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Strength Training For Runners
Strength Training For Runners
training
for runners
page 2
strength
training
for runners
© P2P Publishing Ltd 2011
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strength training for runners
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strength training for runners
CONTENTS
9. – Pre-conditioning – how to minimise your risk
of running injury
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strength training for runners
Introduction
Strength training is often ignored by the running fraternity –
runners enjoy running and not pumping iron, or performing
‘fancy’ sprint-type drills on the track. However, when injuries
occur, the longing to return to running can lead to negativity and
even depression. With the right strength training approach, one
that is balanced and reflects the needs and training and racing
status of the runner, injury risk can be significantly reduced and
performance increased.
John Shepherd
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1. Pre-conditioning –
how to minimise your
risk of running injury
Running by its very nature creates over-use injuries. These
usually manifest themselves in the lower limbs and back. More
specifically these include Patelellofemoral pain syndrome/
iliotibial band friction syndrome, shin-splints (medial tibial
stress syndrome), Achilles tendon problems and heel pain
(plantar fasciitis). Although these and other injuries are often
the result of factors beyond the scope of this special report, such
as running in the wrong (for your gait) or worn trainers, too great
an increase in training volume, a change in regular running
surface or poor biomechanics – the good news is that you can use
pre-conditioning techniques and specific strength training
exercises to reduce their incidence and keep them at bay.
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How to pre-condition
Understanding muscular action
Understanding how muscles contract to produce the running
motion is very important. Running relies on a combination of
moving (isotonic) concentric and eccentric muscular actions
and also less obviously held isometric ones. A concentric
contraction occurs when a muscle shortens under load – the
biceps during the lifting part of a biceps curl. An eccentric
action occurs when a muscle lengthens under load – the biceps
during the lowering phase of the biceps curl. Eccentric muscle
training can reduce the potential for Achilles tendon and
hamstring injuries (see plyometric training, chapter 7).
Eccentric contractions create more short- and long-term
muscular damage than the concentric variety. Many runners
will be all too familiar with the delayed onset of muscle soreness
(DOMS) that occurs in the quadriceps after downhill running.
This results from the thigh muscles having to stretch on ground
strike to control the speed of the descent (this is the eccentric
load).
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Weight train
In terms of pre-conditioning, weight training is a must, since it
can reduce the incidence of injury by strengthening soft tissue.
This is a very important consideration for endurance athletes,
who may be wary of weight training because of its theoretical
potential to ‘interfere’ with actual activity performance.
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References
1. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004 Mar,36(3):379-87
2. Am J sports Med. 1998 May-Jun;26(3):360-6
3. Am J Sports Med. 1996 Nov-Dec;24(6):765-73)
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2. Drills and
conditioning exercises
to run stronger
Putting one foot in front of the other should be simple. But if it
were, we’d all be super-fit runners striding purposefully
around the streets and across the countryside powered by our
endurance engine and benefiting from a silky-smooth stride.
Running drills and specific weights exercises can improve your
technique and strengthen key running muscles, reducing
injury potential. In this chapter a number of drills and specific
weight training exercises are identified and described. Further
relevant exercises are provided in the subsequent chapter that
covers the dynamic running warm-up.
1. Foot-strike drills
On foot-strike the foot normally rolls in to absorb impact forces
– this is known as pronation. If the foot rolls in too far this is
known as over-pronation and injuries can result. It’s therefore
important to have your gait checked by a suitably qualified
person. Many specialist running stores offer foot scans and
such analysis and will then recommend the right shoes for you.
Improving your foot-strike will, however, improve your
running performance. Here are some conditioning drills that
you can do (ensure you are fully warmed up before
performing):
a) Straight leg jumps
The ankles and calf muscles provide power to the running
stride – but are often overlooked compared to the thighs and
glute muscles. If you improve their elastic properties through
plyometric (jumping) drills then you can achieve greater speed
and distance travelled on each and every stride.
A plyometric muscular action is a bit like pulling out a spring
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How to perform
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and, primarily
using your feet and ankles and calf muscles, jump into the air.
Swing your arms to aid your power. Land lightly on your
forefeet and immediately spring into another jump.
Do: 3 x 20
b) Foot/ground/reaction drill
When your foot strikes the ground your heel should be
travelling back towards your body to pull you forward into the
next stride. If the foot is advanced too far forward then the
contact will act to break your forward momentum. This drill
will improve the biomechanics and power of your foot-strike.
Using a running track start to jog slowly forward and then
perform a series of low skips, emphasising the pull back and
striking action of the foot against the track. Aim to pull
your heel back quickly and under your hips to pull your
forward. Contact should be made dynamically and slightly
heel first and the foot should be straight – hold your foot in
a toe-up dorsi-flexed position. Perform on one leg and then
on the other. Keep your torso upright and look straight
ahead. Coordinate your arms with your legs using the
opposite arm to leg.
Do: 4 x 20m
Variation: you can perform this drill to one side only each rep
i.e. ‘step’, ‘skip’, ‘step’, ‘skip’ and so on.
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c) Seated calf-raises
This weight exercise will target the soleus muscle. This is the
smaller of the two main calf muscles (the gastrocnemius is the
larger). The soleus provides a supporting role to the power-
producing ‘gastroc’. It is targeted when the knee is bent.
Developing soleus strength can help to stabilise your foot-
strike and reduce ankle and leg problems.
How to perform
Sit on the seated calf raise-machine, and position the bar across
the top of your thighs and your toes across the foot rest of the
machine. Select the appropriate weight to lift. Extend your
ankles to lift the weight to a 1 count and lower to a count of 3-5.
The controlled lowering (eccentric phase) of the exercise will
increase the absorbency capabilities of the muscles of the lower
leg and crucially the Achilles tendons.
a) ‘Four’ drill
Stand tall next to a rail (or suitable height object) and place
your inside hand against it for balance. Position the inside foot
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slightly in advance of the other with your heel slightly lifted off
the ground. Your other foot should be flat on the ground, keep
your torso upright and your gaze straight ahead. Using your
hamstrings, pull your heel up to your bottom. Your knee will
advance in front of your hips – but don’t swing the leg. Stop the
movement (it’s this position which when viewed from the side
looks like a ‘four’ – hence the name of the drill). Focus all your
energy on firing your hamstrings, to pull your heel up and back.
b) Leg cycling
How to perform
Stand next to a suitable height fence/object and place your
inside hand on top of it to provide balance. Lift your outside
leg to a thigh parallel to the ground position, and then sweep
the leg back down and under your body, pulling the heel up
toward your bottom and then pushing it out to the front.
Basically you are simulating the running action whilst
stationary on one leg. Doing this will develop that crucial
eccentric (lengthening under load) strength in your hamstrings
to combat potential injury.
Do: 3 x 20 on each leg (build up the speed of the drill over time)
3. Leg drives
The greater the force you exert against the running surface, the
faster runner you will be, irrespective of your chosen running
distance. The ‘leg drive’ is crucial in this respect. This occurs
when the grounded leg extends to push you forward after foot-
strike and ends in ‘toe off’ ie with your ankles extended. When
running, it is best to avoid emphasising leg drive as this can
invariably lead to your hips dropping and your running style
becoming a bit lopey. You’ll also expend more energy. However,
by performing specific leg drive enhancing exercises, you can
increase your propulsion and therefore your running speed.
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a) Hill running
How to perform
Find a relatively steep hill (10-15 degree angle), which allows
you to run 30-40m. After a suitable warm-up, run up the hill at
80% effort concentrating on good form. Take a slow walk back,
recovery and repeat.
Do: 8 runs. Do this session once a week before a longer run, and
you will find that your running power and speed improves.
How to perform
Using a running track, mark out a distance of 20m. Start with
your legs hip-width apart. Dynamically extend one leg behind
you to push yourself forward. Then without extending the foot
of your other leg in advance of its knee, perform another drive
with your other leg. Continue ‘driving’ over the track as
described to complete the 20m distance. Land on your forefeet
on each stride and try to make each contact as light and as
quick as you can. Coordinate your arms with your legs and
don’t look down.
Do: 4 x 20m
How to perform:
Adjust the machine so that you are able to fully extend your leg
as you push the weight behind you. Position the pad under your
knee. Hold the machine’s grips and, keeping your trunk as
upright as you can, push your leg back and away from you.
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How to perform
Take a large step forward into a lunge. Both knees should be
bent to 90 degrees. Keep the knee of your front leg over its
ankle and the knee of the rear leg a few centimetres from the
floor. Keep your chest elevated and pump your arms as if
sprinting. Maintain a 90-degree angle at your elbow joint and
your shoulders square onto the front, chin parallel to the
ground and eyes looking forward.
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3. The dynamic warm-up
– to strengthen and
maximise running
performance
The approach to warming up for sports activities has changed
dramatically in recent years. For years a typical sports
warm-up would involve 5-15 minutes of gentle cardiovascular
exercise to raise body temperature, such as jogging, followed
usually by static (held) stretching movements. There are more
effective ways to warm up for running.
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Static stretches
Static stretches should only be performed as a peripheral
element to your running warm-up. They could be used, for
example, to elongate muscles that are prone to tightness
during endurance exercise, for example the calf muscles.
However, these held types of stretches have little actual
value in terms of improving running performance – they do
have a value in your training routines, however, as will be
indicated later.
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1. Lunge Walk
Great for: loosening up the hips and hamstrings and
strengthening the quads, glutes and hamstring muscles
Take a large step forward into a lunge, then step forward into
another lunge. Keep the chest up and look straight ahead,
coordinating arm and leg movements – ie opposite arm to leg.
Do: 4 x 20m
Do: 4 x 15m
4. Calf Drill
Great for: lower limb and Achilles tendon strength and
flexibility.
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Do: 4 x 20m
Sideways running
Assume a side-on position with your feet just beyond shoulder-
width apart. Lower into a three-quarter-squat position. Lift
your arms out to the sides until they are parallel with the
ground.
If skipping to the left, push off from the inside of the right
foot while stepping to the left with the left. Land lightly on
the left foot, then the right, and push off into another skip.
Repeat.
Backwards running
Ensure that there is nothing behind you. Stand tall with feet
shoulder-width apart and push off from the ball of one foot, to
land lightly on the ball of the other foot. Take a short step.
Then continue to push backwards from the balls of the feet to
complete the required distance. Coordinate arms with legs –
focus on driving each elbow back. Keep your head up and
focus your gaze into the distance. Perform the exercise at
about 50% effort, until familiarity is gained and then progress
to faster speeds.
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Variation: On pushing back into each step, lift each leg up, out
and back further, to literally run in reverse. This will open up
stride length and develop quadriceps and calf muscle strength.
Lean forward against a wall with your hands placed flat against
it at shoulder level. Feet should be shoulder-width apart and
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8. Leg cycling
Great for: developing eccentric hamstring strength and
reducing hamstring injury – (see chapter 1 for a detailed
description).
Variation:
Two Swings, One leg cycle
Assume a side on position to a wall/barrier and rest against it
with your inside arm for balance. Swing your leg, keeping it
straight, to the front and to the rear of your hip. On the second
swing when the leg advances in front of your body, flex (bend)
your knee and drive the leg down, round and back under your
hips, pulling your heel up toward your bottom. Let your thigh
come forwards and extend your lower leg before pulling it back
round behind the body and swinging the leg through straight to
the front.
Stand with feet slightly apart. Lift your right leg to a thigh parallel
to the ground position while at the same time pushing up onto
the toes of the grounded foot. Claw forward with the suspended
leg’s lower leg, let the foot come down to the ground, while lifting
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Variations:
Perform the drill as above:
a) with arms held over head
b) with hands on hips
c) holding a weight/powerbag/medicine ball overheard at arm’s
length
d) at jogging and faster paces
Do: 4 x 20m
Stretching Methods
Passive stretching
A passive stretch is achieved by easing into the stretch avoiding
jerky or dynamic movements, with the end position held for
15-20secs or longer. Gravity or external force – the latter
provided by another a training partner, coach, machine, belt or
rope – provides the means to stretch.
Active stretching
Active stretching involves you physically holding the stretched
limb in position – although this may sound the same as a passive
stretch, there is actually a big difference as this type utilises
muscular strength to hold the stretched muscle in position.
This type of stretch is more sport- and running- specific than
passive stretches because muscles are moved and held in place
by their own actions, just as they are in sports activities.
Raising one arm up straight by the ear in alignment with the
body and holding it there for 10-15secs is a typical example of
an active stretch, another is pulling one leg back as far as
possible from the hip from a lying on the back position – in this
example, the leg can be folded at the knee or extended.
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PNF stretching
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching is
often recommended as one of the best ways to improve
everyday ROM and SSROM. Although it’s possible for a
runner to perform PNF stretches on their own, perhaps with
the aid of a towel or a band, they’ll get more from them if they
have a partner to assist them. PNF works on the basis of two-
directional force increasing the stretch potential of the
muscles, by short-circuiting the stretch/reflex. The stretch/
reflex is a complex mechanism that prevents a muscle from
being over-stretched. If you were to stretch your hamstrings
while lying on your back, keeping the other flat and pulling one
leg up and toward you, a point would be reached when the leg
would travel no more, this would be the result of the stretch/
reflex kicking in. PNF stretching as mentioned gets around this
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4. Sprinting for faster
running
The faster your top speed, the easier it will be for you to
maintain a slower pace. There have been various examples of
sports science research that indicate that the fastest
‘endurance’ runners over 40m are the fastest over their chosen
distance. For example, 10000m. It is important not to neglect
speed and sprinting as a strength developer for your running,
including it in your workouts will provide great pay-offs.
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Build up your speed. Contact the track on the balls of your feet,
after about 10m start to lengthen your stride whilst trying to
keep increasing your leg speed, run on for another 20-30m.
With familiarity and practice, you can attempt to start the drill
with your legs moving at 100% speed. Progressing into running
from this will prove a challenge, but will enhance your ability to
develop a faster cadence.
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5. Core strength for
runners
Although you might not appreciate it your core is crucial for
running. It transmits the forces generated by your limbs and
if not suitably conditioned will reduce your running efficiency.
A equally strong core will also protect you against injury.
How to perform:
Lie on your side and lift your body so that your supporting
elbow is below your shoulder and your lower arm facing
forward. Stack your feet. There should be a straight line
running from the top of your ear, through your shoulder, hip,
knee and ankle. Reach up with your free arm so that it is at right
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angles to the ground – this is the start position. Hold for a two-
count and then take its hand under your body, rotating your
hand as you do so – take your hand under your body and turn
your head to look behind you. Rotate back to the start position.
Complete your designated number of repetitions and repeat
on the other side
Do: 3 x10 on both sides
How to perform:
Lie on your back and then crunch up and across whilst bringing
one shoulder to its opposite knee. Return to the start position
and repeat to the other side. Keep your hands by your ears and
elbows out throughout the exercise
Do: 3 x 20 with 30sec recovery
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How to perform:
Lie on your back with your hands outstretched and backs of
hands on the ground in a crucifix type position. Bring your legs
in toward your torso, bending them at the knees. When your
thighs are at right angles to the ground rotate your legs slowly
to one side. Arrest the movement a couple of cms from the
floor and then take your legs over to the other side. Keep your
shoulders down at all times.
Do: 4 x 10
4. Plank
How to perform:
Get into a press-up position but support your weight on your
forearms which should be extended in front of you. Maintain a
straight line through the top of your head, shoulders, top of
your bottom and heels. Brace your core and resist the
temptation to sag and move out of alignment.
Do: 4 x 30sec holds
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How to perform:
Assume a plank position as in 4 above. After a 10 count, lift one
leg and, keeping your hips as straight at possible, lift and lower
it 10 times. Lightly contact the ground with your toes. Swap legs
immediately and perform another 10 reps. Finish by holding
the plank position for a further 10 count.
Do: 4
6. Glute bridge
How to perform:
Lie on your back and push your hips up, keeping your heels flat
on the ground. Although this exercise will also target your glute
muscles, it will also work your core muscles.
Do: 4 x 8
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How to perform:
Place your forearms on the top of a Swiss ball and walk your feet
back so that you are in a plank position. As with all plank
variations, focus on keeping your body in correct alignment. To
assist you in doing so, you could get a training partner to place a
broomstick across the top of your body, so that your head,
shoulders and bottom are all touching it. The instability of the
Swiss ball will add to the muscular recruitment of the exercises,
as you have to work that little bit harder to hold yourself in
place.
Do: 4 x 10
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6. Weight training for
running
Runners often neglect weight training, preferring to put in the
miles on the road, track or country rather than push out reps in
the weights room. However, weight training can be very
beneficial to the runner. In this chapter we provide the reasons
why you should weight train to boost your running performance
and prevent injury and provide you with selected workouts and
specific exercises.
The exercises have been selected for their appropriateness to
running. They emphasise the legs and core. Unless you are a
sprint athlete there is much less of a need to develop arm power.
Workout 1.
Purpose: to specifically strengthen the muscles used in running
and reduce injury potential.
Suitable for: runners of all levels and distances.
Weight to lift: a medium heavy weight (around 60% of 1 rep
maximum), where applicable.
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Workout 1
Exercise Descriptions
1. Single-leg squat
Targets: calf muscles, quads and glutes.
How to perform
Stand on one leg and tuck the heel of the other up toward your
bottom. Bend your standing leg to lower your body. Keep your
knee over your ankle and focus on dropping your bottom
straight down. Push back up and extend your hips as you do so.
Try to keep your torso upright, maintaining the natural curves
of your spine, and look straight ahead.
2. Single-leg dead-lift
Targets: hamstrings, glutes and lower back.
How to perform
Hold dumbbells at arms’ length by your sides. Stand on one leg
and maintain a slight bend at the knee. Tuck the heel of your
other leg up toward your bottom. Lean forward from your hips,
keeping your back in alignment, and lower the dumbbells to
just in front of the standing foot. Pull back up to start position
by engaing your hamstrings, glutes and lower back.
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How to perform
Step forward into a lunge, but step slightly outside of your
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centre line to provide a more stable platform for the twist. Hold
the weight (medicine ball/dumbbell/kettlebell) at arms’s length
in both hands. Make sure the twist is slow and controlled.
4. Calf raises
Targets: calf muscles – notably the larger more powerful
gastrocnemius.
How to perform
Support the weight across your shoulders if using a barbell or
hold dumbbells at arm’s length. Raise up onto your toes. Lower
under control. Keep looking straight ahead, maintaining the
natural curves of your spine.
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How to perform
Place your heels on the ball and lift your hips, keeping your back
and head on the ground. Keep your hands by your side (your
weight should be supported through your upper back). Keep
your hips high and glutes contracted as you pull the ball in and
then roll it away.Work in a slow, controlled and balanced
manner.
How to perform
Lie on your back and place your hands by your sides. Lift your
hips and squeeze your glutes. As you do this, lift one leg to a
near parallel or parallel to the ground position. Lower under
control and repeat with other leg.
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7. Roll-outs
Targets: core.
The deep stabiliser muscles of your trunk are essential for
controlling the twisting and turning forces that are generated
when running – this exercise dynamically targets them.
How to perform
Kneel and place your hands to the sides of a Swiss ball from a
kneeling position (position a mat under your knees for
cushioning). Lean into the ball, maintaining a neutral spine,
and extend your arms and body to roll the ball away, then draw
the ball back in and repeat. Contract your abdominal muscles
strongly throughout.
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Workout 2.
Purpose: To develop running specific strength and endurance.
Suitable for: runners of all speeds.
Weight to lift: 40-50% 1 rep maximum.
How to progress the workout: as workout 1.
Exercise Descriptions
1. Lunge
How to perform
Hold dumbbells at arm’s length or support a barbell across
your shoulders. Take a large a step forward into a lunge,
bending both legs at the knees to a 90-degree angle. Keep your
front foot flat on the floor. Push back up through the heel of
your front foot, pause and repeat. Repeat all reps on one leg
before changing to the other. Keep the knee of your front leg
over its ankle throughout the exercise.
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3. Squat
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How to perform
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Look straight ahead and
lower your thighs to a parallel or near parallel to the ground
position. Keep your heels on the ground and maintain the
natural curves of your spine. Push back up through your heels to
stand back up.
Targets: core.
How to perform
Lie on your back and then crunch up and across while bringing
one shoulder to its opposite knee. Return to the start position
and repeat to the other side. Keep your hands by your ears and
elbows out throughout the exercise.
5. Swiss ball-squat
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How to perform
Hold dumbbells at arm’s length. Place a Swiss ball in behind
your back and lean back against a wall. Position your feet
shoulder-width apart. Brace your body and bend your legs to
squat down to a 90-degree (or near to) angle. Push back up
through your heels. Keep your knees over your ankles.
7. Lateral lunge
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Note: ensure you get expert advice on lifting technique and have a
spotter on hand if you are going to attempt these workouts and only do
so after you have developed sufficient preliminary strength previously
over a systematic and progressive training plan.
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7. Plyometric training –
add power to your stride
Whether you run at a sprint or marathon pace you need power,
and one of the best ways of developing this most precious
commodity is through plyometric (jumping) training. The
more dynamic your legs become, the more power they will be
able to supply for each and every stride, whether it be for the
40-45 odd that a male 100m takes to complete his race or the
40,000 odd required for a four hour marathon. The increased
dynamic ability of your legs will increase your stride length and
decrease your ground contact times.
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Multiple jumps with run-up 3 x 2 hops and jump into sand pit High
with 11-stride approach
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recover and the even better news is that one session or activity
that created the eccentric muscle soreness can inoculate the
body against further soreness for up to a month afterwards. It’s
always best to underestimate the intensity of plyometric
training, particularly when approaching them for the first time
,and to progress very gradually.
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8. The importance of
developing lower leg
strength, power and
injury resilience
The main lower leg muscles are the larger gastrocnemius and
the smaller soleus. Both contribute to ankle movement. The
‘gastroc’ is the larger of the two and resides on the outer
portion of the lower leg when viewed from the back. The latter
is smaller and is positioned to the inside. The calf muscles
interact with the ankle joint through a myriad of smaller
muscles that stabilise and control the movement of this joint
and the foot. Crucial in this respect is the Achilles tendon. This
band of soft tissue connects the heel bone to the calf muscles.
It acts as a kind of cable that ‘pulls’ on the heel through the
action of the calf muscles to create ankle movement. It also has
a crucial shock absorption role, which can significantly
contribute towards the development of running power.
To the front of the lower legs, running over and around the
shin, are further lower leg muscles, such as the peroneus
longus, and tendons, such as the extensor hallucius longus.
The foot contains over 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons
and 24 bones. As will be noted, it too can contribute
significantly to athletic power, balance and stability.
Considerable research exists in regard to how the muscles of
the lower leg contribute to walking, running and sprinting.
Here’s some research that identifies the role of the lower leg
muscles when walking (1). In a subsequent section we look at
these and other muscles role in sprinting.
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Sprinting
The action of the lower leg muscles is very similar during running
and sprinting compared to walking, although the hip muscles
play a far greater role in generating speed in terms of the upper
legs (2). Sprinting involves far greater impact forces than walking
(up to three time body weight), although the foot may only be in
contact with the ground for 0.086 of a second for an elite sprinter.
During the foot-strike, pre- and mid-stance phases, the calf
muscles have to absorb this force, before contributing to pushing
the athlete forward into the next stride, whilst stabilising their
trunk (akin to walking, but as noted with a far greater shock
absorbency and reactive requirement). The calf muscles work
with the Achilles tendons to absorb and return this force. This is
achieved by a lengthening under load eccentric muscular action.
Sports scientists also reference this as requiring considerable
‘joint stiffness’, when it comes to promoting greater speed.
Reduced stiffness is seen to impair speed generation. To ease
understanding, think of using a ‘pogo stick made of jelly’ rather
than one made from very resilient rubber, the latter will return
much more energy than the former. Sports scientists argue that
during sprinting the prime role of the ankle (and knee) is to
create high joint stiffness before and during the contact phase,
while the hip flexors (muscles at the tops of the thighs) function
as the prime forward movers of the body (3).
It is during the foot-strike phase in the sprinting/running
action when the calf muscles and Achilles tendons can be
strained – often a consequence of years of eccentric
contractions and a lack of specific conditioning. Conditioning
the lower limbs to accept greater eccentric strength can reduce
injury potential as well as improve performance by increasing
stiffness (of which more later).
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References:
1 J Biomech. 2001 Nov;34(11):1387-98
2 J Sports Sci. 2001 Apr;19(4):263-72
3 Int J Sports Med. 2002 Feb;23(2):136-41
4 Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1981;13(5):325-8
5 J Biomech. 1997 Nov-Dec;30(11-12):1081-5
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9. Circuit Training
Circuit training is a highly relevant method for developing
running strength. It can develop local muscular endurance,
running power, improve running technique and develop aerobic
and anaerobic fitness and protect against injury.
Progression
Circuit-style are the easiest type of circuit. This is because
they allow your muscles greater recovery time. Aerobic circuit
training is perhaps the toughest of all the options for runners
as it can tax all energy systems (aerobic, anaerobic) and
develop lactate tolerance, VO2 max and local muscular
endurance. Lactate is a chemical produced in the body at all
times, its levels increase with increased exercise intensity.
Once the rate of its production exceeds the rate of its
clearance and re-use for energy production, its molecular
structure changes and it turns into lactic acid. Circuit training
can increase muscles’ lactate usage and increase their ability
to process this chemical before it becomes lactic. VO2max
refers to the maximum amount of oxygen the body can
process and local muscular endurance to the ability of a
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Perform a press-up and, on each press, lift one leg from the
floor and hold it straight. Place it back on the ground at the end
of the lowering phase and on the next press-up lift and lower
the other leg in the same way.
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How to perform
From standing, hop into the air from one foot, land, and
react as quickly as you can to perform another hop. Focus on
making your ground contacts light, fast and as reactive as
possible. Don’t hop too high. Coordinate your arms with
your legs – that’s moving opposite arm to leg and keep your
chest elevated.
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How to perform
Sit on the floor with legs outstretched. Keep your trunk upright
and look straight ahead. Pump your arms backwards and
forwards as if sprinting, maintaining an approx 90-degree angle
at the elbows.
3. Leg drives
Targets: hip flexors.
How to perform
Place your hands at shoulder-level against a wall and incline your
body forwards. Lift one thigh to a parallel to the ground position
and then drive your leg forcibly back to contact the ground with
your toes. Immediately pull the leg back up to parallel and then
repeat the exercise. Brace your core throughout.
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Rationale: Arm speed and power are crucial for sprinting – this
exercise will develop plyometric power in the shoulders and
chest.
How to perform
Stand close to a wall holding a light (5kg) medicine ball.
‘Move’ the ball as fast as possible as you chest-pass it to and
from the wall. Brace your core and don’t stand too far away
from the wall.
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Exercise/week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sprint arm – 2 x 10 2 x 12 2 x 15 3 x 12 3 x 14 3 x 16 3 x 18 4 x 10
lunge secs secs secs secs secs secs secs secs
Leg cycling 2 x 15 2 x 18 2 x 20 3 x 15 3 x 18 3 x 20 3 x 20 4 x 12
left and
right
Chinnies 2 x 15 2 x 18 2 x 20 3 x 16 3 x 18 3 x 20 3 x 24 4 x 20
Hops 2 x 10 2 x12 2 x 15 3 x 12 3 x 14 3 x 16 3 x 16 4 x 12
Left and
right
Seated sprint 2 x 10 2 x 12 2 x 15 3 x 15 3 x 18 3 x 20 3 x 20 4 x 15
arms secs secs secs secs secs secs secs secs
Leg drives 2 x 10 2 x 12 2 x 15 3 x 12 3 x 14 3 x 16 3 x 18 4 x 12
Plank 2 x 20 2 x 25 2 x 28 3 x 20 3 x 25 3 x 25 3 x 25 4 x 20
secs secs secs secs secs secs secs secs
Med ball chest 2 x 20 2 x 25 2 x 30 3 x 25 3 x 30 3 x 30 3 x 30 4 x 20
pass
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