Tony says: Plyometrics means ‘jump training’, you’ve got lateral movement, forward movement, back and forth, up and down, burning calories, man oh man oh shevetz as my uncle used to say. Keep a little bucket close by my friend because this routine is X-City. You’re doing plyometrics you can jump higher and run faster, and your heart and lungs are going to kick the panties off of anybody who tries to get out there with you. Plain and simple? This is the ‘X’ is P90X.

Overview: P90X Plyometrics is rough. The first few times you do it you might even get close to hurling, but that’s only if you give it your all. Like all P90X workouts, the intensity level is up to you, so if you throw yourself into this, you’ll get your butt truly kicked. However, if instead you simply cruise through, hopping and coasting, you won’t be impressed. My advice? Give it your all. It’s just under an hour long, six sets repeated twice, with an extensive warm up and cool down thrown in, so that’s plenty of time to get your lungs burning and your body dripping sweat.

What is this workout all about? Legs, lungs and heart. It’s about jump training, whether you’re leaping into the sky or hopping from one leg to the other or leaping across the room. It’s about testing your entire cardiovascular system, getting enough oxygen into your blood and then getting that blood to your muscles so that you can keep going. As a result, you’ll be drained by the end of this, with not only your legs wobbly but you lungs heaving and heart pounding. And yes, that’s excellent for your body if you do it responsibly and monitor your heart rate.

Tip of the Day: Land like a cat. Be aware of your joints during this workout, and try to land silently each time you jump, cushioning your joints as you exercise.

The Workout:

Warm Up

The warm ups in P90X are for the most part identical in each workout, so you will quickly become familiar with this routine. This one is 9 minutes long and starts off with high knees, wide high knees, jogging on the spot, hopping from side to side, lunges, Heismans, more lunges, extra deep lunges, and deep squats.

From there he moves into a stretching section, where you begin with a quad stretch, leaning on a stool. From there you dive into a deep hamstring stretch, leg extended before you while still standing. And that’s it for the standing. By this point you should be well and truly warmed up, and ready for the main part of the workout.

Set 1

Jump Squats [30sec]: Standing straight, leap up into the air, hands to the sky, and then sink into a squat, being careful with joints since this is your first exercise.

Run Stance Squats [30 sec]: Place your feet in a boxer’s stance, and lower yourself into a squat four times. After the fourth, leap up and switch feet placement in mid air, and go down to do another four squats again.

Airborn Heisman [30 sec]: Leap from side to side, bringing the outer knee up each time into a semi-hug. Hold for a beat, and then leap across onto other foot, bringing that other knee up and holding it for a beat.

Swing Kicks [1:00 min]: Set a stool before you, and swing your leg straight out over it, then back, and then do the other leg.

[Water Break, 30 sec]

Set 2

Squat Reach Jumps [30 sec]: Akin to the first Jump Squats, but now you’re really fighting for height in the jump and depth in the squat.

Squat Switch Pickups [30 sec]: Place your feet in a boxer’s stance, and reach down to tap the ground by your front foot. Leap up and switch feet placement in mid air, and go down to tap the ground again.

Double Airborn Heisman [30 sec]: Same as the Heisman’s from the first set, but not you stutter step twice between each knee raise, moving laterally each time.

Circle Run [1:00 min]: Place a towel or other small object on the ground, and then run in a circle around it, facing always forward so that you alternate between moving back, sideways and forward in tight circles. Switch directions half way.

[Water Break, 30 sec]

Set 3

Jump Knee Tucks [30 sec]: These are brutal. Leap up and get your knees high so that they rise above waist level, hitting your open palms. Get some air!

Mary Katherine Lunges [30 sec]: Go into a deep lunge, and then leap up and switch feet positions, so that you are lunging on the other side. Fall into the deep lunge from each jump, and raise your arms above your head for an added bonus.

Leapfrog Squats [30 sec]: Get into a squat position, legs bent, arms out before you, and then take four leaps backward without breaking the squat position. Take four leaps forward, and then go back and forth within the time.

Twist Combo [1:00 min]: Hold your arms out as if gripping ski poles, and place both feet together. Hop up and down, but twist your feet so that your toes go from pointing straight ahead to 45 degrees on either side, twisting at your hips while keeping your torso facing forward.

The second 30 seconds are more extreme, jump and turn to face the back of the room and then jump to face the front once more.

[Water Break 30 sec]

 

 

 

Set 4

Rock Star Hops [30 sec]: Face diagonal, and leap up to tuck knees high, swinging an arm as if strumming a guitar. Turn to face other direction 15 seconds in to use other arm.

Gap Jumps [30 sec]: Tony takes a break on you here by letting you do large lateral jumps as if leaping a gap. Pretty easy and a good chance to get your breath back.

Squat Jacks [30 sec]: Place your hands behind you head, begin to do jumping jacks, and then slowly lower into a squat, while still doing the jacks.

Military March [1:00 min]: Kick a leg stiff and straight out before you, and raise the opposite arm above your head. Lower arm and leg, and slowly raise the other pair like a robot walking in place.

[Water Break 30 sec]

Set 5

Run Squat 180 Jump Switches [30 sec]: Same as the squat jumps from before, but this time instead of merely switching feet position, you spin 180 degrees to face the back, tap the ground, and then leap to face the front and tap the ground again.

Lateral Leapfrog Squats [30 sec]: Get into a squat, hands before you, and leap to the side, feet leaving the ground. Hold the position, then leap back. Again, an easy one after the first tough exercise of the set.

Monster Truck Tires [30 sec]: Imagine monster truck tires set before you. Leap from one to the other, hopping high from foot to foot as if plunging into them.

Hot Foot [1:00 min]: This one kills me. Hop in place on one foot, but move your foot as if tracing a plus sign on the ground. Switch feet halfway.

[Water Break]

Set 6

Pitch and Catch [1:00 min]: Simple. Wind up and throw an imaginary baseball, following up with a step . Do 30 seconds each arm.

Jump Shots [1:00 min]: Again, simple. Pretend to take jump shots, catching the ball and them leaping straight up, thirty seconds each side.

Football Hustle [1:00min]: Move forward with sweeping, lateral strides, and then hustle backwards to your originating point.

Cool Down

Five minute cool down, which consists of jogging on the spot for awhile, some ballistic arm swings, pretending to jump rope, some forward kicks, side steps, and some deep hamstring stretches and quad stretches. The goal is to keep you moving as you cool down. And with that, you’re done with one of the toughest of the P90X workouts!

[Click HERE to go back to the main reviews section.]