Your Guide to Creating a Plyometrics Workout to Burn Fat

If you have a goal to decrease body fat tend to gravitate to the gym’s cardio section. They assume cardio is the key to burning calories and fat. But really, to burn body fat you need to focus on both exercise and nutrition.

Everyone must expend more energy than they consume or be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. a trainers job is to educate and prescribe the best options to do so.

The type of exercise you perform will determine the number of calories they burn during and after a workout. This is in addition to their regular daily activities and resting metabolism.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can achieve better results from plyometric workouts rather than just focusing on cardio.

Plyometrics Defined

Plyometric exercise involves exerting maximum force over a short time. This type of training increases muscle power, explosiveness, and body control. It also helps you increase calorie burn, leading to greater fat loss.

Squat jumps, box jumps, and plyometric (plyo) push-ups are plyo exercises that elevate heart rate, increase strength, and build muscle. These fat-burning plyometric movements are commonly referred to as jump training.

Plyometric training requires many muscle groups to work together at one time. This forces the body to use more energy and burn more calories.

Can Plyometrics Burn Fat?

Imagine there is a person who completes a 30-minute cardio session on the treadmill and another who completes a 30-minute plyometric workout. 

Which person would burn more calories? 

In most cases, the person on the treadmill would burn more calories. Cardio performed on the treadmill is a form of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise induces a high exercise heart rate, which is why that person will end up burning more calories during exercise.

Once the person stops the treadmill, their heart rate will return to normal. Therefore, they will stop burning calories at the same rate as they were on the treadmill.

On the other hand, the person performing the plyometric workout will likely burn fewer calories during exercise. This is because plyometric exercises are more anaerobic than a cardio workout. 

During plyometrics, the body undergoes anaerobic exercise and burn through glycogen. This forces changes in strength and muscle in the body, leading to greater overall fat burn. The more muscle a person has, the more energy their body requires to optimally function.

Once the workout is complete, they will have a higher resting metabolism. They will burn more calories at a higher rate than they normally do.

The Best Plyometric Exercises for Fat Burn

There are many options for implementing plyometric training into a program. And, conveniently, some of the same exercise movement patterns can also be found in the following:

• Resistance training 

• High intensity interval training

• Strength training 

Squat Jumps

To effectively perform a squat jump, start with the feet shoulder- or hip-width apart. Then descend into a squat position and explode back up off the ground. Drive the heals into the ground on the upward phase. With great force, propel yourself off the ground into the air. As you return to the ground, transition into the next rep. 

Jump Lunges

Start at the bottom of a lunge position with the back knee just above the ground. Cue your client to jump straight up off the ground, switching the front and back leg. End in the bottom of the lunge position with the opposite leg in front. Repeat consecutive reps exploding off the ground as high as possible. 

Tuck Jumps

You will stand in an athletic stance. From here, perform a vertical jump. To perform a vertical jump, quickly bend at the knees and hips while snapping the arms down. Follow with extension of the hips and knees and swinging the arms up. You should propel yourself off the ground and immediately tuck the knees into the chest.

Plyo Push-ups

In a push-up position, descend toward the ground and explode back up off the ground. Push the upper body away from the ground. Control the landing and repeat.

Skater Jumps

Starting on one leg, you will jump side to side, landing on the opposite leg each time. If you start on the right leg, then you should jump to the left, landing on just the left leg. As soon as you land, you should jump again. Repeat the workout for time or reps. 

Designing a Plyometric Workout

Combining these plyometric exercises into one workout is an effective way to burn fat. You do not need cardio to lose fat. Instead pairing a good nutrition plan with plyometric training can help lose fat efficiently. 

Perform a 2-minute warm-up. Jumping rope or a light form of dynamic exercise is plenty to prime the body for the workout. Be sure to outline the plyometric training in a circuit style. This will help create a HIIT training exercise environment.

Increasing the heart rate will accelerate calorie burn. Depending on the fitness level, you can even add weight or dumbbells to each exercise. Resistance will add more stress to the muscles and induce greater strength gains.

Not everyone is at the same fitness level. So just know that bodyweight workouts can still produce just as good results for weight loss.

30-Minute Plyometrics Workout to Burn Fat

Squat Jumps: 3 sets for 45 seconds with 15-second rest intervals

*Rest up to 2 minutes before the next exercise

Jump Lunges: 3 sets for 45 seconds with 15-second rest intervals

*Rest up to 2 minutes before the next exercise

Tuck Jumps: 3 sets for 45 seconds with 15-second rest intervals

*Rest up to 2 minutes before the next exercise

Plyo Push-ups: 3 sets for 45 seconds with 15-second rest intervals

*Rest up to 2 minutes before the next exercise

Skater Jumps: 3 sets for 45 seconds with 15-second rest intervals

*Rest up to 2 minutes

Finish with a 2-minute cool-down stretch.