Why we do PLYO’S IN OUR SMALL GROUP TRAINING SESSION?

When people think of plyometrics, they often picture athletes jumping onto boxes or sprinting down a track. That it’s about increasing speed, power, reducing fast twitch muscle fiber loss and while all of these are clear physiological reasons that we want to improve and focus on too. It’s just not the only reason we do them as well discuss later there’s also something deeper about them.

Let’s start with the facts.

The Often Talked About Benefits

From our 30s onward, we begin to lose speed and power, often at two to three times the rate of muscle strength and it’s not random.

We lose:

• Fast-twitch (Type II) muscle fibers

• Rate of force development (how quickly we can produce force)

• Nervous system responsiveness

This decline affects more than athletic performance. It affects how we move through life. Speed and power training helps:

• Slow the decline of fast-twitch muscle fibers

• Improve rate of force development

• Enhance balance and coordination

• Maintain tendon stiffness and elastic response

• Reduce fall risk as we age

In fact, muscle power is increasingly used as a preventative tool in older adults because it’s strongly linked to fall prevention and mobility.

Strength matters but power the ability to produce force quickly is what allows you to react and reacting is what keeps you upright.

But what does it really give you, do we get fit just to get fit?

The Beauty of Plyo’s

Beyond the science, beyond the programming what does it actually mean for your day-to-day life?

It means:

• You can say “yes” without calculating the cost.

• You don’t hesitate when someone says, “Let’s play.”

• You can run to catch the train instead of watching it leave.

• You can react if you trip and not fall.

• You can chase your kid without feeling fragile.

• You can join the pickup game instead of spectating.

• You move through crowds, stairs, and airports with ease.

• You can hop over that random fence.

• You trust your body.

  
  
  
  

That last one matters most.

Moving fast and powerfully consolidates your movement. It’s the last form of movement expression, it’s freedom.

Freedom From Fragility

When speed declines, something subtle happens, you start moving cautiously. You brace yourself before stepping off a curb, you hesitate before running. Not because you’re weak

but because you’re unsure. Plyometric training restores that snap, that responsiveness.

It reminds your nervous system how to fire quickly. It brings back spring and with that spring comes confidence.

Freedom to Participate

Speed isn’t about elite performance. It’s about participation.

It’s the difference between:

• Watching the game and joining it

• Standing still and dancing

• Letting the kids run ahead or running with them

Explosive movement keeps you in the arena of your own life.

Freedom from overthinking movement

When your body responds quickly, movement becomes automatic again. You don’t calculate every stair, you don’t second-guess uneven ground, you don’t mentally rehearse quick actions. You just move and that mental bandwidth you regain? That’s freedom.

In our small group sessions, plyometrics are scaled appropriately.

They’re controlled, they’re coached, they’re intentional. We don’t do them to make you tired we do them to keep you capable because it isn’t just about maintaining speed and strength it’s about preserving the ability to move fast, react quickly, and trust your body fully and that kind of freedom is worth training for.

About us

We’re a strength and conditioning gym in Hackney Wick, with a heavy focus on 1-1 personal training and small group training. We believe the fitness industry has put way too much focus on cookie cutters program, big group classes and massive commercial gyms where coaching quality suffers and it’s easy to be unseen.

If that sounds like you, get in touch with us now and let’s chat about what would work best for you.