How to Increase Your Speed, Mobility & Longevity with Plyometrics & Sprinting | Stuart McMillan

My guest is Stuart McMillan, a renowned track and field coach who has trained dozens of Olympic medalists, professional athletes, and team coaches across a diverse range of sports. We discuss how to use plyometric work to improve mobility, strength, posture, and overall health.

We emphasize the enormous benefits of skipping—a form of plyometrics—for joint health, aerobic conditioning, and coordination, as well as its advantages for people of all ages and fitness levels. We also explore the expressive nature of human movement, highlighting how certain movements reveal and can evolve one’s unique personality and abilities.

Stu explains how resistance training, skipping, and striding can improve movement efficiency in all aspects of life. Anyone who exercises, as well as serious athletes, will benefit immensely from Stu McMillan’s knowledge of human mechanics and the practical tools he generously shares in this discussion.

Articles

• A general relationship links gait mechanics and running ground reaction forces (Journal of Experimental Biology)

Other Resources

• Prefontaine (movie)
• Without Limits (movie)
• The Last Dance (mini-series)
• Level The Vibes (CJSW Radio)
• Basquiat (movie)
• Run Specific Isometrics – Alex Natera

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• Dr. Kelly Starrett: How to Improve Your Mobility, Posture & Flexibility
• Dr. Bernardo Huberman: How to Use Curiosity & Focus to Create a Joyful & Meaningful Life

People Mentioned

• Usain Bolt: Jamaican sprinter, Olympic gold medalist
• Steve Prefontaine: American distance runner, Olympian
• Bill Bowerman: American track and field coach
• Jodie Williams: British sprinter, Olympic medalist
• Shaquille O'Neal: American basketball player
• Anthony Jerome “Spud” Webb: American basketball player
• Joni Mitchell: Canadian-American singer-songwriter
• Peter Attia: physician, author, podcaster
• David Spiegel: professor of medicine, psychiatrist, Stanford University
• Maurice Greene:  American sprinter, Olympic gold medalist
• Andre De Grasse: Canadian runner, Olympic gold medalist
• Asafa Powell: Jamaican sprinter, Olympic gold medalist
• Bernard Williams: American sprinter, Olympic gold medalist
• Rick Rubin: record producer
• Mike Tyson: American boxer
• Mohammad Ali: American boxer
• Jean-Michel Basquiat: American artist
• Josh Waitzkin: American chess player
• Noah Lyles: American sprinter, Olympic gold medalist
• Tim Armstrong: American musician, songwriter
• Tony Hawk: American skateboarder
• Jimmy Wilkins: American skateboarder
• Lionel Messi: Argentine soccer player
• Pelé: Brazilian soccer player
• Cristiano Ronaldo: Portuguese soccer player
• Stephen Curry: American basketball player
• Andy Warhol: American visual artist
• Chuck Close: American visual artist
• Donovan Bailey: Canadian sprinter, Olympic gold medalist
• Ben Patrick: knee training, known for ‘knees over toes’
• Ben Johnson: Canadian sprinter, Olympic medalist
• Barry Bonds: American baseball player
• Pavle Jovanovic: American bobsledder, Olympian
• Trayvon Bromell: American sprinter, Olympian
• Paul Saladino: board-certified doctor, known for carnivore diet