This question came from Solomon. I was unable to track the country of origin. It's actually a good question because plyometric exercises and wind sprints maybe very obvious to some, but in other parts of the world, these terms "plyo tuck jump & wind sprint" can sound very foreign.
Plyometrics are exercise movements to develop your fast twitch muscle fibers. In plain English- exercises that make you fast. A Plyo Tuck Jump refers to a particular type of plyometric exercise. There are many different types of plyometric exercises. Some plyometric exercises strengthen the upper body and others strengthen the lower body.
Plyo Tuck Jump-
1. Begin standing with your feet shoulder width a part.
2. Squat down so your legs are about 90 degreess bent, with eyes focused straight forward or slightly up.
3. Jump as high into the air as you can.
4. Tuck your knees upon reaching the highest point of the jump.
5. As soon as you land, immediately begin bending your knees so that you can start from #1 again.
Repeat #1 through #5 about 15 times. I will typically do 3 sets of 15 reps. I also do this toward the end of my leg workout, when my legs are completely fatigued.
Wind Sprints
A Wind Sprint is an exercise designed to build explosive endurance. A Taekwondo fighter must be able to attack and counter in short bursts. On the other hand, the short bursts must be highly explosive and you must be able to maintain if for 3 minutes. There is no need for a Taekwondo fighter to jog for long periods of time. Also, this type of long distance training is actually bad for Taekwondo competition since it condition your slow twitch fibers as opposed to your fast twitch.
Wind Sprints are exercises that allow us to be explosive in short intervals, very similar to a Taekwondo competition. Speed and strength will not help us unless we have explosive endurance. This type of endurance will allow us to attack and counter against our opponent over and over again without getting exhausted.
1. Have a friend or team mate time you with a stop watch
2. Mark 10 meters, 20 meters, 30 meters, 40 meters, and 50 meters.
3. Begin time, and sprint as fast as you can to the 10 meter mark, then back to the beginning.
4. Immediately upon returning, sprint to the 20 meter mark, then back.
5. Then, sprint to the 30 meter mark, and back.
6. Then, sprint to the 40 meter mark, and back.
7. Finish once you reach the 50 meter mark, and return to the start as fast as you can.
Continue to try and beat your time with this exercise. This classic wind sprint is also known as Ladders, because you're running in steps, such as those on a ladder.
These two simple exercise will build speed and endurance for Taekwondo competition. The beauty about these 2 exercises is that they can be performed anywhere which makes it ultra convenient.
Good luck with your training!
Duncan Richardson
