Those of you who are serious about training properly, have no doubt heard of plyometrics. For those of you that haven’t, you are missing out on one of the best ways of improving strength and speed. The principle behind plyometrics came from the former Eastern Bloc, and involves training at high intensity with slow actions, followed by high intensity and quick actions. This results in the muscle contracting at its lengthened stage, thus causing it to create more power. An example of this is jumping over a hurdle, and jumping immediately again once landed.

This form of training greatly improves strength and speed, and as martial artists, this makes for stunning improvements. The ability to beat the opponent to the punch, evade punches like Naseem Hamed, and deliver stunningly venomous blows are all too much to be missed out on. 

To develop the arms, ‘plyometric push-ups’ can be utilised. The press-ups, much like those seen in the “Rocky” movies, involve the person pushing himself or herself off the floor during the push up phase. To add rhythm to the exercise, a clap can be added to the movement. On the decline, the person would control their landing to absorb the shock, and at the same time, they would begin to launch themselves up again. A standard arm width would work the front deltoids, the mid pectorals and the forearms. Altering the arm positioning would work different muscle groups.