By Carrie Lane, Director of Sport Performance
As an endurance athlete, you’ve hopefully read some recent literature that explains why heavy, explosive weight training can help your movement patterns and prevent injury. No longer do you need to timidly skirt around the athletes doing cleans and squats while you head right for the little dumbbells in the corner.
Basic exercises like squats, cleans, and weighted jumps will help your running economy. To compliment these standard exercises, you can include other heavy and explosive movements to give you strength and durability specific to the repetitive motion of your sport. These movements address the rotational pattern that your hips and shoulders go through as you run.
Notice the twist in her torso as she starts the race How is Running Rotational?
You’re not spinning in circles like a figure skater or a discus thrower, so where is the rotation? Think of your body as an X, with your hips falling in the center of that X. As your left leg swings backward, so does your right arm. The two opposing ends of that X (left leg and right arm) create a twist in your torso. With each stride, the twist shifts in the other direction.
Imagine how many times rotational movement happens during your run. The pelvis, at the center of the movement, is the ultimate “anchor.” It must be incredibly stable to manage the constant oscillation. Hence the reason for doing a basic lift like the squat. But what about strengthening that rotational movement of the twist mechanism itself?
The 4 limbs of that X actually work like slingshots. When your left leg and right arm swing backward in unison, they cause the shoulders and hips to twist in opposite directions. This oppositional twist creates a line of tension in the torso, similar to the tension in a slingshot that is drawn back. When the left foot lifts off the ground to swing forward, the sling shot is snapped, and tension (or energy) is released. The dynamic, reflexive “snap” is what propels the limbs forward. Athletes who are strong through that X-shaped line of tension in the torso will put forth less effort with each stride than those athletes who have weaknesses along that chain. Because this sling shot movement happens literally with each step, it is imperative that athletes train this connective chain. Training rotational and diagonal movements will balance your strength and flexibility on both sides of the X.
You’re not spinning in circles like a figure skater or a discus thrower, so where is the rotation? Think of your body as an X, with your hips falling in the center of that X. As your left leg swings backward, so does your right arm. The two opposing ends of that X (left leg and right arm) create a twist in your torso. With each stride, the twist shifts in the other direction.
Imagine how many times rotational movement happens during your run. The pelvis, at the center of the movement, is the ultimate “anchor.” It must be incredibly stable to manage the constant oscillation. Hence the reason for doing a basic lift like the squat. But what about strengthening that rotational movement of the twist mechanism itself?
The 4 limbs of that X actually work like slingshots. When your left leg and right arm swing backward in unison, they cause the shoulders and hips to twist in opposite directions. This oppositional twist creates a line of tension in the torso, similar to the tension in a slingshot that is drawn back. When the left foot lifts off the ground to swing forward, the sling shot is snapped, and tension (or energy) is released. The dynamic, reflexive “snap” is what propels the limbs forward. Athletes who are strong through that X-shaped line of tension in the torso will put forth less effort with each stride than those athletes who have weaknesses along that chain. Because this sling shot movement happens literally with each step, it is imperative that athletes train this connective chain. Training rotational and diagonal movements will balance your strength and flexibility on both sides of the X.
Exercises to Improve your Rotational Power
Here are twelve exercises that will enhance this movement pattern. They include static exercises to strengthen the anchor and dynamic exercises to strengthen the sling shot. And remember that the twist happens on both your front and backside, so this video includes both anterior and posterior work. Make sure you do each exercise with force and/or with challenging weight.
Here are twelve exercises that will enhance this movement pattern. They include static exercises to strengthen the anchor and dynamic exercises to strengthen the sling shot. And remember that the twist happens on both your front and backside, so this video includes both anterior and posterior work. Make sure you do each exercise with force and/or with challenging weight.
| Seated MB taps Landmines MB scoop pass Can-can walks Walking lunges with twist MB rotational slamdowns Crossover and lateral lunges Kneeling cable cross pulldowns Rotational step ups Low-to-high weighted swings Backward rotational skips Reverse swimmers | |
Let us help you maximize your running training. Check out our FOR RUNNERS ONLY: World Class Strength, Speed, and Mobility Training. Designed specifically for runners, this program pairs different strength training, sprint drills, and mobility circuits to compliment the various running workouts you will do to prepare for your race.
RSS Feed