The 10 Best Plyometric Exercises for Upper Body Explosive Power

I’ve been using plyometrics with my clients and in my own training for over three decades. It’s a staple for the athletes I work with. I also use it as a plateau-buster with intermediate and advanced general exercisers.

However, unlike a lot of less-experienced trainers, I don’t just use lower-body plyometric exercises, like squat jumps and depth jumps. Instead, I apply this exciting training method to upper-body workouts, too.

Sometimes, this means using plyometrics as a standalone training method. On other occasions, it serves as an effective finisher. Occasionally, I prescribe plyometrics as part of the warm-up. That’s because studies suggest doing plyos before regular strength training increases muscle recruitment and exercise performance (1).

In this article, I share my favorite upper body plyometric exercises and reveal how to incorporate these exercises into your workouts.

Plyometric Basics

Most strength training exercises involve a controlled eccentric or lowering phase. Controlled lowering makes a lot of sense as you are stronger eccentrically than you are concentrically. In other words, you can lower more weight than you can lift.

Needless to say, it’s not usually practical to vary the load mid-rep. However, using a slower increases the difficulty of your chosen exercise where you are strongest. This makes each rep more productive, especially for hypertrophy or muscle growth and strength (2).

In contrast, plyometric exercises involve a very rapid eccentric contraction. This activates the stretch-shortening reflex, or SSR for short. Triggering the SSR results in a powerful counter-contraction. In simple terms, the faster and more powerfully you load and stretch your muscles, the more force they generate as they shorten.

To put this another way, think of your muscles as a rubber band. The further you stretch the band, the harder it snaps back. Plyometrics have a similar effect on your muscles and tendons.

Plyometric training increases muscle power, which is your ability to generate force quickly. Power is a critical part of most sports and is highly valuable to athletes. Plyometric training also targets your fast-twitch type 2b muscle fibers. These fibers have the greatest potential for muscle growth. As such, doing plyos can make you more muscular.

So, whether you want to throw further, punch harder, row faster, or just look like a badass, upper-body plyometrics can help.

The 10 Best Upper Body Plyometric Exercises

Are you looking for the best plyometric exercises for increased upper body power? You’ve come to the right place! Here are my ten favorite upper-body plyometric exercises.

Please Note: These exercises involve a lot of impact and could aggravate or cause joint injuries. Only attempt these exercises if you have a decent level of strength and conditioning, and only after a thorough warm-up.

1. Plyo Push-Ups

Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, core.

Most exercisers are familiar with plyo push-ups, even if they don’t appreciate what an effective upper body power builder they really are. Do this exercise if you want to punch harder, throw further, or build eye-popping, rock-hard pecs and triceps.

How to do it:

1. Adopt the classic push-up position with your hands about shoulder-width apart and arms and body straight. Brace your core and engage your shoulders.
2. Rapidly lower your chest to the floor to load your muscles.
3. Quickly turn the eccentric into a concentric contraction and explosively extend your arms.
4. Push so forcefully that your hands leave the floor.
5. Land on slightly bent elbows to absorb the landing and repeat.

Pro tips:

• Clap your hands mid-rep if you wish.
• Place your hands on a bench to make this exercise easier.
• Raise your feet on a bench to make this exercise more demanding.

2. Depth Drop Push-Ups

Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, core.

This exercise increases the eccentric load. As such, you’ll need to work harder to control your descent. This means depth drop push-ups are much more challenging than regular plyo push-ups, making them ideal for advanced exercisers.

How to do it:

1. Place two platforms on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Put your hands on the platforms and adopt the push-up position.
3. Bend your arms slightly, push off the platforms, and land with your hands on the floor.
4. Quickly lower your chest to the floor and then explosively extend your arms.
5. “Jump” your hands back onto the platform and repeat.

Pro tips:

• Start with 6 to 8-inch platforms and increase gradually.
• Do not do this exercise if you have a history of wrist, elbow, or shoulder problems.
• Keep your core tight and your body straight throughout.

3. Tall Kneeling Med Ball Chest Pass

Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, core.

While I’m a massive fan of plyometric and depth drop push-ups, I also appreciate that they may be too challenging for some people. This medicine ball exercise hits all the same muscles but is much more scalable, so it’s suitable for all fitness levels.

How to do it:

1. Kneel on the floor in front of a smooth, strong wall. Hold a medicine ball in front of your chest and brace your core.
2. Rapidly pull the ball into your body to load your muscles, and then explosively extend your arms and push the ball toward the wall.
3. Catch the ball as it bounces back and repeat.

Pro tips:

• You can also do this exercise while facing a partner, passing the ball between you.
• Increase core engagement by leaning back before each throw.
• Kneel on a foam pad or folded mat for comfort.

4. Tall Kneeling Overhead Medicine Ball Throw

Target muscles: Latissimus dorsi, triceps, core n

This exercise is excellent for soccer players, basketball players, javelin throwers, and anyone else who has to throw from an overhead position. It targets the lats and triceps, so it’s also a useful general power exercise. Why not do this exercise standing? The kneeling position ensures your upper body gets to do all of the work.

How to do it:

1. Kneel down in front of a smooth, strong wall.
2. Hold your medicine ball in both hands. Brace your core and engage your shoulders.
3. Rapidly lift the ball above your head.
4. Throw the ball forward and down at the wall.
5. Catch the ball as it bounces, and repeat.

Pro tips:

• Bend your arms more to work your triceps, or keep them straight to target your lats.
• Kneel on a foam pad or folded exercise mat for comfort.
• Actively flex your abs to add power to each throw.

5. Single-Arm Med Ball Toss

Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, core.

There is nothing wrong with bilateral or two-sided upper-body power exercises. However, many athletic and functional movements happen unilaterally or one side at a time, e.g., punching and throwing. This exercise is an excellent option for anyone who needs to work both arms evenly. It’s also a fantastic oblique exercise.

How to do it:

1. Stand side-on to a smooth, strong wall.
2. Hold your medicine ball in both hands in front of your chest.
3. Rotate your upper body and lean away from the wall.
4. Explosively turn toward the wall and extend your rearmost arm and shoulder. Launch the ball at the wall.
5. Catch the ball as it bounces back, reload, and repeat.

Pro tips:

• You can also do this exercise in a tall kneeling position.
• This exercise is easier with a small diameter medicine ball.
• Do the same number of reps on both sides.

6. Medicine Ball slam

Target muscles: Latissimus dorsi, triceps, core,

From the moment I first did medicine ball slams, I knew it was love! This exercise ticks all the boxes – it’s fun, satisfying, and very effective. You’ll feel it in your lats, triceps, and core, and it’s a great way to let off steam. Try it; I think you’re going to like it!

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hold your medicine ball in your hands. Brace your core.
3. Raise the ball above your head and lift up onto your tiptoes.
4. Hurl the ball down at the floor just in front of your feet.
5. Catch the ball as it rebounds, and repeat.

Pro tips:

• Do not use a gel-filled ball for this exercise; it’ll probably burst.
• Focus on making an arc with your arms to maximize lat and triceps engagement.
• Put your entire body into each throw to generate maximum power.

7. Plyo Pull-Up

Target muscles: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, forearms.

The plyo pull-up is one of the most challenging back exercises I know. As such, you probably won’t see many people doing it. However, if you can comfortably do ten or more pull-ups and regularly do weighted pull-ups, you may be up to the challenge.

How to do it:

1. Hang from your pull-up bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
2. Explosively bend your arms and pull your chin up to the bar. Pull as high as you can.
3. Release the bar at the apex of the movement.
4. Grab the bar again, descend rapidly, and repeat.

Pro tips:

• Make this exercise easier by using a resistance band for assistance.
• Stop your hands from slipping by using gym chalk.
• Avoid this exercise if you have a history of elbow or shoulder issues.

8. Barbell Push-Press

Target muscles: Deltoids, triceps, core.

Some people view the barbell push press as a poorly performed overhead press. However, if you know what you’re doing, it’s actually a very effective upper-body power exercise. Olympic weightlifters regularly do this exercise, and they’re arguably the most powerful athletes on the planet, so who are we to argue?

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet between shoulder and hip-width apart.
2. Rack and hold your barbell across the front of your shoulders. Your hands should be just outside shoulder-width apart. Lift your elbows so they’re in front of the bar.
3. Brace your core, pull your shoulders down and back, and lift your chest.
4. Rapidly descend into a quarter-depth squat and then extend your knees and hips. Use this momentum to help you drive the bar up and overhead.
5. Lower the bar back to your shoulders and repeat.

Pro tips:

• Imagine you are jumping at the start of each rep to maximize muscle engagement.
• Keep your torso upright throughout.
• You can also do this exercise with dumbbells:

9. Smith Machine Bench Press Throws

Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.

This exercise will probably raise a few eyebrows when you first do it at your gym. However, it’s actually a very effective and accessible upper-body power exercise. If you cannot do plyo push-ups and don’t have access to a medicine ball for throws, this is arguably the next best plyo chest exercise you can do. 

How to do it:

1. Place a flat bench in the Smith machine. Lie beneath the bar so it’s directly above your chest. Hold the bar with a shoulder-width or wider overhand grip.
2. Unrack the bar and rapidly lower it to your chest.
3. Explosively extend your arms and throw the bar up and away.
4. Catch the bar as it descends, and repeat.

Pro tips:

• Ensure the safety catches are in place to stop the bar from falling onto your chest.
• Make the transition between the eccentric and concentric phases as short as possible.
• You can also do this exercise from an inclined position to work your upper chest more.

10. Medicine Ball Reverse Rotational Toss

Target muscles: Core, deltoids, biceps, triceps.

Rotation is a part of most sports. After all, you don’t always throw or push straight ahead. Similarly, whenever you generate force with one side of your body, your core must work as hard as your arms. This exercise works your arms and shoulders in conjunction with your core, especially the obliques.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your back to a smooth, strong wall. Your feet should be around shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold your medicine ball in front of your hips.
2. Rotate your upper body one way to load and stretch your muscles, then explosively turn the other.
3. Release the ball over one shoulder.
4. Catch the ball as it bounces back and repeat.

Pro tips:

• Do all the reps on one side before switching or alternate sides as preferred.
• You can also do this exercise from a kneeling position to eliminate your legs.
• Try to hit the same point on the wall so the ball always comes back to you at the same height/angle. This makes it easier to catch.

How to Get the Most from Upper Body Plyometric Exercises  

Get more from your upper-body plyometric training by following these guidelines and tips.

Never skip your warm-up

Upper-body plyometric exercises put a lot of stress on your muscles and joints. The rapid movements, large loads, and extensive ranges of motion make this kind of training quite risky. Injuries are not uncommon.

However, you can minimize these risks by warming up thoroughly before your power workouts. As well as the usual pulse raiser and mobility/flexibility exercises, I suggest doing a few easy sets of your chosen exercises. This will help prepare your muscles and joints for what follows. It also provides you with an opportunity to practice and perfect your form.

For example, before doing depth drop push-ups, you could do the following:

Exercise	Repetitions
Regular push-ups	5-10 reps
Kneeling plyo push-ups	5-10 reps
Regular plyo push-ups with submaximal effort	3-5 reps
1st set of depth drop push-ups

Low reps vs. high reps  

A lot of trainers prescribe high-rep plyometrics for fat-burning and conditioning. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, it’s not the best way to build muscle power. Power is the ability to generate maximal force. This ability quickly degrades as you get tired. As such, low reps are best for developing power.

So, if you want to maximize power development, e.g., for sports, you should do low-rep, max effort sets, e.g., 4-6. Stop your set when you feel your power output starting to decline. While your muscles won’t burn like they do during higher-rep work, the greater overload and force production will produce the power increases you want.

Take longer rests between sets

As mentioned above, you should perform most power exercises with maximal effort. In other words, you should slam or throw your medicine ball as hard as you can and drive yourself off the floor as high as possible during plyo push-ups. Such efforts take a lot out of your muscles and nervous system.

Resting too little between sets will reduce force production, making your chosen exercises less effective.

So, rest 2-3 minutes between sets, even if you feel recovered sooner. You’ll get better results from your workouts if you focus on quality rather than quantity or by chasing fatigue.

Avoid doing too many overlapping exercises

If one plyometric exercise is good, more must be better, right? Not so fast! In my experience, you can have too much of a good thing, and doing several similar upper-body plyometric exercises in the same workout leads to diminishing returns.

I limit my clients to two exercises in the same movement plane. In many cases, we do just one.

So, don’t feel you need to do depth drop push-ups, plyo push-ups, Smith machine bench press throws, and medicine ball chest pass throws in the same session. Such an approach will be overkill. Instead, pick just 1-2 exercises and work them hard. This will produce far better results.

Different Ways to Use Upper Body Power Exercises

Not sure how best to incorporate the upper body plyometric exercises into your workouts? Here are a few programming ideas to try.

Do plyos in your upper body warm-ups

Providing you do a general warm-up first, you can use upper body plyos to fire up your muscles and nervous system before hitting the weights. This approach can help you lift heavier loads and do more repetitions. 

For example, do 2-3 sets of 3-5 depth drop push-ups before doing bench presses. Alternatively, try some push-presses before shoulder presses or medicine ball slams before pull-ups. Make sure you stop each set before failure to avoid undermining your main workout.

Try strength and plyo supersets

Strength and plyo supersets are one of the best ways to build muscle strength and power at the same time. To use this system, simply perform a heavy strength exercise paired with an explosive power exercise for the same muscle group and in the same movement plane.

For example:

Strength Exercise	Power exercise
Barbell bench press	Medicine ball chest pass throw
Lat pulldown	Plyo pull-up
Seated barbell shoulder press	Push-press
Chin-up	Medicine ball slam
Barbell floor press	Smith machine bench press throws
Rest 2-3 minutes between exercises and supersets.

You can also try flipping the script and doing power before strength. Both options can work, so try them both to see which you prefer.

Do a plyo finisher

Upper body plyometrics are a great way to ensure you’ve pushed your muscles to their limit. While doing plyos at the end of a workout means you won’t generate as much force, you’ll still be able to pump out a few high-quality reps. So, as a finisher, do 3-4 sets of an exercise that targets the muscles you’ve just been training.

Do a plyo-only workout 1-2 times a week

As an athlete, I often did plyo-only workouts as my main objective was increasing power for sport. This approach worked for me and can work for you, too.

Here’s an example workout to try, or you can design your own:

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Barbell push-press	3-4	4-6	2-3 minutes
2	Plyo pull-up	3-4	4-6	2-3 minutes
3	Depth drop push-up	3-4	4-6	2-3 minutes
4	Medicine ball slam	3-4	4-6	2-3 minutes
5	Medicine Ball Reverse Rotational Toss	3-4	4-6	2-3 minutes

Plyometric Exercises – FAQs

Do you have a question about upper-body plyometric training? No problem, because I’ve got the answers! Alternatively, you can drop me a line in the comment section below, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

1. Can I do high-rep upper-body plyometrics?

While high-rep plyometrics are a popular strategy for conditioning and fat loss, they aren’t so useful for improving muscle power. At best, they’ll increase your power endurance rather than absolute power output. So, while you can do high-rep upper-body plyometrics, make sure they match your training goal.

2. Are upper-body plyometrics safe?

I class upper-body plyometrics are moderately risky. They’re not suitable for beginners, and the speed of movement puts a lot of stress on the muscles and joints. As such, they could cause injuries if you are unprepared or perform the exercises badly or too often.

That said, done as part of a well-designed strength training program, experienced, well-conditioned exercisers should find them reasonably safe.  

3. Are these exercises suitable for beginners?

You can’t do exercises like plyometric push-ups, depth drop push-ups, push presses, and plyo pull-ups if you haven’t mastered the basic movements. You also need good core and shoulder girdle stability and a reasonable level of basic strength to do plyo exercises well.

Consequently, upper-body plyos are not recommended for beginners. Even some intermediate exercisers may not be ready for these exercises.

4. How many times a week can I do upper-body plyometric training?

Plyometrics are quite stressful – both structurally and neurologically. As such, I tend to limit their use to 2-3 times a week. However, the ideal frequency depends on what other training you are doing, your level of conditioning, and your recovery ability.

I suggest doing plyometrics twice a week, e.g., Monday and Thursday, and adding a third workout if needed. Conversely, if your performance is decreasing or you are experiencing any plyo-related aches and pains, you should reduce the number of workouts. Even one plyo workout per week will be beneficial.

5. Do plyometrics build muscle and burn fat?

Plyometrics could help you build muscle and burn fat, but it’s not a given. Here’s why:

Plyos target your fast twitch type 2b muscle fibers, which have the greatest potential for growth. However, they’re not the best hypertrophic tool, and conventional bodybuilding exercises are probably a better choice if that’s your main goal.

Regarding fat burning, all exercises burn calories and fat, and plyometrics are no different. That said, your diet is arguably the most critical factor for getting lean.

Plyos are probably no better or worse than most other types of exercise for this purpose. In fact, they could be inferior, especially when you do them for power, as the sets are very short and, therefore, the energy cost is relatively low.

Wrapping Up

While plyometrics are usually associated with lower body training, there is more to this workout method than jumping. In fact, there are several excellent upper-body plyometric exercises that are ideal for athletes and recreational fitness enthusiasts alike.

I use upper-body plyos with my personal training clients in several ways. For some, they’re part of our enhanced warm-ups. Others use them as finishers. Some do plyo-only workouts to improve their power for sports.

Plyometrics provide a welcome change of pace from the slow and controlled movements that strength training usually involves. They’re a great way to add variety to your workouts and help you steer clear of training plateaus and ruts.

Just remember: upper body plyos are intense and not recommended for beginners. I only use them with my most advanced clients and athletes.

References:

1. Krzysztofik M, Wilk M. The Effects of Plyometric Conditioning on Post-Activation Bench Press Performance. J Hum Kinet. 2020 Aug 31;74:99-108. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2020-0017. PMID: 33312279; PMCID: PMC7706649.
2. Mike JN, Cole N, Herrera C, VanDusseldorp T, Kravitz L, Kerksick CM. The Effects of Eccentric Contraction Duration on Muscle Strength, Power Production, Vertical Jump, and Soreness. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Mar;31(3):773-786. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001675. PMID: 27787464.

---