Plyometrics and Weight Training for Runners

Plyometrics and Weight Training can improve Running Economy and I think they can provide a great return for a minimal investment in time. Even better, they seem to benefit all runners, from those starting out through to elites. The benefits may compound, as they allow you to run faster and so get more benefit from the rest of your training, a bit like compound interest. I've covered the supporting research under The Science of Running Economy, so this page focuses on the approach I've taken based on that research and what other athletes do.

1 Plyometrics

A simple and relatively low risk approach to Plyometrics is to do "pogo hops", where you jump mainly using your ankles. Here's the progression I used, based on Fredrik Zillén's Video.

• 5 sets of 10s with 50s rest.
• 5 sets of 10s with 40s rest.
• 5 sets of 10s with 30s rest.
• 5 sets of 10s with 20s rest.
• 5 sets of 10s with 10s rest.
• 6 sets of 10s with 10s rest.
• 6 sets of 10s with 10s rest: 2x both feet, 1x left only, 1x right only, 2x both feet.
• 8 sets of 10s with 10s rest: 3x both, 1x left, 1x right, 3x both.
• 10 sets of 10s with 10s rest: 4x both, 1x left, 1x right, 4x both.
• 10 sets of 10s with 10s rest: 2x both, 1x left, 1x right, 2x both, 1x left, 1x right, 2x both.
• 10 sets of 10s with 10s rest: 2x both, 1x left, 1x right, 1x forward, 1x side, 1x left, 1x right, 2x both.

Hopping on one leg shows strength imbalances, so be prepared to go back down a level if this is too hard (and fix the imbalance!) The last progression adds jumps forward and backward for a set, then side to side for a set. This helps build up coordination and stability muscles. There are further progressions possible, including more single legged jumps, and making the single leg jumps side-to-side or back-and-forward. (I really like TimerPlus], a free iPhone app for my plyometrics.) There are other plyometrics, such as box jumps, but the risk/reward ratio doesn't seem to justify the effort.

2 Weight Training

The key to weight training for running economy appears to be to use heavy weights, with 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps. The mechanism is probably a combination of improved muscle recruitment and stressing all the muscle fibers. I suggest weight training 2-3 days/week. The best practice is to do the weight training on a hard training day, but I do my weight training on my easy days as it doesn't seem to impact my recovery much, and I'm too tired on my hard days to face weight training. I recommend focusing on quads/glute using squats or leg press, plus hamstring curls. Just two exercises of 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps, with 1-3 minutes of rest between sets should require less than 15 minutes and provide disproportionate benefits. I will typically do the first set with a lower weight to warm up, then increase for each set, with the last set being close to failure. If you want to do a bit more, add calf raises and leg extensions. Doing the exercises one legged helps reveal and fix imbalances. If you're new to weight training, start with a weight that's too easy and build up. Doing a bit less than you need is better than getting injured. (I use Hevy an iPhone app to track my weight training. The free version does all I need.)