Plyometric Training: Easy Drills To Burn Fat And Look Lean

You want to get lean?

Maybe you want to have a body that looks like that of a fitness model or one that simply looks beach ready year round.

Most of the time you will read or hear advice telling you that in order to get lean and burn that extra fat all you need to do is running 30 minutes a day or 60 minutes or more.  You know what I mean.  Get on the treadmill and start jogging.

Sounds boring.  Well, that’s because it is.

 

If you have tried to do long cardio or look at those who do this type of cardio you will notice that they don’t look very lean and athletic.  In fact, they do look thin but lack muscle and muscle definition like an athlete. 

Alternative To Regular Cardio

So what can you do? How can you avoid doing that dreaded 30 minutes on the treadmill or an elliptical machine?

Well you can simply switch to athletic based training.  All you have to do is follow a method of training that athletes like football players, sprinters Olympic athletes use.

Most athletes use plyometric training in their cardio component instead of long cardio.

Why Plyometric Exercises Work

As I mentioned above, an athlete typically looks lean and has some muscle mass.  In order to have an athletic body it is best to work on fast twitch muscles.

One way to develop your fast twitch muscles is by doing short and explosive workouts.  So rather than doing cardio that works the slow twitch muscles, like jogging or similar types of workouts, it is best to work with cardio that develops fast twitch fibers. 

The best way to split your cardio in order to make it more athletic is by doing short drills using your bodyweight, agility ladders or any cardio activity done in short bursts of intense activity and short rest.

How to Create A Plyometric Workout

The best way to create your own plyometric workout is doing the following:

• Choosing the length of time for each exercise
• Choosing the length of time for each rest period
• Divide each exercise equally
• Choose a combination of exercises that will raise your cardiovascular level
• Choose exercises that are athletic and build lean muscle at the same time

Here is an example of a plyometric workout:

You can easily follow the routine outlined in the video or you can create your own.

Here is a plyometric workout I came up with:

• Jumping Jacks
• Walking Lunges
• Kettlebell Swings
• Box Jumps

*split each exercise by 30 seconds of activity and 30 seconds of rest

A workout like this will get your heart rate up and will help you keep or build lean muscle. 

You can create workout that is lower body focused or combine it in a way that works as a total body workout.

Rather than doing your usual cardio session go ahead and get creative.  Save time and instead choose drills that are more athletic.  By using plyometrics you will find yourself burning unwanted fat and looking leaner than ever.