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I glanced up from my discomfort to search for the top of the ridgeline and could feel the sweat
pouring down my back underneath my heavy pack. No top in site. Lift leg as high as possible, plant
foot in the side of the hill, ease weight forward onto fully bent leg, balance on planted foot, and
lift self and pack upward with this one quad and leg, lift other leg, plant, do it again, and again,
and again. The terraced hill was endless, steep, and exposed to the relentless sun. Our team was out
of water and we suffered. Yet I felt incredibly strong. Legs solid. Powerful.
I thought back to my first adventure races and how I had so often struggled with this hiking motion,
which stresses the legs in a much broader range of motion than I was used to from my triathlon days
Back then, my muscular system was specialized for certain power ranges but was limited from so much
sport-specific training. I realize now that I had limited myself as an endurance athlete by not
training structurally in a more versatile manner. I had less power, less anaerobic
“girth,” less versatility.
So, where did this new, seemingly invincible power come from now, on this brutal mountain in Nepal,
during this endless hike on Day Four of this seven-day event? I said to my teammates when they noted
and applauded my hiking prowess that day, “Thank goodness for all those plyometrics I did in
training!”
Weightlifting for your heart and lungs
In the 1970s, plyometrics were thought to be responsible for the growing success of Eastern
Europeans in track and field events. Plyometrics were then rapidly becoming known to coaches and
athletes as exercises aimed at linking strength with speed through a range of motion, to produce
power. Matt Ryan, an athletic trainer at the Santa Cruz Medical Clinic in California, has worked
in plyometrics with high school and pro athletes and is a strong advocate of this type of training
for endurance sports. “If done properly, and implemented safely, plyometrics can be weight
lifting for the cardiovascular system,” says Ryan.
Plyometrics can help maximize power in the stretching and shortening cycle of a muscle or muscle
group. They also promote reflex power through a broader range of motion than most endurance athletes
use. The balance and strength aspect of the movements allows for development of optimal efficiency.
These exercises also train an athlete to absorb shock better, improving resiliency in the joints and
soft tissue. With plyometric training, an athlete is able to sustain repetitive contractions over
time with a health and vitality that was previously non-existent. You develop strength and power
through a broad range of motion, while creating a more versatile muscle and joint.
And as Ryan advocates, plyometrics help train the aerobic system to better train the anaerobic
system. If you take an already aerobically fit athlete and implement plyometrics, you can expand his
anaerobic base. It’s like strength training for the aerobic and anaerobic systems.
Due to the difficulty of these exercises combined with a sport-specific training program, they
should be done only twice a week, on non-consecutive days. An optimal training regimen combines
plyometrics with standard weight-training and cardiovascular programs. A plyometric program should
only be taken on by healthy, fit athletes as a supplement to an established training program. A
program should start with just a couple of exercises and build on those each week. If done properly,
you will get sore your first couple of weeks!
Get started
Here are a few basic plyometric exercises to get you started. Using the guidelines above, implement
these twice a week, starting with two sets of each exercise at 10 reps per set.
Walking lunges. This is a warm-up to the more dynamic exercises. Step out with your right
foot far enough in front of you so you can bend your right leg 90 degrees while keeping the knee
over the heel. With your left leg only slightly bent behind you, lunge until your left knee almost
touches the ground. Lift your body up and over the right foot and step out in the same manner with
the left foot without pause. Use arms as needed for power and balance while keeping the focus of the
exercise in the quad and glutes.
Standing jumps. Stand in place with arms at your side. Squat down and jump in place while
trying to bring your knees up to your chest. As your feet touch the ground after each jump, go
directly into the next jump. Use arms as needed for power and balance. The set is done when you
complete all reps without pause.
Side-shuffle lunges. Step to the side with your right foot, so your feet are slightly wider
than shoulder width. Then go into a full squat. Your arms will naturally want to move to the front
of your body. Stand up while shuffling your feet to the right, moving the left foot to where the
right foot was and placing the right foot another several feet to the side. Squat again, lift your
body, shuffle to the side, and repeat the motion. A full set is a continuous motion of squatting,
lifting, and sliding until the set is complete. Alternate leading legs on each set.
While training for the Raid Gauloises adventure race in Nepal, I remember that each day I did my
plyometrics was a mental-toughness training day. I would stand on my private stretch of dirt and
try to garner motivation from the view of Alcatraz and the San Francisco Bay. My dog would sit and
look at me as if to say, “Well, get on with it.” I’d gather strength and forge on
through the workout. Those were tough sessions.
But during the race—tired and depleted after days of racing through snow, high altitude, and
heat—I was celebrating my fortitude in adding those plyometric exercises to my training
program. I was celebrating my newfound strength and resiliency. And, as I crested the top of the
ridgeline, water and shade in site, I acknowledged my excitement over the potential these exercises
offered this veteran endurance athlete in races to
come.
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