Plate Jacks are a ballistic exercise for beginners to improve energy transfer and neural pathways for explosive shot production, body control and coordination.
Before you engage in ballistics you may want to take a look at Ballistic Training: How To Optimize Explosiveness for maximum results and a sample ballistic training workout for advanced athletes.
Plate Jacks Progression
If you use additional weights…make sure you use appropriate weight so you can control the action throughout the entire range of motion. Otherwise you defeat the purpose of the exercise.
Very often, people use too much resistance and they become sloppy. Especially when it comes to maintaining dynamic stability and hitting in the same spots repetitively.
Also, don’t just progress with adding more weight. First, maximize the speed while maintaining perfect form.
Here are the progression levels:
- Beginner: look down during the action
- Advanced: look up during the action and change to lunge position
- Professional: landing on one leg only
Plate Jacks Description
- Hold the plate in both hands close to the body
- Drop into a squat position thereby lowering the plate between your legs; arms are extended
- Explosively jump upwards, move feet together, and raise plate above your head; feet should be between agility rings
- Hold for 1 second
- Drop down quickly into squat position, and lower plate between the legs
- Repeat
Related Ballistic Exercises
- Broad Jump with Single Leg Landing
- Loaded Single Leg Low-Level Lateral Tuck Jump
- Medicine Ball Diagonal Lunge Plate Blocks
Training Zone
We provide you with some more workouts and training tips you may be interested in to optimize your training.
Also, make sure that you warm up properly before and stretch out after your training session.
