PLYOMETRICS- Upper Body Emphasis
In my last installments I discussed what plyometrics are and why that are so important in terms of training for athletes, physique athletes included. Under that umbrella of plyometrics there are really two areas with which to focus on: upper body plyometrics, and lower body plyometrics. I’m sure when you think about plyometrics, exercises like box jumps and squat jumps come to mind- but what about exercises that are integral in the development of the upper body and the core such as overhead medicine ball slams, Squat throws, and plyometric push ups?
Remember, plyometrics (also known as plyos for short) is the term used to refer to the type of exercise designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system.
Plyometrics is a form of “power” training. Research has shown that combining both resistance training and plyometric training will have better effects on overall performance, even if you AREN’T a sport specific athlete. Plyometrics assists in rapid force development (power) while weight training assists in maximal force output (strength). The term “power”refers to the combined factors of speed and strength, and therein lies the main benefit of plyometrics- they are movements that tax both the muscular and cardiovascular systems simultaneously. For those of us looking to create lean, athletic physiques, this is where it’s at.
Upper body plyometrics tend to fall by the wayside unfortunately and are even less popular then lower body plyometric exercises, but they definitely do NOT lack in effectiveness. Adding upper body plyometric exercises into your training protocol is beneficial in a number of ways even if throwing harder and further isn’t a goal of yours.
The biggest benefit, perhaps is that it deviates so drastically from what’s “normal” amongst bodybuilders and physique athletes. There are several different methods of power training, the simplest of which, is to perform classic weight lifting exercises, such as bench presses, as explosively as possible. The
problem with this method is that the barbell has to be decelerated at the end of the movement so that the lifter can keep control of it and this in-escapeable slowing down causes a loss of power. Upper body plyometric drills allow maximum power to be generated because, unlike barbells or dumbbells, medicine balls (a common upper body plyo apparatus) can be released into the air. If you’re doing bodyweight exercises for upper body plyos there is even LESS loss of power.
Another perk, of course is that this style of training taxes the aerobic and anaerobic system at the same time. It’s one thing to be able to pound out 3 sets of heavy bench, but its another altogether to do 3 sets of burpee pushup hybrids. You’ll be bent over breathing like you ran a mile, and THAT’S part of the reason to include plyometrics in your upper body training. They increase aerobic capacity, are a great way to train for power as well as athletic and functional strength, AND they ramp up the calorie burn of your workout- big time. The key to shaping the muscle and creating an athletic streamlined look is to get away from heavy, cumbersome compound strength movements and rely on reflexive, impact involved, bodyweight training which creates muscle tone and definition through explosive momentum and instant impact.
Performance in sports such as basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis, badminton, golf and the throwing events in athletics can benefit with upper body plyometric exercises, but the inclusion of upper body plyos shouldn’t just be for athletes. Studies have shown that simply including a few upper body plyometric exercies a week drastically increases explosive strength in more compound movements such as bench pressing. In fact, many strength athletes and competitive powerlifters have adapted specific upper body plyometric exercises into their programming for the mere purpose of bettering their explosive strength for the purpose of heavy weight bearing lifts. One example that comes to mind is Arizona State linebacker Adam Archuleta, who, years ago was told he had no real shot at playing in the NFL. He hooked up with a non-conventional trainer who put him on a program incorporating lots of whole body plyometric type movements to improve his draft status. ESPN's Sports-Center did a feature on Adam and his training, because apparently it had turned him into a monster. He benched 225 pounds 31 times in the bench press test and can bench 530 for a max (a record for a defensive back).
Plyometrics increase upper body strength because they are drills that mimic natural movement and increase reflexive strength. Pick up a ball, and throw it. Now pay attention to what you naturally did without thinking about it. Did you bring your arm back behind your head and pause and then throw it? I would hope not! Chances are you quickly drew your arm back and let it fly. The quick rearing back of your arm quickly stretched the muscles, tendons and connective tissue in your shoulders and built up energy which allowed you to throw harder. Would you have thrown as hard if you brought your arm all the way back, paused for 3 seconds and then released the ball? Absolutely not. Most of you know that you can bench press more weight by using a quick "bounce" near your chest then you can by using a lengthy pause. Why? Because when you quickly reverse direction before pressing it creates a lot of eccentric force and during this downward movements, force is created and energy is stored as the muscles and tendons are stretched, similar to a loaded spring. I’m about to get scientific so hang with me… a fully activated muscle undergoing a forced stretch, can increase force in the other direction up to 2x, but increasing the speed of the eccentric (downward) force can further increase concentric or upward force due to the additional build-up of energy so we also have to consider the speed of these eccentric (downward) forces. So how do you build up more u
seable potential force? By increasing the SPEED of the eccentric or downward force.
Enter upper body plyometrics. The more proficient you are at the ability to build up and stabilize downward energy, the greater power you will have, the greater explosiveness you’ll have, and you’ll have a greater avoidance of injury. In order to be very good at this you must be able to be efficient at absorbing lots of downward force and then learn how to advantageously stabilize that force, sequencing the two together to react to that force with a more powerful concentric contraction. HELLO PLYOMETICS!
So what are some good upper body plyometric drills? There are numerous, including medicine ball drills, exercises that focus on explosive strength like plyo pushups, and both low and high intensity reactive exercises. Some solid exercises that come to mind would be:
· Medicine Ball Slams
· Squat Throw
· Medicine Ball Side Throws
· Plyometric Pushups
· Smith Machine Press Throws
· Plyo Pushups on and off low boxes
· Altitude drops
· Reactive Rebound Bench Press
· Burpee/Pullup Hybrid
· Burpee/Pushup Hybrid
· Wall ups
· Incline Push up Depth Jumps
· Side Throws
Upper body plyometrics don’t need to necessarily be incorporated during an entire workout of a split. In fact I think they tend to work best when either combined with standard weight training exercises more typical of a bodybuilding protocol, OR as part of a high intensity cirtcuit or other form of CST training like Tabata. They work best if done concurrently with training designed to increase your upper body strength. Plyometric work should be done prior to any strength or hypertrophy training. An easy way to structure your training is to pick 2 upper body plyometric exercises and do those 2 exercises prior to other upper body training two times a week. So for example on chest day maybe do some Incline Push up Depth Jumps, Burpee Pushup Hybrids, or some plyometric pushups BEFORE you do your standard weight workout. Or combine three upper body plyo exercises with three upper body weight bearing exercises for a killer upper body circuit.
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