floor for support; push feet back into push-up
position, then jump back to hands and jump up to standing.)

Workout 2: take the weights with you
Complete 3 rounds
_______________________________________________________________________
EXERCISE
WEIGHT
WORK TIME
REST TIME
_______________________________________________________________________
Squat jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-10 lb . . . . . . .20 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 sec
Squat thrust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-15 lb . . . . . . .20 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 sec
(To make more advanced, add a push-up at the bottom.)
Ski & punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-15 lb . . . . . . .20 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 sec, repeat
Jump side to side and punch the opposite hand's weight across the body to the
outside of the movement in a cross punch.

Workout 3: advanced jumping
Complete 3 rounds
_______________________________________________________________________
EXERCISE
WEIGHT
WORK TIME
REST TIME
_______________________________________________________________________
Bench jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none . . . . . . . . . .45 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 sec
Jump with both feet onto a flat bench, squat at top of bench and
then jump down into a squat on the floor.
Switch jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-15 lbs . . . . .45 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 sec
Tuck jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none . . . . . . . . . .45 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 sec, repeat
Like a squat jump, but while in the air, tuck knees into chest as high as possible,
then land with both feet on floor.

Workout 4: restless jumping
Complete 3 rounds
_______________________________________________________________________
EXERCISE
WEIGHT
WORK TIME
REST TIME
_______________________________________________________________________
Wide-stance squat jump . . . . . . . . . .none . . . . . . . . . .20 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .none
Feet stay shoulder width apart throughout.
Toe jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none . . . . . . . . . .20 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .none
Feet together, jumping on toes with straight legs such as a jumping calf raise.
Close-stance squat jump . . . . . . . . .none . . . . . . . . . .20 sec . . . . . . . . . . . . .none, repeat
Feet stay 1-2 inches apart throughout.
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OnFitness Magazine - September/October 2017

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