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The Strength Running Podcast

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

The Strength Running Podcast

Jason Fitzgerald

Fitness, Sports, Running, Health & Fitness

4.71.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 November 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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:

Thank You Lever!

I'm excited to partner with Lever - a bodyweight support system that helps you run further or faster with less effort and injury risk.  

You've probably seen pro runners using Lever - it attaches to any treadmill and you hook into it like a harness. It effectively makes you lighter, enabling you to run more volume than you normally could with reduced injury risk, run faster with less effort, or return to running after an injury more effectively.

Lever allows you to do more running with less risk. From building mileage, introducing faster workouts, aiding your return to running after a break, Lever has a place in every phase of training. The pro's have been using Lever for years, giving them the advantage of more training with fewer injuries.

They're also common in physical therapy offices. Because you can run with less body weight, you can gain fitness and practice good technique without risking your recovery.

Go to levermovement.com and use code Strength20 for 20% off any system (and that's with a capital S). If you're injury-prone or are looking to take a big swing at your goals this year, now is the time for Lever. That's levermovement.com with code Strength20 for 20% off any system.

Thank you LMNT!

A big thanks to LMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at LMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You'll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.

And BIG news! Their newest flavor is now permanently available : LEMONADE SALT!

LMNT's products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

If you're not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I'm now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.

Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They're the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out LMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.

Thank you Gut & Green!

Previnex's new Gut & Green Superfoods powder is my new go-to. It has organic barley and oat grass, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, kale and broccoli… and that's it. Their ingredients are backed by clinical data and contain three specific gut fibers that help promote GI health, digestion, reduced inflammation, and a better microbiome.

With twice of the fiber of my last greens mix and a better flavor, it's a no brainer for me. It's like insurance against my diet (which isn't always as good as it should be) so I can feel my best throughout the day.

Try it for yourself here at previnex.com and be sure to use code "JASONGREENS" to save 15% off your first order. Don't tell anyone, but if you put Gut & Green Superfoods powder in your cart, then the 15% off discount will work for anything else you add into your cart as well. Thanks Gut & Green!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Ready, set, go!

0:04.4

This is episode 431 with physical therapist, coach, cross-country athlete, founder of Alpha Project Physio and Performance in Maryland, and author Dr. Matthew Silver. Welcome to the Strength Running podcast.

0:27.6

We surround you with the same experts as pro-runners.

0:30.6

So keep listening to hear coaches, physical therapists, strength experts, dietitians, sports psychologists, and other thought leaders give you the

0:39.8

best guidance possible to take your running to the next level. I'm your host, coach Jason Fitzgerald.

0:45.5

I'm a former cross-country and track athlete for Connecticut College. I've been coaching runner since

0:50.4

2010, and I'm a former monthly columnist for Trail Runner magazine. You can learn more about me

0:56.1

and Strength Running at strengthrunning.com. So I recently celebrated my 42nd birthday and quite on brand.

1:05.3

One of the ways that I celebrated was with a trail run. I went out to the Boulder area with my buddy Jonathan Levitt. He hosts the

1:12.9

for the long run podcast and got in a great run. Well, it wasn't super long, but I was barely a

1:21.2

mile in and I took quite the stumble. And this might be the worst trail running injury I might have ever experienced. I have

1:31.3

what looks like road rash on my right hip and a little bit on my right knee and lower leg.

1:38.9

So I'm okay. I finish the run, but I always fun to start a run with a little bit of drama.

1:47.3

But hey, that's trail running.

1:49.0

I'm always good for about one or two falls a year.

1:52.2

And I will continue on, just like we all should.

1:56.3

All right.

1:57.1

So let's also please support our partners who help make this podcast possible.

2:02.2

We are supported by Lever, a bodyweight support system that helps you return to running after an injury

2:07.9

or increase your mileage with less injury risk.

2:11.5

Now, you've probably seen pro runners using Lever.

2:14.5

It attaches to any treadmill and you hook into it like a harness. It effectively

...

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