What are Plyometrics?

The term "Plyometrics" was coined by an Olympic long-distance runner from the USA named Fred Wilt. After watching Russian athletes using various jumps in their warm-ups before track and field events, he came up with the term.

Plyometrics is essentially "Jump Training." However, we can also describe upper body exercises that emphasize using the stretch-shortening cycle (stretch reflex) to produce an explosive movement as plyometrics. For example, plyo push-ups.

Yuri Verkoshansky (a Russian sports scientist) is often considered the godfather of plyometrics and is infamous for his "Shock Method" of plyometrics.