Running Science

by Owen Anderson

  During such a 6-week phase of training, whole-body strength will steadily advance, and lactate-threshold speed and O2max will also improve. The lactate-threshold uplift is partially due to the high blood-lactate levels attained during circuit training. Thus, general strengthening represents an ideal beginning-of-the-season type of training, especially since it prepares runners for the more difficult running-specific training that will follow.

  Over the course of the 6-week period, the number of repetitions of the various exercises can increase by about 5 to 10 percent from week to week. Alternatively, or simultaneously, the resistance employed with each drill can advance. For example, dumbbells or a barbell can be used with two-leg squats and lunge squats, a medicine ball can be incorporated with abdominal crunches, and the dumbbell weight can be increased for squats with presses.

  An important feature of general strength training is that the circuit sessions within this phase function as tests of overall fitness. If a runner does well with the running segments but struggles with the exercises, for example, he or she knows that strength is an area of weakness that needs to be upgraded. If the various drills are relatively straightforward and easy but running leads to wheezing and hands-on-the-knees syndrome, then it is clear that running fitness is subpar.

  Circuit workouts are also especially effective during tapering periods before important competitions because they tend to push whole-body strength and running capacity upward at a crucial time. Psychologically, circuit training has an incredibly positive effect: Many runners feel much stronger when they are engaged in circuit training, and this positive feeling often carries over into great racing. Circuits are especially good for marathon runners, particularly when the workouts include long intervals at marathon pace: These workouts give marathoners confidence that they can run at goal tempo even in the face of great fatigue.

  Advanced Circuit Training

  All forms of training must be progressive or a runner’s body simply adapts to the constant level of training and fitness does not increase. When a runner returns to general strength training after the major competition of the year or after completing a cycle of running-specific strength training, hill work, and explosive training, more advanced circuit training can be employed. An advantage of the advanced general strength session compared with the basic circuit workout is that the advanced format includes exercises that are excellent for general strength but are also more difficult to perform and more specific to running. The exercises for this type of circuit training are detailed in this section.

  To carry out this advanced circuit training session, warm up with 2.5K to 3.2K (1.5-2 mi) of easy running and a series of dynamic-mobility drills. Then, perform the exercises in order.

  Run 800 meters at 5K race pace.

  Complete 8 high-bench step-ups with jumps on each leg (use dumbbells).

  Do 6 plyometric (clapping) push-ups.

  Perform 3 series of the six-way lunge with arm drop.

  Run another 800 meters at 5K race pace.

  Complete 2 sets of 8 reps of the hanging scissors plus double-knee raise.

  Do 12 one-leg squats with hops on each leg.

  Perform 16 prone trunk extensions with arm raises.

  Run another 800 meters at 5K race intensity.

  Repeat steps 2 through 9 one more time to complete two circuits in all; then cool down with about 2.5K (1.5 mi) of light running, plus stretching and core work.

  As is the case with the basic circuit training, advanced circuit work can be made more difficult over time by adding dumbbells to the six-way lunge and one-leg squat with hops, increasing the weight of the dumbbells, and by increasing the number of repetitions of the exercises, the lengths of the running intervals, the actual running speed, and the number of circuits per workout.

  High-Bench Step-Up With Jump

  Purpose

  This exercise develops muscular power, especially in the hips, quadriceps, and hamstrings. These muscles are mainly responsible for the propulsive force required for fast running, especially over hilly terrain.

  Execution

  Stand on top of an approximately knee-high sturdy bench with full body weight on one foot and weight shifted slightly toward the heel of that foot. The other foot is free and held slightly behind the body (figure 13.11a). Hold the hands at the sides and maintain upright body posture. Lower the body in a controlled manner until the toes of the free foot touch the ground (figure 13.11b). Keep all body mass on the supporting leg; the toes of the free leg should not support weight at any time. Return to the starting position by pushing down with the heel and foot of the supporting leg and straightening the leg as quickly as possible, resulting in a vertical jump from the bench (figure 13.11c). The landing of the jump should be in the same spot as the take-off. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions on one leg and then the other. Caution: Failure to perform this exercise on a stable surface could easily result in injury.

  Figure 13.11 (a) Starting position, (b) lowering, and (c) jump.

  Plyometric (Clapping) Push-Up

  Purpose

  This exercise develops upper-body power to match the development of leg power and also improves stability in the core muscles (i.e., abdominal, oblique, and lower-back muscles). All of these muscles work together to stabilize the upper body during running, so strengthening them should have a strongly positive impact on running economy.

  Execution

  First, establish the standard push-up position on the floor. Support the upper body with the hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Fully extend the arms and support the legs and feet on the toes. Lower the chest toward the floor by bending the elbows while keeping the trunk and hips extended and rigid. When the chest is about 1 inch (3 cm) from the floor, rapidly straighten the arms and push the body upward as fast as possible. As the arms reach full extension, remove the hands from the floor and clap them together as rapidly as possible (figure 13.12) before returning the hands to the floor in the same position they were in before the clap. Repeat these actions for the prescribed number of reps.

  Figure 13.12 Plyometric push-up and clap.

  Six-Way Lunge With Arm Drop

  Purpose

  This exercise strengthens and stretches the hamstrings and gluteal muscles in all three key planes of motion: sagittal, frontal, and transverse. Strong, flexible hamstrings and glutes stabilize the knee during stance, control the leg during forward swing, and help provide the propulsive force needed for powerful strides.

  Execution

  Stand with feet pointing straight ahead, hip-width apart. Bend the arms at the elbows, with hands in front of the shoulders. Step forward with one foot into a long-lunge position (figure 13.13a). As the forward foot makes contact with the ground, drop the hands on either side of the forward knee. Quickly extend that knee to bring the hamstrings and gluteal muscles into action to return the leg and body to the original, standing position. Repeat this exercise on the other leg.

  To continue from the standing position, step directly to one side into a lateral-lunge position (figure 13.13b). The upper body should face that side and lean forward over the lateral-lunge leg at about a 30-degree angle. Drop the hands on either side of the lunging knee as that foot makes contact with the ground; keep the other foot pointed straight ahead. Extend the lunging knee to activate the gluteal muscles and hamstrings and bring the lunging leg and the body back to beginning position. Repeat the action on the other leg.

  Then, from the original standing position, step diagonally and to the rear with one leg into a backward lateral-lunge position (figure 13.13c). The upper body should face to the rear and lean over the backward lateral-lunge leg at about a 30-degree angle from vertical. Drop the hands alongside the lunging knee as that foot makes ground contact; keep the other foot pointing straight ahead. Extend the lunging knee to activate the hamstring and gluteal muscles to help bring the body back to the starting point. Repeat the pattern using the other leg for the prescribed number of times.
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  Figure 13.13 (a) Forward, (b) lateral, and (c) backward lateral lunges.

  Hanging Scissors Plus Double-Knee Raise

  Purpose

  This exercise strengthens the hip flexor, abdominal, and oblique muscles. All of these muscles stabilize the upper body during running.

  Execution

  Begin by hanging by the hands from a bar or overhead support. The height of the bar should allow the body to hang fully extended without the feet touching the ground. Raise one knee vertically with the knee bent as in a running stride as high as possible; simultaneously, push the other leg and foot downward and backward (figure 13.14a). Keep the backward leg nearly straight. Quickly reverse this action: Swing the knee of the backward leg forward and upward with that knee bent; move the other leg downward and backward (figure 13.14b) keeping the backward leg nearly straight. Repeat this scissoring action for the required number of reps before beginning the second part of the exercise, the double-knee raise.

  To perform a double-knee raise, return to the straight, hanging position. Quickly lift both legs as high as possible toward the chest, keeping both knees bent (figure 13.14c). Slowly lower both legs to the starting position. Complete this raising and lowering movement for the prescribed number of reps.

  Figure 13.14 Scissor movement on (a) one side and (b) then the other (c) followed by a double-knee raise.

  One-Leg Squat With Hop

  Purpose

  This exercise develops coordination and power in a running-specific way.

  Execution

  Stand with one foot forward and one foot back with feet about one shin-length apart from front to back and hip-width apart from side to side. Place the toes of the back foot on a step or block that is about 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) high. Support all body weight on the forward foot. From this position, bend the forward leg at the knee and lower the body until that knee reaches an angle of about 90 degrees between the thigh and calf (figure 13.15a).

  Immediately hop upward off the forward foot while maintaining contact with the step or block with the back foot. After landing from this hop, immediately go into another squat and hop upward again while still maintaining contact with the step or block with the back foot (figure 13.15b). Maintain upright posture with the upper body and keep the hands at the sides throughout this hopping action. Complete the required number of reps on one leg before moving to the other leg. Throughout the exercise, make sure the supporting foot isn’t too far out (like overstriding) or too far in (like understriding). At the deepest point of the squat, the rear, or nonsupporting, knee should be about 0 to 4 inches (0-10 cm) behind an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the support foot at the heel. Make sure the bench is not too tall: If using it pushes your body forward, it can be uncomfortable for the quads of the nonsupporting leg. Make sure the toes of the back foot stay on the step at all times.

  Figure 13.15 (a) One-leg squat and (b) hop.

  Prone Trunk Extension With Overhead Arm Raise

  Purpose

  Prone trunk extensions strengthen the muscles of the upper and lower back. These muscles coordinate with the abdominals and obliques to stabilize the trunk during running.

  Execution

  Lie face down on the floor or ground with legs straight and arms extended forward (they would be overhead if you were in a standing position). Use your back muscles to raise your chest, shoulders, and arms toward the sky or ceiling as high as possible (figure 13.16); then slowly and smoothly return to the floor or ground. Never let the trunk rest on the floor—retain some muscle tension in the back for the entire exercise. Repeat this up-and-down action for the required number of reps.

  Figure 13.16 Trunk extension.

  Conclusion

  For runners of all ability and experience levels, circuit training provides an outstanding way to upgrade running fitness and whole-body strength. When conducted twice a week, circuit sessions improve lactate-threshold velocity; O2max; and overall coordination, strength, and fatigue-resistance. Circuits are exciting additions to a training program because the sessions can be constantly tweaked with changes in running-interval length, running speeds, and strengthening movements; rote, drudge-like training is avoided.

  Circuit training is an ideal precursor to the more advanced running-specific strength training (chapter 14) and thus should be included early in an overall training program. It can also be employed effectively in the late stages of training, just before a critical competition. It forms an important part of base training and is more effective than submaximal running, which is the usual foundation of traditional base training, for improving running capacity and strength.

  Chapter 14

  Running-Specific Strength Training

  After a runner has improved general strength significantly, he or she is ready to move on to more technical movements. The coordination, strength, and balance gained from general strengthening enhance the ability to perform running-specific strengthening activities, or gait-mimicking maneuvers, performed on one leg at a time. Many of these movements are challenging and require a runner to use the stability and body control acquired during the general-strengthening phase in order to perform the movements correctly.

  The tandem of general strength training followed by running-specific strength training provides a powerful progression within a runner’s training program. Both types of training improve running economy and resistance to fatigue, but running-specific strength training heightens propulsive force during the stance phase of gait, thus expanding stride length. Running-specific strengthening also protects runners from injury.

  Benefits of a Running-Specific Program

  What is the underlying rationale for running-specific strength training? When a runner repeatedly performs a strengthening activity, with proper progressions, the runner advances his or her strength during the specific movements of that activity. However, the strength associated with other actions may not improve at all, even when the same muscle groups are involved. This reality is part of what is often called the specificity-of-training principle.1

  The specificity-of-training principle states that one must perform a specific action in order to upgrade one’s strength during that action. Performing large numbers of seated leg extensions, for example, can dramatically increase quadriceps strength, but won’t improve quadriceps strength during running. Isolating the quadriceps muscles during leg-extension activity is not specific to the complex neuromuscular patterns of running.

  Runners wanting to optimize strength for running must use a program containing exercises that mimic the biomechanics of running, including first contact with the ground, stance, toe-off, and swing. The workout presented in the next section contains a series of exercises that are specific to the gait cycle and promote greater running-specific strength. Improvements in running-specific strength enhance running economy and promote higher maximal speed by helping runners apply more propulsive force to the ground with each step and by minimizing ground-contact time.2

  Running-Specific Strength Session

  For exercises primarily carried out in a one-footed stance, assume an optimal kinetic-chain alignment: Stand on one foot, lift the arch of that foot, and point that knee straight ahead. Contract the quads and glutes lightly on that side of the body. Pull in the abs by contracting them and make sure the lower back is in neutral position (i.e., the spine has a natural curve inward but not an exaggerated one). Keep the ribs in neutral position—not rotated up, which would cause the upper back to lean backward, nor rotated down, which would produce a hunched-over position. Retract the shoulder blades by pulling the shoulder blades together and slightly down, which pulls the head of each humerus into its shoulder socket. Pull the head back slightly so that it is in alignment with the body and is held in a neutral position.

  Warm up with about 15 minutes of light running; then perform the following strengthening exercises in this order:

  One-leg squat

  Runner’s pose

  One-leg heel
raise: 12 reps per heel

  Toe walking with opposite-ankle dorsiflexion

  Balance and eccentric reach with toes

  Wall shin raise with pulse

  High-bench step-up

  Running-specific arm swing

  One-leg, straight-leg dead lift

  Bicycle leg swing

  Reverse bicycle leg swing with resistance

  Sprints

  Partial squat

  Falls to earth with forward hops

  Finish this workout by running and stretching. Jog easily for 800 meters, run at 5K race intensity for 5 minutes, and then cool down with 1,600 meters (~ 1 mi) of light, relaxed running. Then stretch the legs and lower back thoroughly for about 15 minutes. The easy running relaxes the leg muscles; the 5K run allows O2max to be reached, lifts blood lactate concentrations, and enhances economy at 5K race speed. Stretching prepares the legs for moderate activities that follow. Runners can make this section of the workout more challenging by moving along more quickly than 5K pace.

  One-Leg Squat

  Purpose

  This exercise improves strength and control during the stance phase of gait and thus enhances economy, promotes propulsive force, and protects the legs from injury.