Posted on August 24, 2016 by Jenny Cromack
I’ve often talked about building explosive power in the hips through the use of Olympic Lifting. Whilst Plympic lifting is a highly effective tool, it requires a considerable investment in time to develop. Aside from learning the mechanics of the movement, you need to develop co-ordination, flexibility, and tissue load capacity. It’s all rather complex!
There are, however, other variations of exercises that require little in the way of learning in comparison, these can be integrated into your training with ease. Below you will find a simple power session designed for building explosive power in endurance runners (5k – half marathon distance).
- A. Depth Jump (beginners 15cm, intermediate 30cm, advanced 45cm) 3-5 x 3-5 (ground contact time should be under 250 ms). 5 Minutes rest between sets.
- B. Barbell Squat Jumps (quarter depth) 3-5 x 3-5. Rest 5 mins between sets
- C. Pogos. 3-5 x 3-5. Rest 5 minutes between sets
- D1. Back Squat 3 x 3 (70-85% 1RM)
- D2. Pallof Press 3 x 12
It looks simple, and no, you wont burn a lot of calories from this session but calorie burning is not the intent. To build explosive power each rep must be completed with precision and intent. Rest longer than feels natural and stick with it. It will build power in the lower body and improve your running economy significantly…..leading to faster times. Interested in how you can break your 10k plateau? Then take a read of our latest blog.