First practiced by the dominant Eastern Bloc athletes of the 1970s, today plyometrics has become a mainstream form of training used by serious athletes around the world. The reason is that plyometrics offers athletes at all levels a proven, straightforward way to enhance their athletic abilities and to get an edge on the competition. This second edition of ''Jumping Into Plyometrics'' presents 100 illustrated plyometric exercises in seven categories - jumps-in-place, standing jumps, multiple jumps, box drills, depth jumps, bounding and medicine ball exercises. Excellent for both recreational and elite athletes, the exercises can be used to improve quickness, speed, and jumping ability while also helping to develop better coordination, body control, and balance. This edition includes the latest research on plyometric training, a new layout with a much-improved format for drills, and sidebars on star athletes who have benefited from plyometrics.Plus, author Donald Chu - who has worked as a consultant for the United States Tennis Association and for teams in the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the National Basketball Association - gives you instructions and examples of how to choose from the wide selection of exercises to build the ideal plyometric training program for your chosen sport. ''Jumping Into Plyometrics'' is the most complete book ever written on this form of explosive power training.