Unlock Your Power With Plyometrics

ONE STEP AT a time…but make it explosive. That’s basically how you approach plyometric exercises that typically require zero equipment—and they may be just what your body needs for cross-training in the off-season.

- JESSICA MIGALA

What are plyometric exercises, exactly? “Plyometric movements are fast, explosive bodyweight exercises,” says Meghan Kennihan, a NASM-certified personal trainer, USA Track & Field coach, and RRCA-certified distance coach in LaGrange, Illinois. Usually programmed into a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, these moves emphasize jumping. And you’re probably already familiar with them (hello, squat jumps and burpees!), but it’s also possible you’re not executing them regularly or at all. Here’s why you want to add them to your next workout.

How plyometric moves pay off on the run One of the biggest advantages of plyometrics for runners is that they help improve two top metrics: power and speed. “These exercises take advantage of muscle firing known as the ‘stretch-shortening cycle,’” Kennihan explains. A combination of eccentric and concentric contractions, these moves lengthen and shorten the muscle rapidly. Consider a squat jump in which you sit low into the squat and then push off the floor to propel yourself upward—you move through the down and up motions quickly to make the move explosive. And by maximizing the muscle contraction, you ultimately enhance muscle power.

“Adding plyometrics to your routine increases the force you can produce with each movement,” Kennihan says. “While running, after each foot lands on the ground, there’s a push-off. Plyometric training will help you have a more powerful spring [at that push-off]. This will lead to a faster run.”