Isometrics vs. Strength vs. Plyos: What's Missing in Your Strength Training with Dr. Matt Silver

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Nov 6, 2025

Dr. Matthew Silver, a physical therapist and author of "Built to Run," dives into the nuances of strength training for runners. He unpacks the differences between traditional strength, isometrics, and plyometrics, highlighting their unique roles. Matt elaborates on how isometrics can alleviate pain and aid in tendon recovery. He also discusses the benefits of plyometrics in enhancing running economy and offers tips for incorporating these techniques into training regimens, including effective at-home practices.

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ADVICE

Build Strength First

Start with traditional strength training as your foundation before adding faster or more explosive work.
Progress slow, controlled lifts twice weekly to build muscle and tendon capacity before speed work.

INSIGHT

Isometrics: Two Types, Two Roles

Isometrics are muscle contractions without length change and come in low- and high-load varieties.
Low-load isometrics reduce pain and turn inhibited muscles back on by down-regulating pain signals.

ADVICE

Use Low-Load Holds For Pain Relief

Use low-load isometric holds (about 30–60% load) for 30–60 seconds to reduce tendon and joint pain.
Do these as a warmup before runs or after workouts to decrease pain and restore muscle activation.

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Dr. Matthew Silver is a physical therapist, author, and owner of Alpha Project Phyzio and Performance in Maryland. His book Built to Run is now available.

While he set his college's 8k record and made the all-conference team, injuries prematurely ended Matt's career, sparking his interest in physical therapy.

In today's conversation, we're talking about the different types of strength training that exist, their benefits and drawbacks, and how to integrate them into your training. It's important to recognize that not all strength training is the same. We're going to discuss traditional strength training, isometrics, and plyometrics. Each one is unique and has an important place in your training.

Additional Resources:

Our complimentary strength series: strengthrunning.com/strength/ (explosivity, mistakes to avoid, case studies, example movements, etc).
High Performance Lifting (Strength Running's flagship weightlifting course)

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