How Plyometrics Helps Runners

How Plyometrics Helps Runners

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Plyometrics is taken very serious by many pro runners, as well as other pro athletes. Through consistent plyometric training, athletes train their muscles to become more powerful and explosive. For a runner, this will enable them to run faster and win races or give them more power when taking off from a starting line.

A plyometric exercise pretty much creates a max force within a muscle group within a very short period of time. Instead of starting at a slow pace and going up to higher speeds, doing a plyometric exercise will load their muscle with force over and over again without the slow warming up phase.

Consider "bounding" for instance, which is a plyometric exercise used by runners. This movement requires a runner to extend their stride as far as possible and lift up their knees in a forceful manner. The muscles then are forced to contract and work much faster than they would while running at a normal stride.

Plyometric exercise for a runner can be as simple as hopping and skipping. Runners doing this type of training may put their feet together and hop forward with as much explosive energy as possible, forcing the leg muscles to once again contract and fire in rapid succession which is not achieved through normal running. Skipping through portions of a run is also an idea.

Due to the extra force on the muscles from the exercise, plyometric exercise are typically done in short bursts rather than being sustained for a long time. For example, a runner may skip a short distance and then recover for a minute before skipping again. They could even alternate between skipping, hopping, and other exercises with rests in between.

The result of constant plyometric training is a more powerful run that includes force, which isn't usually achieved by most runners. In order to get great results, runners must set up a regular schedule to include plyometric in their regular exercise routine.

While some runners may use simpler plyometric exercises such as hopping or skipping, those who take this training seriously are aiming to increase their time or become more explosive for shorter races that require speed right from the starting line.

Only runners who are physically fit and flexible should attempt plyometric exercises and it is preferred that they start out with instruction from a professional or trainer. Due to the explosive nature of the movements there may be increased risk for injury, especially when performed on muscles that have not been adequately warmed up or when performed incorrectly.

One great mistake a runner can make is attempting to do very explosive plyometric exercises for an extrended period of time. Caution needs to be taken to do these exercises at full capacity but for a short time. Long term training also requires patience as improvements take time.

About the Author:
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