Explosive Power Training Key for Runners as They Age

Ann Chisholm, owner and coach at Tropos Fitness Club in Victoria, British Columbia, addressed a group of about 20 women gathered under an outdoor tent in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, despite rainy weather. The session was part of FeistyFest, a three-day movement and educational festival held in September. Chisholm asked the attendees, “What are three common weaknesses in endurance athletes I see in the gym?” The group responded with guesses: “Glutes!” “Adductors!” Chisholm nodded in agreement. What was the third weakness? Hip flexors? They were among the answers suggested, but Chisholm indicated something more critical existed.

The Third Weakness: Power Explosiveness

Chisholm revealed the answer: “Power explosiveness!” She explained that explosive power refers to the initial burst of movement, involving fast-twitch muscle fibers that contract rapidly and generate significant force. This also engages the nervous system, which sends high-speed signals to coordinate complex motions. Injuries, she noted, often occur not during forward running but while moving laterally or changing direction quickly. Explosive power helps manage the forces absorbed during running—two to three times body weight—which places stress on joints and ligaments. It improves speed, stride efficiency, and joint resilience.

A 47-year-old Swedish study published in 2025 in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle concluded that explosive power peaks in women at 19 and in men at 27. After these ages, the body’s ability to handle sudden physical stress diminishes, increasing injury risk. Chisholm emphasized that while the decline is natural, it can be mitigated through targeted training. “We can train that, so your body is prepared to absorb the impact,” she said.

Training Explosive Power

Explosive power training complements strength work by focusing on applying force quickly rather than generating maximum force. Beginners should integrate one or two explosive movements into strength sessions, gradually increasing intensity. Chisholm warned against overtraining, as excessive volume could lead to injury, defeating the goal of injury prevention. The workout structure follows three principles: Readiness, Reactive, and Resistance. Readiness involves warming up and activating muscles. Reactive includes explosive exercises performed first when the nervous system is fresh. Resistance focuses on strengthening key areas like hip flexors, adductors, and glutes, incorporating lateral movements.

Chisholm, an ultrarunner with a basketball background, demonstrated exercises such as dynamic pogo hops, box squat to vertical jump, hop hop land, reversed lunge to single-leg hop, lateral Heidens, triple broad jump, and skater squat. A sample beginner workout includes warm-ups with bike rides, monster walks, band pull-aparts, and skips. Strength exercises feature lateral Heidens, hip flexor leg lifts, and hop hop land, followed by split squats, DB bench press, and side planks. Additional sets target single-leg RDLs, lateral lunges, overhead presses, bent-over rows, and weighted dead bugs.

Weekly Training Structure

Chisholm advises runners to categorize each day as high, medium, or low effort. High days involve greater time, volume, or output. Examples include long runs, speed work, one major strength session, or days with two workouts. Medium days feature secondary strength training, easy runs, or a potential third strength session. Low days prioritize rest, optional short runs, or mobility work like yoga.

Balancing Intensity and Recovery

The weekly schedule aims to distribute physical stress evenly. High days should not cluster together, as this risks overtraining. Chisholm emphasizes that explosive power training, while beneficial, is demanding. It requires careful volume management to avoid counterproductive fatigue.