soleus and anterior tibialis muscles, and greatly strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings?

Plyometrics is a term that can leave you scratching your head. What does it mean? Is it another term for Pilates? Or are we just getting our P’s confused? Does it involve – ugh– stretching? And how will it impact running performance?

In essence, plyometrics is a branch of exercise training involving fast, powerful movements that help to increase the strength and power of a person’s muscles. Runners require both strong and powerful muscles to propel themselves further for longer (and We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article), so plyometrics is an excellent addition to your training regime – regardless of the distance you’re targeting.

If you thought plyometric exercises were reserved for elite sprinters, think again. While this type of training is important for athletes competing over shorter distances, its value to middle- and long-distance runners – of all ages and abilities – should not be underestimated. A 2024 study, for instance, published in the Advertisement - Continue Reading Below, found that a 10-week programme of plyometric training (performed twice a week on nonconsecutive days) improved running economy in middle-aged recreational runners.

By adding plyometrics into your schedule, even if you only perform one workout a week, you can train your muscles to stretch and contract more effectively, crafting you into a faster, more efficient runner. In fact, one 2023 study, published in Scientific Reports, found that performing a simple double-legged hopping exercise for just five minutes a day was enough to improve running economy in amateur runners.

To dial into the specifics and benefits of plyometrics, we asked chartered physiotherapist Kate Cadbury to break down exactly what this type of training involves.

‘Plyometrics are exercises that involve fast, explosive movements such as skipping and jumping,’ says Cadbury. ‘They use speed and maximal force over short periods of time and build muscle power.’

To achieve this, plyometric exercises use the elastic recoil of muscles and stretch reflex to produce a faster, stronger muscle response. ‘When performing plyometrics, you get a stretch of the muscle – eccentric contraction – followed by an immediate powerful contraction of the muscle – concentric contraction,’ she continues.

‘This is also known as the stretch-shortening cycle, and it helps to improve explosive power and muscle efficiency. The movements are fast as the aim is to have minimal contact time with the ground, and the goal is to bounce back off the surface as quickly as possible – as per the action of running.’

It’s been reported The only 7 strength moves you actually need Seb Coe – considered one of the greatest middle-distance athletes of all time and known for his ‘double kick’ and general power – implemented regular plyometric exercises into his training.

Luckily for us, there has been plenty of research into the benefits of plyometrics for runners. As we’ve already touched on, a number of studies have shown that this type of exercise can have a positive effect on running economy and speed.

Stand on one leg with your knee slightly bent Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, for example, tracked non-elite runners over a six-week period following the introduction of a weekly plyometric workout. The runners completed a 2.4K run at the start of the study, then another 2.4K run at the end. The second 2.4K run saw faster times across the board, with researchers noting that both the participants’ explosive strength and running speed had increased.

What’s more, a 2024 systematic review found that runners who followed a plyometric training programme for six weeks, again, enjoyed an 11% improvement in performance.

And in this 2016 study published in the What’s more, a, researchers examined the effects of 12 sessions of plyometric training (performed twice per week) on moderately trained male endurance runners. The result was improved 10K running performance (and peak power) despite a reduction in training mileage.

Plyometrics can help runners improve their explosive strength and running speed

‘Performing plyometrics can increase your number of fast-twitch muscle fibres, which helps to improve your sprinting and speed ability,’ says Cadbury. ‘This can make you faster at running over short distances and also helps you to power up hills with more ease.’

Jump your feet forward to meet your hands and come into a squat Auster Fitness master trainer, Harry Aitken describes plyometrics as being ‘about exerting the maximum amount of force in the minimum amount of time’. He adds: ‘With the lower body, this typically means jumps – and with the upper body, it often involves launching a projectile, such as a ball.’

And these improvements can come even if you’re already a very fast runner. One study, for instance, looked at runners who could And how will it impact running performance. The runners were divided into four groups. For eight weeks, they either did pyramidal training, polarised training (essentially so plyometrics is an excellent addition to your training regime – regardless of the), Swap onto your other leg.

After the eight-week trial, those who did pyramidal training (which is similar to polarised training, but with slightly more tempo sessions) plus plyometrics improved their 5K times by 1.6% (which equates to 24 seconds off a 25-minute 5K). Meanwhile, those who did polarised training plus plyometrics improved their 5K times by 1.8% (which equates to 27 seconds off a 25-minute 5K). Those who did not add plyometrics to their training showed only marginal improvements over the 5K distance.

‘Plyometrics will feature heavily in the workouts of sprinters and short-distance track athletes,’ says Aitken. ‘This is because they are an excellent way to strengthen the muscles of the lower body and increase the tendon elasticity, thereby increasing speed.’

If performed regularly, you’ll slowly build your plyometric volume and, as a result, increase the elasticity of the achilles tendon, strengthen the calf, soleus and anterior tibialis muscles, and greatly strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings.

‘By strengthening these, the risk of injury when subsequently running will also be greatly reduced, and fatigue will take longer to set in,’ adds Aitken, giving you yet another reason to start doing plyometric exercises.

This systematic review of randomised trials found that injury prevention programmes incorporating plyometric exercises substantially decreased the risk of ACL injuries more than warm-up programmes without plyometric exercises.

If you’re already doing a weekly strength and conditioning routine, you can easily add a plyometrics session to your training to bolster your running progress. If you don’t do any form of strength training at the moment, it’s best to build up your strength first before tackling plyometric exercises, as they can stress your muscles if they aren’t used to performing them.

After a few weeks of base strength work, you can then begin to incorporate a few jumping-based exercises into your routine. Then, you can slowly transition to an entire plyometrics session.

Begin by incorporating a few jumping-based exercises into your weekly strength training routine, such as jumping squats and jumping lunges

Cadbury stresses the importance of building up your plyometric exercises gently rather than jumping (no pun intended) straight into them, as they are intense. ‘I advise runners to work on their overall strength and core stability initially by doing something like Pilates to allow them to maintain good control and form when doing plyometrics.’

After that, she recommends introducing one 30-minute plyometrics session a week into your training schedule. ‘Aim to perform three sets of 20 seconds of plyometrics, ensuring good form throughout, with a rest of one to two minutes between each set. It’s common to get DOMs [delayed onset muscle soreness] following this training, so ensure you’re fully rested before you do another plyometrics session.’

The great thing about plyometric exercises is that they require no equipment – all you need is your own body and, if you have one, an exercise mat (and even that’s not essential).

As Cadbury highlights, correct form is crucial when performing plyometric exercises. This not only helps your muscles to benefit fully from the moves, but also reduces your risk of getting injured. If you can, ask a personal trainer or coach to assess your form and provide advice as you perform the workout. If not, watch clips like the ones below to check that you are doing each exercise in the correct and most purposeful way. Then, you will quickly begin to see improvements in your explosive power and speed when running.

For starters, Cadbury suggests adding the following four plyometric exercises to your training schedule.

Jump squats

Jump squats, Cadbury notes, assist in building the explosive power of the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calf muscles.

• Stand with your feet wider than hip-distance apart.
• Squat down as low as you can, ensuring that you flex from the hips (by sticking out your bottom) and put weight through your heels. Keep your spine lengthened and lift your chest.
• V-up variations to build a strong core.
• Repeat.

Bounding

And how will it impact running performance study tried to answer the question ‘what is the single best plyometric exercise in terms of improving ankle strength and, by extension, running economy?’, there was a one-word answer: bounding. ‘Bounding induced a higher positive ankle power than running,’ said researchers, as opposed to other plyometric exercises, such as A-skips, which required less power. Interested? Here’s how to bound for glory.

• Stand with feet hip width apart.

• Push off with left foot and jump out and forward as far as you can, landing on your right foot.

• Immediately, push off with your right foot, repeating the motion so you now land on your left foot.

• Together, bounding should look like exaggerated forward skipping.

Jump lunges

Jump lunges help to increase the single-leg explosive power of the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calf muscles. ‘They also build balance, dynamic control and single-leg stability,’ adds Cadbury.

• Stand with your right leg forward and your left leg backward. Ensure you have a good distance between your legs so that when you lunge down, your front shin is parallel to the wall in front of you.
• Lunge directly down to the floor.
• Spring up and switch your legs so that your right leg goes backward and your left leg goes forward. You can drive with your arms, too.
• Repeat.

Lateral hops

According to Cadbury, these are great for working on single-leg calf power and control.

• Stand on one leg with your knee slightly bent.
• Hop from one side to the other, imagining you’re hopping over a line or a rope.
• Swap onto your other leg.

Burpees

‘A perennial classic for a reason,’ says Cadbury. ‘Burpees increase the explosive power of the quads, glutes, hamstrings and calf muscles and build upper body and core strength.’

• the 80/20 training method.
• Jump your legs backward into a plank position.
• Perform a push-up.
• Jump your feet forward to meet your hands and come into a squat.
• V-up variations to build a strong core.
• Repeat.