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Improved Running with Strength Training - part 1

Distance running is a great sport that is enjoyed at a variety of levels by millions of competitive and recreational athletes. Whether you prefer to jog a couple of miles through the neighborhood, or are training to complete a marathon, distance running is a highly effective and efficient means of aerobic conditioning. Unfortunately, distance running is considerably less beneficial for your musculoskeletal system. Injury rates among runners are extremely high. In fact, at the high school level, cross-country runners experience more injuries than athletes in any other sport, including football and gymnastics.

Why is a non-contact sport like running such a high-risk activity? Actually, running involves an incredible amount of contact, but it is with road surfaces rather than other athletes. Every running stride places about three times the weight of your body on your foot, ankle, knee and hip joints. These landing forces may also stress your lower back structures.

The repetitive pounding encountered mile after mile produces a degree of microtrauma to the shock-absorbing tissues. Under ideal conditions, these tissues recover completely within a 24-hour period. However, there are numerous factors that may interfere with normal recovery processes, eventually resulting in weakened and injury-prone tissues. These factors include longer running sessions, faster running paces, shorter recovery periods between workouts, more downhill running, more hard-surface running, more racing, more general fatigue, and undesirable changes in eating or sleeping patterns.

Of course, you may wisely take steps to reduce the amount of tissue trauma and decrease your risk of running-related injuries. Such precautions include making very gradual increases in training distances and speeds, taking sufficient recovery periods (particularly between hard training sessions), selecting user-friendly running courses (soft surfaces and level terrain), competing in fewer races, avoiding over-fatigue, and paying careful attention to proper nutrition and sleep.

However, one of the most effective means for minimizing tissue trauma is to develop stronger muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments and bones. This is the primary reason that every runner should perform regular strength exercise.

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Building Bigger Stronger Quads

Optimal Training Principles for Quadriceps

 

Pre-exhaustion programs are not recommended for the quadriceps. The quadriceps are powerful muscles and when the quadriceps incorporate the equally powerful gluteals, very heavy loads can be placed on the entire body. Therefore, it is recommended that you begin training with the compound movements (such as: squats, dead lifts and leg presses) in order to enhance the normal movement patterns of the body. 

For the safest squat follow these rules:

Rule 1:   Head neutral

Rule 2:   Shoulders back

Rule 3:   Bar resting on top of the scapula and posterior deltoid.

Rule 4:   Maintain “weight-lifters arch”

Rule 5:   Descend – 4 counts – inhale

Rule 6:   Do not exceed “knee-toe-line”

Rule 7:   Do not exceed “knee-hip-line”

Rule 8:   Do not bounce at bottom

Rule 9:   Feet positioned slightly wider than shoulder-width

Rule 10: Toes pointing outward for comfort 10-20 degrees

Rule 11: Nothing under heels

Rule 12: Knees track directly over toes

Rule 13: Ascend – 2 counts – exhale

Rule 14: Don’t lock the knees

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