Phase 2: Build•Week 4 • Friday

Day 26: First plyometric day

Plyometric and Bone Health

30 minutes

Today's workout

Jumps and hops for bone density. Quality over volume.

Warm up (5-7 min)

Easy walk or bike (5 min)

Walk, bike, or row at a light conversational pace for 5 minutes. The goal is to raise core temperature and move blood to the muscles you're about to train. You should break a light sweat but still be able to talk easily.

→Start slow and build gradually
→Breathe through your nose if possible
→If you're sweating hard, you're going too fast

Pogo Hops (20 reps)

Stand with feet together, arms relaxed. Bounce repeatedly on the balls of your feet, barely bending your knees. The motion comes from your ankles like a pogo stick. Stay light and spring-loaded.

→Barely bend the knees - this is ankle drive
→Minimal ground contact time
→Stay tall, don't hunch

Squat to Calf Raise (10 reps)

Drop into a bodyweight squat. As you stand up, continue pressing up onto your toes for a calf raise. Lower back to flat feet, then drop into the next squat. Smooth and continuous.

→Full squat depth, full calf raise height
→Arms can swing for balance
→Slow and controlled transition at the top

Skipping (30 seconds)

Skip in place or forward for 30 seconds. Drive one knee up while the opposite arm swings forward. Bounce lightly off the ground between skips. This is the classic playground skip - it builds coordination and warms the whole body.

→Drive knees up to hip height
→Stay light on your feet
→Arms swing opposite the knees

Showing gym version. Switch to home above if needed.

1. Box Jumps (or step-ups to bench)

4 x 5

Rest 90 sec • none

Form cues

→Step off the box, do not jump down
→Land soft with bent knees
→Reset fully between reps

Common mistakes

✗Jumping down off the box - step down to protect knees
✗Landing stiff-legged - absorb with bent knees
✗Using arms poorly - swing them forward and up at takeoff

Easier

Step-ups to bench
Low box jumps

Harder

Higher box
Seated box jump

Home: Low box jumps onto a sturdy step

2. Broad Jumps

3 x 5

Rest 90 sec • bodyweight

Form cues

→Arms swing forward hard
→Land soft, stick the landing
→Walk back, do not rush

Common mistakes

✗Not using arms for momentum - swing them hard
✗Landing with locked knees - bend knees to absorb
✗Rushing reps - reset your stance fully between jumps

Easier

Jump squat in place

Harder

Consecutive broad jumps
Weighted vest broad jump

3. Lateral Bounds

3 x 8 per side

Rest 60 sec • bodyweight

Form cues

→Push off outside leg
→Stick landing on inside leg
→Control, not speed

Common mistakes

✗Landing with knee collapsing inward - land with knee tracking over toe
✗Not sticking the landing - pause briefly before next rep
✗Jumping for distance when you should focus on control

Easier

Skater steps without the jump

Harder

Lateral bound to stick with weight in hands

4. Kettlebell or Dumbbell Swing

3 x 15

Rest 90 sec • dumbbells

Form cues

→Hinge at hips, not squat
→Snap hips to drive swing
→Arms are ropes, hips are engine

Common mistakes

✗Squatting instead of hinging - hips back, not down
✗Lifting with the arms - hips drive the swing, arms are just ropes
✗Overextending at the top - stop at eye level, ribs stacked

Easier

Kettlebell deadlift
Hip hinge practice with dowel

Harder

Heavier kettlebell
Single-arm swing

5. Hip Thrust Hold

3 x 30 sec

Rest 45 sec • bodyweight

Form cues

→Glutes fully squeezed
→Ribs down, no low back arch
→Breathe through the hold

Common mistakes

✗Overextending - ribs stay down, no lower back arch at the top
✗Using the quads instead of glutes - push through your heels
✗Bench too high or low - aim for under the shoulder blades

Easier

Glute bridge on the floor

Harder

Barbell hip thrust
Single-leg hip thrust

Cool down (5 min)

•5 minutes easy walk
•Calf stretch x 30 sec per side
•Quad stretch x 30 sec per side
•Deep breathing x 2 minutes

Today's nutrition focus

Calcium and vitamin D

Plyometrics stimulate bone remodeling. Bones need calcium (1,200mg/day postmenopausal) and vitamin D (1,000-2,000 IU/day for most). Dairy, sardines, greens, and a D supplement if your blood level is low. This is the inside work that matches your jumps.

Mindset brief

Jumps are non-negotiable for bones

Estrogen loss accelerates bone density decline. Walking doesn't build bone. Lifting helps. Jumping builds. This is the single best thing you can do right now to lower your risk of an osteoporotic fracture later in life. Don't skip jump day, ever.

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