Running
If you’re looking for exercises to fire you up before your next race, you’re sure to benefit from this guide to plyometric exercises for sprinters.
When it comes to engaging, full-body workouts, few are more efficient or accessible than plyometrics. With these jump exercises, you can practice agility and build strength at the same time. Many of these movements don’t require equipment, either.
There’s a reason that plyometric exercises are a popular choice among athletes of all types. Take it from Red Bull cliff diver David Colturi, who considers plyometrics one of his “personal favorites,” because “just being fast isn’t enough,” he says. “There are an infinite amount of drills that are only limited by your imagination.”
Sprinters like Erriyon Knighton are just as focused on building strength, staying balanced, and being agile as cliff divers, and can benefit from plyometrics.
What are plyometrics?
Plyometrics are exercises that train your body to rapidly produce substantial force through swift, explosive movements. They’re among the best exercises for runners, though they benefit all athletes.
Speed training with plyometrics typically involves variations on running and jumping, but it’s important to add upper body exercises to these speed and agility plyometrics. Throwing and push-up exercises are great to include in your power-building plyometric workouts.
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The benefits of plyometric training for sprinters
- Building strength. Jumping so quickly, and at great heights and distances, is a high-impact workout for your legs.
- Increase speed. With its focus on the lower body (though there are plenty of upper body plyo exercises), plyometrics are some of the most explosive exercises for speed. Focusing on your calf muscles can be a key factor in reducing sprint start time and getting down the track as quickly as possible.
- Better balance. By catching air and landing soundly on both feet, you’re inherently practicing your balance with plyometrics. While you might wobble the first few times you try a plyo exercise, that improves with time. Those balancing skills can serve you well during an intense sprint.
- Improve bone density. With every jump you make during plyometrics, your bones bend ever so slightly. This isn’t dangerous at all — in fact, it’s one of the best ways to stimulate bone tissue growth. Plus, the shock of each land is also effective for encouraging bone growth.
- Hike up adrenaline. The more plyometric exercises you complete, the more you’ll excite your nervous system. This added rush can give you a speed boost.
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Key plyometric exercises for sprinters
Bounding
If you’re looking for power drills for faster sprinting, then bounding might be the right choice for you. This exercise involves taking large strides as you jump — think of them as an exaggerated version of skipping. Bounding can help you build up leg strength, stride length, and frequency. These come in handy when it comes to maintaining top speed, making bounding one of the best plyometrics for faster acceleration.
Box jumps
Box jumps are some of the most effective lower body plyometric workouts for speed. The exercise is in the name—you’ll jump on and off a box. Choose a box that’s low enough for you to reach after a couple of sets but high enough to be a challenge. Not only does this drill help improve strength, mobility, and balance, but all of the rebounding can improve your knee lift during sprinting as well.
No box? No problem. Like most other high-intensity plyometric training exercises, box jumps don’t require any equipment. A tall ledge, staircase, or even a street curb can work.
Depth jumps
Just like box jumps, depth jumps require you to have an extra, elevated prop. When you do this plyometric exercise, you’ll drop off of your box or ledge before immediately jumping up once you land. The goal is to minimize your contact with the ground and improve your rebound time with every set. Depth jumps are key in improving your reactive strength, as well as minimizing the length of the stretch-shortening cycle, or how your body accelerates before your next jump.
Hurdle hops
Hurdle hops entail jumping over a series of hurdles, posted closely together, without pausing. The goal is to focus on quick, explosive movements, not allowing yourself to slow down or lose rhythm. Hurdle hops are high-ranking in the world of agility training for sprinters — they can keep you sharp, improve speed, and help you rapidly generate force.
Medicine ball chest pass
Couple the medicine ball chest press with plyo exercises for speed to work your shoulders, chest, and triceps. You’ll need a medicine ball you can reasonably throw between 15 and 25 feet.
For this exercise, stand with your legs at shoulder width, and use both your hands to hold your medicine ball at chest height. In one fluid motion, take a step forward with one leg, pivot the other leg, and rotate your torso to face where you’ll throw the medicine ball. Then, while flexing your knees and lowering your hips, step forward again. Spring off your back foot, forcefully pull your arm back, and throw the ball, following through with your legs, hips, and upper body.
Ideally, you’ll throw the medicine ball at a wall with enough bounce that the ball quickly returns to you. Alternatively, throw the ball to a partner who’s capable of quickly throwing it back at you so you can keep repeating this exercise.
Explosive push-ups
For more chest, shoulder, and tricep action that you’ll also feel in your forearms and abs, try this plyo spin on push-ups. Start in your usual push-up position, then bring your chest nearly to the floor. Now, stretch your arms out so that your hands are no longer on the floor. Gravity will quickly bring you back down, so as you land on your hands, decelerate your body so that your chest gradually returns to its near-floor position.
Depth push-ups
Break out two boxes from your plyometric routine for speed for this exercise that targets your whole upper body. If you don’t have boxes, weight plates are a decent substitute.
Place your two boxes side by side and get in a push-up position. Place each of your hands toward the edge of each box that’s closer to you, and leave enough space for your torso to go between the boxes. Rapidly move your hands from the boxes to the floor at just wider than shoulder width as you drop down. End with your elbows slightly flexed and your chest nearly at the floor — but as soon as you get there, extend your elbows completely to explode back up. Land with your hands in their starting positions on the boxes.
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Implementing plyometrics into your training routine
Ultimately, plyometric training for athletes looks different from case to case — but there are still some universal tips and tricks.
Because plyometrics are high-impact, it’s important to do them in moderate amounts. Recovery time can last 48 to 72 hours, so try not to do these workouts more than three times per week. Given the high strain that plyos can have on your body, it’s also important to focus on proper form for each drill. Watch example videos before your workout to get a sense of form and technique. It’s a short pre-workout step that can help prevent injury in the long run.
Once you get in the swing of your plyometric routine, you can start increasing intensity as you go. In the case of increasing intensity, plyometrics follow the same rules—once a drill feels less challenging, add some reps to your set. For box jumps, depth jumps, and hurdle hops, you can also increase the height of the obstacle that you’re working with. These small changes can make a world of difference in your next sprint.
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Plyometrics FAQ
Is plyometrics an isometric exercise technique?
No. Whereas plyometrics require quick, forceful bursts, an isometric exercise technique centers on holding a position for an extended period.
How is isometric training different from plyometric training?
In isometric training, the focus is on lengthy periods of motionless muscle contraction to build endurance. Conversely, plyometric exercises for speed happen rapidly, so they train your muscles to go through their stretch shortening cycle (SSC) more quickly. A faster SSC is associated with stronger athletic performance.
Do plyometrics make you faster?
Plyometrics often lead to faster running speeds — if anything, sprinters are the first athletes whom many exercise science experts think of when discussing plyometrics. In particular, the explosive movements associated with plyometrics train your lower body’s fast-twitch muscle fibers, which build up the explosive power needed for high running speeds.
Harness the power of plyometrics
Maybe you’re looking for ways to enhance strength and conditioning for sprinters. Maybe you’re hoping to improve your agility both on and off of the track. Whatever the case may be, plyometrics can be a game-changer in your workout routine. The next time you want to add an energizing and high-intensity exercise to your day at the gym, plyometric exercises might be your answer. With these jumping drills under your belt, you’ll be well on your way to enhancing your sprint speed with plyometrics.