By Miguel J. Ortiz
From the high-preforming athlete to the person who just loves pushing their body to the max, I see so many people introduce plyometrics and powerful movements into workouts without any quality control. This could hinder progress and lead to muscle imbalances, injury, etc. So, before speeding up it’s important to understand how to slow down. I like to use the analogy of a Ferrari, you see Ferraris don’t have Fiat breaks, they have Ferrari breaks. And for this reason, anything that is moving fast should also understand how to slow down, the same goes for us.
Here are three advanced movements that you can slow down and modify in order to ensure you’re ready to start introducing plyometric exercises.
The first exercise is a Global Extension Absorb. This movement is great for testing the legs’ and core’s ability to absorb into the ground to reduce pressure on the joints and back. You’ll notice I extend as much as I possibly can and throw my arms with as much force as possible into the floor, coming to a hard stop under full control. Naturally, you’ll land in a squat position with your arms by your side to slow down the momentum before coming to a full stop. This is necessary to “absorb” all the force you’ve produced, in which you will feel pressure in your legs and core which are the prime muscles used to slow down. There are also plenty of videos where people are falling off boxes without the best landing. Consider this exercise the part where you land on the box, essentially preparing for your landing. No matter the level, all athletes preform this movement whether for warm-up prep or before going into more agility movement patterns, this movement is necessary in order to have proper mechanics when leaving the ground and doing plyometrics.
The second movement is very similar to the previous one. The Global Extension Split Absorbis for runners and anyone who has ever done a lunge. I would like to highlight that when someone is running or jogging I want you to think about how your foot is hitting the floor and the consistent impact your legs take with every step. I had a chiropractor tell me that every step we take is like a single leg fall, and if we don’t catch ourselves properly and move with intention and proper posture were compromising our joints with every step. I couldn’t have agreed more. So, make sure you control your momentum appropriately but when you land you want to be in a split squat position and this will tell you very quickly which side is stronger, more stable or you may even feel more coordinated on one side. Nonetheless, be aware of everything and strive to move and land as evenly as possible.
The third and final movement will put your plyometric movements to the test. It is a series of Tuck Jumps. This exercise is meant for you to be light on the balls of your feet and require you to have enough of a jump to tuck your knees above your hips. In the video, I get my knees up pretty high but please don’t try that high first. Landing is the most important thing. Think of this exercise like you’re doing a jump rope and constantly hopping on the balls of your feet. You then spring into a strong jump and tuck the knees in creating more separation from the floor which is where the tough part comes in. Be able to land softly and go right back to a jump rope style pattern on your feet again. The strength is in your ability to reset between every tuck jump. I like to jump lightly three times before leaving the ground for the tuck.
Enjoy your movement and remember, learn to slow down before you speed up.
– Miguel J. Ortiz is a personal trainer in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a Master Trainer for Pain-Free Performance and a Certified Nutritional Consultant with more than a decade of professional experience. He can be found on Instagram at @migueljortiz. You can find videos of the exercises mentioned in this column on his YouTube channel at tinyurl.com/ORTfitness.
