Margie Weiss: My name is Margie Weiss and this is Kids Cardio Conditioning. What we’re going to add here is a little bit of plyometrics. Plyometrics are vertical jump drills designed for quick strength, for power, so that a speed skater or an athlete who needs to jump, a basketball player, a soccer player who needs that one powerful kick can have the power and the speed to get through that skill.
So, what we’re going to do is start again with the very basic, so that the child learn safely what to do, then we’ll do the options. So, what we’re going to do first is just learn the steps. We’re just going to step up and step off and turn around. These are the actions, you are going to be going up onto it, you are going to be coming down on to the step, and then you’re going to be doing it one more time -- and turn around. All that does is establish what they’re going to do. Notice that they are turning on the floor, we’re not going to turn over top of the bench. Little bit harder here, we’re going to walk up, but we’re going to jump off, so your back is off. The object is pretend like you’re trying once you get on, to get as high as you can off of the bench. So, your vertical jump, that’s the snap, that’s the power involved. Again, very safe, very slow, but it gives the child the exercise.
Now, we’re going to get into the actual plyometrics of it. What we’re going to do -- again, this would be a timed drill. Plyometrics, because it’s anaerobic which means you are not going to be using much oxygen, you're using the ATP, which is the energy stored in your muscle. You can’t do it for very long, because there is not that much energy stored within the muscle. So, if you’re doing it with a child, 30 seconds to a minute is about as long as they can do this activity for, then they need the rest for 30 seconds, then they can do it again, because the ATP will build back up in the body very quickly. We are only going to do it for about 10 seconds. The object, again, this is a hot potato, so as soon as you bounce on to it. Everything is going to be done on two feet; two feet on, two feet off. You are going to turn however many jumps it takes on the turn to get you squared up and safe before you jump back on to the step.
So, they’re going to do at kind of their own pace, they top hop, hop, hop around and again, the accent is off of the box, as high as you can, off the box, turn safely, however many jumps you need to turn, so that you are squared up and then the power. You can also put something up above them that they have to reach for if you want. You just don’t want them looking up at it, you want them looking down at the step so that they don’t end up on the edge of the step and turn an ankle. Now, we’ve done it for maybe 20 seconds, so let’s cut here. You’ll notice they are breathing a little bit heavy and it's because the body can only do this exercise for so long, you’re going to start feeling it into the thighs. The next day the child may feel it a little bit in the thighs; that’s a good thing. You’re building up some lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass takes up less space, but it does work, it's powerful. So, all we’re doing here is a plyometric vertical jump drill.
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