Here is a great plyometrics exercise that not only will give you a great cardiovascular workout, it also will help increase your core strength. It probably isn’t the best weather day outside if you are living in the Mid-Atlantic or the Northeastern part of the U.S. so running and bicycling outside are probably out of the question. Have no fear, we are giving you an intense cardiovascular exercise you can do right in your own house.

It is a simple exercise. Almost everybody did jumping jacks as a kid. Many of you have also done planks. It is a combination of both. Lie down onto your forearms and face the ground. Keep your back straight and engage your core in plank position. In proper plank position, your feet should be right next to each other or as close as possible. Then spread your feet as you would in a jumping jack, while maintaining proper plank position. Keep your back straight. If you do not, then you are not getting the full benefits of this exercise. Then bring your legs back to your starting position as you would in a jumping jack. Watch the video below to learn how to do a Plank Jack.

You can use this as part of a plyometrics workout. You can also do it in between your resistance training sets as well. We recommend doing at least four minutes worth of Plank Jacks:

20 seconds Plank Jack
10 seconds Rest
(Repeat 8 times)

Or for those more advanced, try this workout:
45 seconds Plank Jack
15 seconds Rest
(Repeat 8 times)