Plyo-what?

Plyometrics. Or as I have been known to call them: the jumpy thingys. By training these muscles, you increase your overall performance level somehow. I honestly don't care what they do, I just think they are fun. It's a series of platforms at varying heights, and your goal is to jump on them.

They look deceptively simple, but once you try them, you'll see they take a lot more work then you originally imagined. The higher the platform, well, the harder the jump. It takes a decent amount of control and balance to spring however many pounds you are and land. And if you miss, it's going to hurt. There are 4 different heights at the gym, the little one being 6", the tallest is 24" I've seen people (guys) stack the little ones on top of the big one to get more height. It's 'effing impressive. I unabashedly stared with my mouth open as he showed off.

But anyway, back to me. I can do the first 3 heights pretty well. The third one can be tough sometimes though. Sometimes I can crank out 8 rapid fire, and sometimes after 1 I know it's a lower box day. But one of my goals is to get that high box.

I decided today I would try. And I did it! I jumped 24 vertical inches! I stood in front of that thing and stared at it for a long time, concentrating like there was no tomorrow. Because it honestly scared me. I knew if I missed, it would royally hurt. And I said so out loud, not caring who heard me (the gym was busy). I put one foot up there just to see if I could and lifted myself up, then jumped down. Did that with the other foot and jumped down. Stared some more. I put my finger tips on the box for assistance to see if I jump both feet up there. Jumped down, resumed staring contest with inanimate object. I took a deep breath, I turned to a good song, crouched, and then straitened. I said forget the ipod and repeated the crouch and chicken out, 2 more times. And then I did it.

Three times, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. The 2nd time I did graze my knee on the lip of the box, and that's gonna leave a mark, but I still got up there. That's right kids, I did it, I jumped 24" into the air. I was having a go me moment like you wouldn't believe.

Added 2/28/10: I'm a dirty lier. the tallest box is not 24" but 30". Yesterday I was stretching and I counted the cmu blocks and realized the 3rd level one was 24" so the taller one had to be 30". I'm even more proud of myself now! (and then I did it again to to make sure I could too)