Strength training usually gets a back seat with runners, where the priority of embracing volume takes precedence over everything else. In this 5-part series, we look at how strength training and specific conditioning can benefit runners of all levels.
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▶️ Forces Acting on the Body:
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Running 🏃♀️ is a unilateral movement – one leg at a time in extension. Depending on the speed of running and technique employed, ground forces acting upon the body can be up to 3-4 times body weight and this force acts through one leg at a time from the foot upwards. Joints, tendons and ligaments work to dissipate the forces acting upon them, assuming that the muscles involved are working without any dysfunction.
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▶️ Proximal Strength brings Distal Mobility:
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For our extremities to move fluidly, they require a good range of motion (mobility) that can only be achieved with a stable core. With typical ‘strength’ training programs that mimic bodybuilding workouts, where each session focuses primarily on body parts, the methodology plays little influence in improving run performance itself. Rather than training muscles, look at improving the quality of movement that can be developed through strength (resistance) training.
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▶️ Pillar of Strength (⬅️⬅️ Swipe):
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Developing core stability-strength should address training the deep core muscles at the mid-section of the torso. Think of a steel cyclinder surrounding the lower spine (lumbar) with a strong base at the bottom and lid at the top. Keeping this cyclinder rigid provides a stable base so that the distal limbs are able to move freely with a full range of motion, in return reciprocating efficient movement.
Article by: @eugeneleeecoaching