Plyometrics and Athlete Development – Part III-A
The Scoops on Upper-Body Plyometrics
I had to decide how to present Section III because I have developed numerous exercises and drills over many years and wanted to share this wealth of knowledge with you. However, the Upper-Body Plyometrics section was becoming too large, so I divided the Series into III-A and III-B (July News).
We include the upper-body limbs (arms), the core, spine, back, hips, shoulders, and neck and head stability, i.e., the ability to maintain the position of these body parts. This requires precise strength training to enhance body position, balance, and control. Upper- and lower-body plyometrics should be included in the daily training program, but the specific exercises depend on the general and sport-specific components needed, as well as those required for the upcoming training session. Sound progression is guided by advancing body position, increasing demands on coordination, and the potential for progressive overload through increased resistance or speed. Each subsequent phase is designed to enhance these components and improve athletes' functional fitness. The purpose of this first level of upper-body plyometrics is to simplify movements, ensure proper sequencing, develop significant power, and prime and prepare all involved tissues for more advanced exercises with greater impact and muscle/joint loading in subsequent phases of upper-body speed/power training. Exercises can be performed in the standing, kneeling, prone, and supine positions. Kneeling variations serve a vital purpose: they remove the lower body, facilitate greater core activation, which in turn supports the delivery of more power from the extremities later on, and help prevent potential injuries. This is a safeguard strategy to ensure the core isn’t overlooked, as any deficiency may result in reduced power once it returns to a standing position.
*Note: To perform each exercise correctly….
*Determine the movement distance of each exercise or perform the exercise for a set time.
*Repeat as needed means the coach determines the number of repetitions in order to achieve the correct movement and training effect.
*Body Curls: Curl the upper back – drop the head and tuck the chin.
Tuck-sit with Rolling Hips
Free Space.
Assume the Tuck-sit position on the floor, bend the legs and extend them slightly out in front of the body)/feet together, flat and parallel on the floor/ facing forward/curl the back/tuck the chin to the chest/roll the body in a wave-like motion forward/arms extended with the hands on top of the knees/ unravel the body slowly with controlled action to an 8-count, starting at the base of the spine/push against the hands on the knees and press the chest forward and upward/isolate each part of the spine//straighten the body and come to a straight-back sitting and balanced position/head to buttocks alignment hold 5-7 seconds/round the shoulders/curl the back/tuck and curl the head/drop the chin to the chest/return to the Tuck-sit position/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed
Cues and Rhythm: 1-2: Tuck-sit; 1-2-3-4: Body cur1; 1-2-3-4: Back lean; 1-2-3-4: Body unravel to Body curl
Kneeling Body Incline Backward
Free Space.
Assume the Tuck-kneeling position on the floor/body in curl position/head relaxed/arms extended at the sides of the body by the heels/slowly rise to the upright body extension/lean backward to maximum range possible without losing body balance/shoulder to hip alignment/hold 5-7 seconds/collapse forward to the curled position/relax, 5-7 seconds, repeat as needed
Variation:
Kneeling Partner Rebound
Free space
Same Exercise: Partners assume the tuck-kneeling position on the floor, arm-length apart/body in a curl position/head relaxed/arms extended by the feet/rise to full kneeling position, extending the arms forward, parallel to the floor/partners lean backward to full range possible without losing body balance/hold position 5-7 seconds/rise to upright body position/fall forward to rebound off partners’ flat hands to upright position/relax, 5-7 seconds, repeat as needed
Supine Body Incline/Body Bridge
Free Space.
Assume the supine position on the floor (on the back)/arms extended at the sides of the body/the body is flat on the floor/raise-elevate the upper body to full extension in air/shoulder to knee alignment/lower legs underneath the knees/feet flat on the floor/hold 5-7 seconds/return to the supine position/ relax, 5-7 seconds, repeat as needed
Croc Walk
Free Space.
Set the distance or the time.
Assume a low crouch position on the floor/arms bent, hands flat on the floor,body in a low push-up position/head and face low to the floor/legs extended/ crouching forward low to the floor with opposite limb action, R-arm – L-leg and L-arm – R-leg/continuous pattern/complete the distance or time/ return to starting line/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed
Sidewinder in Straddle Position – Side-to-Side Movement
Free Space.
Set the distance or the time.
Assume the prone position on the floor (on the stomach)/body ‘flush’ on the floor/arms extended out in front/legs extended/elevate the body to the Plank position/legs extended on toes/arms straight under the shoulders, hands flat on the floor/body alignment shoulders to toes/facing forward/hold 5-7 seconds/walk to the L-side sideways with legs in Straddle position/pattern: Straddle legs – legs together – Straddle legs/pattern: L-leg-L-hand/R-leg-R-hand/keep the legs in extended Straddle position/continuous/ complete set distance or time/return, reverse pattern to the R-side/R-hand-R-leg/relax, 5-7 seconds/ repeat as needed
Front-to-Back-to-Front Turnover
Free Space.
Set the time.
Assume the prone position on the floor (on the stomach)/body ‘flush’ on the floor/arms extended out in front/legs extended/elevate the body to the Plank position/legs extended on toes/arms straight under the shoulders, hands flat on the floor/body alignment shoulders to toes/facing forward/hold 5-7 seconds/turn-pivot the body to the L-side as the straight R-arm and with hand support the body on the floor facilitates the turn/L-arm reaches across the body to seek support on the floor/body/body is in reverse position, facing upward in air/hold 5-7 seconds/turn-pivot to R-side with L-hand support on the floor to the elevated plank position/facing forward/hold 5-7 seconds/lower the body to the prone position on the floor/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed
Lame Dog
Free Space.
Set the distance and/or the time.
Assume the prone position on the floor (on the stomach)/body ‘flush’ on the floor/arms extended out in front/legs extended in back/elevate the body to the Plankposition/legs extended on toes/arms straight under the shoulders, hands flat on the floor/body alignment shoulders to toes/facing forward/ extend the L-leg in air as high as possible/straight-arm support, hands flat on the floor/move forward with a 1-leg hop/complete the distance or time/return relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed/repeat, opposite leg in the air
‘Inch Worm’ – High-Low Movement
Free Space.
Set the distance or the time
*Note: Throughout the exercise, keep the arms and legs straight when moving.
Assume the prone position on the floor (on the stomach)/body ‘flush’ on the floor/arms extended out in front/legs extended in back/elevate the body to the Plank position/keeping the legs straight and stationary/walk the hands in alternating patter forward as far as possible/keep the arms straight and hands stationary/walk the legs forward as close to the hands as possible/complete the distance or time/return/relax, for 5-7 seconds, repeat as needed
Jumping Cricket with Popping Arms-Legs in Alternating Action
Free Space.
Set the distance or the time
*Note: Hands and Fingers point toward the feet!
Assume a reverse push-up position low to the floor/stomach facing up/head facing forward/legs bent/arms straight/hands flat on the floor, fingers point toward the feet (!)/pop-jump the legs and then the arms into the air by pushing strongly against the floor/alternating action; jumping legs – arms /continuous action/complete the distance/return/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed
Crazy Horse
Free Space.
Set the distance or the time
Assume a semi-crouch position on the floor/facing forward/arms extended in front of the body/push strongly off the feet to propel the body downward, landing on the hands with the arms straight/head looking down/immediate pushing off the hands to trust the legs bent into the air/land in the semi-crouch position/continuous pattern: alternating hands – legs/strong push-off from the hands and the legs/ complete the distance/return/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed
Push-up with Spring and Handclap in Air
Free Space.
Set the distance or the time
Assume the prone position on the floor (on the front)/legs extended/arms bent, close by the body/rise to push-up position on toes/push with the feet and hands against the floor/spring in the air, clapping the hands/land on all 4s/legs extended on toes/arms bent/continuous/repeat as needed relax, 5-7 seconds or counts, shaking the legs, hands, and wrists loosely
Wall Rebounding
Free Space.
Stand upright in front of the wall/arms-length away/consecutive jump action forward into the wall/rebound the hands off the wall, feet extended in the air/continuous/return to standing/10-15 repetitions, or repeat as needed/relax, 5-7 seconds or counts, shaking the legs, hands, and wrists loosely
Wheelbarrow Walk with Partner Support
Free Space.
Set the distance or time.
*Note: The picture purposely shows incorrect support, a common error! The correct support is in the upper part of the thighs, closer to the body's center, rather than on the ankles, which stresses the lower back and can lead to injuries due to weak core strength (inability to maintain an aligned body position).
Correct Support:
Set distance/partner support on the upper part of the thighs/move forward with straight arms/return to the starting line/relax, 5-7 seconds or counts, shaking hands and legs loosely/repeat as needed/repeat, switch partner
Climbing Handstand Against the Wall
Free Space.
*Note: Use partner assistance (spotting) around the waist or hip area to stabilize the body.
Keep the body aligned.
Assume the kneeling position on all 4s, the back is close to the wall/hands flat on the floor, fingers forward/moving backward toward the wall, walk the hands close to the wall/place the feet flat on the wall/walk the feet up the wall until reaching full extension in the handstand position/head between the arms/hold 3-5 seconds/walking the feet slowly down to the floor/return to the kneeling position/nonstop/4-6 repetitions/relax, 5-7 seconds or counts, shaking the legs and hands loosely, rolling the wrists, 6-8 forward body curls
Leg and Arm Raise in Lateral Position
Assume the R-side lateral position on the floor (on the side)/legs extended on top of each other/R-arm, elbow bent for support on the floor/elevate the body off the floor/lower R-leg extended on the floor on the outside edge of the foot to facilitate the body elevation off the floor/L-arm aligned along the L-side of the body/head-to-toe alignment/partner applies resistance, pushing against the raised L-leg/active partner resists/L-leg remains extended in air/hold 7-10 seconds or counts/return the L-leg to the top of the bottom R-leg/relax the leg /increase the height and resistance/return the leg/repeat until reaching the maximum stretch possible/return the leg/return to the prone position/set number of repetitions, or repeat as needed/relax, 5-7 seconds, shaking the legs and arms loosely/repeat, turn onto lateral L-side, R-leg
*Note: The weak (bent) L-top arm position indicates a lack of balance and upper body control, as the exercise requires core strength, static balance, and stability.
Gym Bench:
Set up several Gym Benches, depending on the number of participants.
Prone Pull and Slide
Set up several Gym benches – parallel to each other.
Line up 4-6 participants at one end of each bench.
Assume the prone position on the bench (on the stomach)/extend the arms out in front/grasp each side of the bench/bend the arms/power pull and slide the body forward on the bench as the arms fully extend back to the thighs/regrasp in front/continue to the end of the bench/keep the body extended during the pull and slide/return/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed
Same exercise in the supine position (on the back)/bend the arms/grasp the sides of the bench close by the ears/power pull and slide the body forward on the bench as the arms fully extend to the thighs/regrasp in front/continue to the end of the bench/keep the body extended during the pull and slide/return/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat repeat as needed
Side-to-Side Tuck Jump
4-6 participants line up behind each other at one end of the bench.
Stand upright at one end of the bench/bend down and grasp each side of the bench in a ‘criss-cross’ patter/arms are fully extended/perform a series of Tuck jumps (tight and high) from side-to-side in a continuous pattern to the end of the bench/return/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed
Straddle Jump Along the Bench
4-6 participants line up behind each other at one end of the bench.
Stand upright at one end of the bench/bend down and grasp each side of the bench/arms are fully extended/assume a front support position with extended arms/jump with the legs in the Straddle position, keeping the hips high in the air/continuous to the end of the bench/return/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed
Variation:
Same exercise, moving backward in Straddle position
Kneeling Push-ups – Hand Support on the Bench
Assume the upright kneeling position on one side of the bench/arms straight, both hands on top of the bench/facing forward/fall forward, bending the forearms to the push-up position/hold 5-7 seconds or counts/push firmly against the top of the bench to return to the upright kneeling position, hands on top of the bench/continuous/10-15 repetitions/relax, 5-7 seconds, shaking the legs and hands loosely, rolling the wrists
Same Exercise: Push off the bench, clap the hands into the upright position
Push-ups from the Bench – Hand Support on the Floor – Single leg Elevation
Gym Bench
*Note: Assure that the hands and fingers are pointing forward, not sideways – a common error!
Assume the push-up position on the floor/place the extended legs and feet onto the bench/arms straight under the shoulders/hands and fingers point forward/lift R extended leg into the air/bend the arms fully/bring the face as close to the floor as possible/return to full arm extension/return the leg to the bench/ perform 5-7-10 push-ups/relax, 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed/ repeat, opposite leg extension
Reverse Push-up – Leg Extension on the Bench – Hand Support on the Floor
Assume the reverse push-up position on the floor (stomach facing up)/place the extended legs and feet onto the bench/arms straight under the shoulders/ hands and fingers point forward/ acing forward/bend the arms as low as possible/bring the face close to the floor/return to full arm extension/ perform 5-7-10 push-ups/relax, 5-7 seconds, repeat as needed
Plank
Free Space.
One-arm Partner Plank
Partners assume the prone position on the floor (on the stomach), opposite each other, 1 arm’s length apart, with the body flat on the floor/extend the arms out in front on the floor/bend both arms to rise onto the toes as the body is extended above the floor/arms are straight underneath the shoulders/ maintain hip-to-head alignment/partners place the extended L-arm-hand onto the opposite partner’s R-shoulder/the body is supported on the toes, with the straight R-arm and hand on the floor/maintain shoulder-to-hip alignment/ hold 5-7 seconds/return to the prone position on the floor/relax for 5-7 seconds/repeat as needed.
Plank – Lift-off to Airborne Position – Hand Clap in Air
Free Space.
Assume the prone plank position (on front/push-up position) on toes/bent elbows/facing down/quick simultaneous push with the hands and feet off the floor to catapult the body and legs into the air/legs remain extended/quickly clap the hands in the air/ absorb the return of the hands to the floor by bending the elbows/land on toes/continuous/7-10 repetitions, or repeat as needed/relax, 5-7 seconds shaking the legs, arms, and hands loosely
Plank – Lift-off to Airborne Position – Hand Clap Behind the Back
Free Space.
Assume the prone plank position (on front/push-up position) on toes/bent elbows/facing down/quick simultaneous push with the hands-feet off the floor to catapult the body and legs into the air/legs remain extended/quickly clap the hands behind the back/drop to the floor, bending the arms/land on toes/continuous// continuous/7-10 repetitions, or repeat as needed/relax, 5-7 seconds shaking the legs, arms, and hands loosely
Single Bar
Bar Pull-up
*Note: Beginners: Partner assists on the back by grasping around the hips.
Stand in front of the Single Bar/arms extended at the sides of the body/facing the Bar/grasp the Bar with an overhand grip/assume the Long-hang position, legs fully extended/pull the body upward with the chin above the Bar/lower the body to the Long-hang position/attempt the best effort when repeating to seek improvement/nonstop/repeat to the maximum possible or as needed, relax 5-10 seconds, shaking the arms and hands loosely
L-Hang
*Note: Use the partner assist underneath the thighs.
Stand in front of the Single Bar/arms extended at the sides of the body/facing the bar/grasp the Bar with an overhand grip/assume the Long-hang position, legs extended/bend at the hips to take a 90° angle position/ partner stands at one side to assist under the thighs/hold 3-5 seconds or counts/lower the body to the Long-hang position, legs fully extended/repeat, as capable or as needed/ attempt the best effort when repeating, improve the 90° angle and increase the hold)/lower the body to the Long-hand position/stand upright in front of the Bar/repeat to the maximum possible/relax, 5-10 seconds, shaking the arms and hands loosely, 6-8 backward body bends
Pull-up – Switch Up
Advanced and challenging exercise.
*Note: For Beginners… Use a partner to assist on the back for the Pull-up by grasping around the hips.
Stand in front of the Single Bar/arms extended at the sides of the body/ facing the Bar/grasp the Bar with an Overhand grip/assume the Long-hang position, legs fully extended/pull the body upward with the chin above the Bar/switch immediately to the Reverse grip/lower the body to the Long-hang position/attempt the best effort when repeating/increase the number of grip switches, Over-to-Reverse-to-Over-grip/repeat to the maximum possible or as needed/relax, 5-10 seconds, shaking the arms and hands loosely
References:
Hansen, T. (2024). Dr. John Rusin. Top 17 upper body plyometrics for speed, power and performance. Retrieved March 24, 2024, from https://dr.johnrusin com/top-17-upper-body-plyometrics-for-speed-power-performance
Schloder, M.E. (2026, to be released). E P-P T. Effective Pre-post training for age-group swimmers. Interactive PDF. PPTx Slide show. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: www.coachingbest.com
Schloder, M.E. (2024). Kalos upper-body plyometric training using a single bar: Exercise Collection. Calgary, Alberta, Canada, www.coachingbest.com
Schloder, M.E. (2018). The Kalos exercise collection: PDF [45 pages]. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: www.coachingbest.com
Schloder, M.E. (2016). Ballet for swimmers: Modified exercises for cross-training. Dual DVDs. Interactive PDF. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: www.coachingbest.com