Forget the gym — you only need these 5 moves to become faster, fitter and stronger

Woman performing a lunge with arms extended at shoulder height in a white room
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you think getting fit requires a gym membership, think again! With these five explosive moves, you can improve your fitness and become faster, fitter, and stronger — no costly membership required. 

This routine is designed by trainer James Stirling, also known as the London Fitness Guy on Instagram, and is a plyometrics workout specifically tailored for runners looking to improve their speed, agility, and power. But don’t worry, even if you’re not a runner, these exercises will benefit anyone looking for a challenging, full-body workout. 

Plyometric exercises focus on powerful, high-intensity movements that benefit various areas of your fitness including but not limited to strength, agility, power and balance. 

Whether you're training for your next race or simply looking to up your fitness game, Jamie’s five-move routine is a great place to begin. All you need is a little space, the motivation to get moving, and a pair of the best running shoes if you’re planning to head out for a run afterward!

Cloudgo (Men’s): was $142 now $85 @ On

Cloudgo (Men’s): was $142 now $85 @ On
Equipped with CloudTec cushioning tech and Helion superfoam, these shoes are a great pick for road runners. They’re comfortably bouncy, no matter how fast you’re running, and offer plenty of support with its TPU Speedboard and forefoot rocker. The Cloudgo shoes for women are also on sale.

Watch The London Fitness Guy's Plyometrics Workout

The structure of the workout requires you to spend 20-30 seconds on each exercise, rest for 20 seconds in between each move and complete the whole circuit for a total of three rounds. 

Stirling explains: "Plyometrics work the stretch-shortening cycle and put simply, more spring means more force and a faster run." The "stretch-shortening cycle" is a term used to describe what happens when your muscles stretch before quickly contracting. It's a bit like a spring — you stretch or load the muscle, and then it bounces back with power. This process is what makes movements like jumps or explosive exercises so powerful.

Plus, according to a study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy plyometric exercise can help your brain and muscles work together more efficiently. When you train with these fast, powerful movements, your body learns to fire up your muscles more quickly and effectively. Over time, this makes your muscles respond faster and more automatically, improving coordination and performance in activities like running, jumping, and other athletic movements.

To wrap up, plyometric exercises aren’t just about building explosive power — they also improve your overall athleticism. When you train your muscles to act quickly and efficiently, you’ll not only boost your speed and strength but also reduce your risk of injury. This type of workout enhances balance, coordination, and flexibility, all of which are crucial for runners and fitness lovers of any level.

More from Tom's Guide

Category
Arrow
Arrow
Back to Athletic Shoes
Brand
Arrow
Colour
Arrow
Gender
Arrow
Price
Arrow
Any Price
Showing 10 of 5,688 deals
Filters
Arrow
Load more deals
Jessica Downey
Fitness Writer

Jessica is an experienced fitness writer with a passion for running. Her love for keeping fit and fueling her body with healthy and enjoyable food quite naturally led her to write about all things fitness and health-related. If she isn’t out testing the latest fitness products such as the latest running shoe or yoga mat for reviewing then she can be found writing news and features on the best ways to build strength, active aging, female health, and anything in between. Before then she had a small stint writing in local news, has also written for Runners World UK (print and digital), and gained experience with global content marketing agency, Cedar Communications.

Born and raised in Scotland, Jessica is a massive fan of exercising and keeping active outdoors. When at home she can be found running by the sea, swimming in it, or up a mountain. This continued as she studied and trained to become a PPA-accredited magazine journalist in Wales. And since working and living in London, she splits her time between weight training in the gym, trying new fitness classes, and finding scenic running routes. Jessica enjoys documenting this on her fitness-inspired Instagram page @jessrunshere where she loves engaging with like-minded fitness junkies.

She is a big fan of healthy cooking and loves learning more about this area with expert nutritionists she has met over the years. Jessica is a big advocate for building healthy relationships with food rather than building restrictive attitudes towards it. When she isn’t eating or running she also enjoys practicing yoga in her free time as it helps her to unwind and benefits her performance in other sports.