Runners warm up , Part 2 (video)

Full article   Make sure to click for Picture and video descriptions

VIDEO !

Here on location in sunny Mori-point in Pacifica for part 2 of the runners warm up.

Think of this warm up as foreplay for movement. Give your body some foreplay and it will be in a better mood to run efficiently and closer to its full potential.

Don’t give your body foreplay and don’t be surprised one day when your pain free walks out on you. Don’t be surprised when other bodies become more fulfilled.

• We are tackling

•  Tissue quality

•  Mobility

•  Flexibility

• Activation

• Mechanics

• Power

   1)   Tennis ball roll gluteus gluteus medius (15-30 rolls each side) Put your open palms on the sides of your hip. Sway left to right and the muscle you feel is the target. Put tennis ball against wall or tree and start rolling. Search out and attack tender spots. The more uncomfortable the more benefit you will receive.


We find a gluteus medius trigger point can refer pain and irritation to the same side knee.


   2)   On all fours hip rocking (x12-15 rocks) Get on all fours with ankles bent (flexed) and rock your but to your heels.

We find allot of runners are anterior (front of body) dominant. This leads to hip issues.

This is a very simple yet valuable movement. Stand sideways and divide your body in half. Ideally there should equal strength and pull of these muscles on your joints. Think of the head of the femur as a flag and the front and back of your body is a tug of war.

An over dominate front side pulls your femur head anterior into your hip joint. This leads to possible hip pain and altered mechanics. This rocking motion glides your femur posterior.

  “The lack of balance in the strength and pattern of activity of among all the hip flexor and extensor muscles can contribute to movement impairments, because each muscle has a slightly different action on the joint which it attaches. When one in the group becomes dominant, it alters the precision of the joint motion”

     3)   Groiner elbow instep to hamstring (See video for full instructions) A)    Elbow slide down thigh x10 B)    Elbow across body x10



This is a great triple benefit exercise. We are getting hip mobility, back side activation of the glut and a hamstring stretch.

     4)   Wall perfect strides. (See video for full instructions) 2-5 sec holds. X 6-10 each side  
Running is many things like

• Triple flexion ( hip, knee, ankle up)

• Triple extension ( hip, knee, ankle down)

Make sure to push into the tree or wall with your hands. Also turn the pits of your elbows strait. This adds armor to your mechanics and limits force or energy leaks.

In running we have active and passive mechanics
Active= conscious exertion of muscles (Example, perfect stride exercise)
Passive = unconscious spring effect of muscles and tendons

    5)   Double leg squat jumps (See video for full instructions) X5-8

We going to address the first phase of tapping into the passive mechanics. Think elastic rubber band effect.

We must take off and land in the same position. Imagine your feet are on dinner plates. Spin the plates away from your hips. This creates superior stability and power producing force in your hips.


    6)   Single leg clear test See video for full instructions) We must clear or pass a static position before demonstrating it in a dynamic explosive manner.

Pull your bent knee above your waist with ankle towards your shin. Can you maintain hip, knee and ankle in a straight line? Can you maintain your stance knee in a straight line? Try both sides.

If you said no, to any of the above questions the single leg jump will produce more risk than benefit for you. If you are clear feel free to try the single leg squat jump.

     7)   Single leg squat jump  (See video for full instructions)