Leap into a world of power and speed

By Pete Estabrooks
Photography by Brian Buchsdruecker

Plyometric is a scientific, 21st-century term bandied about by trainers, therapists and coaches alike. Want speed? Do your plyos. This is all well and good if you are in the club and know the lingo.

However, throwing together a plyometric workout on your own without a kinesiology background is like picking your house paint wearing sunglasses. You might get the right idea, but you’ll probably miss out on the detail.

Luckily if you have neither a coach, nor trainer in your corner, we have a starter plyometric kit for your running benefit this season. Plyometric defines an exercise in which muscles are repeatedly and rapidly stretched then contracted. An easy example is the act of quickly lowering into a squat then immediately leaping into the air. This physical action of loading and contracting a muscle in a short burst increases the ability of those muscles to create explosive movements.

Having the ability to harness the power these explosive movements provide can decrease the amount of time your feet stay in contact with the ground every foot-strike. These actions increase your running efficiency and decrease the time it takes you to complete a run.

Prior to starting a plyometric program, remember the first rule of runners is that runners run. A solid structural running base is necessary before throwing these cool tricks into the mix. Plyometric training, core and weight training are adjuncts to a solid running practice. Once a week in addition to your running program is plenty.

The Plyometrics 1, 2, 3 workout
Warm up with an easy seven to 12 minutes of cardio then jump on this:
1. 10 x 30 seconds high knees skipping on 30 second breaks.
2. 6 x 50 metres power-skip on a track or clear road: Find a clear lane and skip. As you push off one foot, drive the opposing knee high and hard into the air. Keep your upper body erect and use your arms to lift and drive you forward. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between each 50-metre effort. (not pictured)
3. 6 sets of 15 reps of each of the following exercises (A, B and C); 30 to 60 seconds rest between each set.

1. High Knees Skipping
• Rope handles should reach your armpits when you stand on the middle.
• Co-ordinate running steps with rope turns.
• Run in place with high knees.
• If frustration wins out over technique spin the rope with one hand while you run with high knees.

3A. Box Jumps
• From a perfect postural standing position squat quickly.
• Jump with two feet onto a 12 to 24-inch high box.
• Upon landing on the box, jump again high into the air.
• Land softly on the floor, turn around and jump again.

 3B. Squat Jumps
• Stand tall and quickly drop into a squat position.
• Use arms and legs to jump straight up as high as you can.
• Land softly and drop back into a squat position.
• Immediately jump up again.

3C. Stride Jumps
• Stand in a lunge position with either leg forward.
• Lower your back knee to the ground, keeping your front knee directly over your front ankle.
• Drive as high up in the air as you can while pulling your back leg forward and pushing front leg backwards.
• Land softly and immediately jump again. 

The Fitness Guy Pete Estabrooks is IMPACT Magazine’s Fitness Editor and a top personal trainer in Calgary.

March/April 2011

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