There are so many 5K and 10K charity runs around St. Louis.  Participating in such events can be a great addition to your current program while helping out a great cause.  A strength and conditioning program can be very beneficial to the novice or advanced runner. Your program should consist of low weight, high repetition movements and involve the following components.

1) Proper Warmup/Cooldown

2) Flexibility Training

3) Proper Nutrition and Hydration

4) Balance Training- coordination/stability, opposing muscular balance, upper/lower/core balance

5) Running-specific movements the both mimic running and strengthen the working muscles

Implementing such a program can lead to:

- Increased strength, power, endurance and efficiency as a runner

- Decreased injury

i. Increased flexibility

ii. Balanced strength in the appropriate muscle groups

iii. Increased stability

- Less muscular imbalances

Today we are focusing on the resistance training aspect of becoming a better runner.

Exercise Demonstrations- notice I’m only mentioning 1 upper body, 1 core, and 1 lower body exercise. Each of these has an opposing muscle group that needs equal attention.

- Plank- alternate reach (excellent total core exercise)

- Pushup- unlimited variations (make sure to include back exercises)

- Lunge on BOSU ball- focuses on stability/coordination while working the essential muscle groups specific to running (while a lunge does work both quadriceps and hamstring, it is primarily quadricep. An additional hamstring exercise is recommended.)

These are some very general recommendations for being a stronger, more efficient runner. As we know, everyone is built differently and therefore responds differently to training. To make sure that you have a plan that is customized to your abilities, I suggest setting up an appointment with a qualified personal trainer.

There is somewhat of a cult following of the concept of barefoot running.  Many of these followers believe that we were meant to run this way, convinced that it’s a more “natural” way to run, will reduce the chances of injury, and may make you faster.  

It turns out that much of the barefoot theory and the proposed science behind it is lacking some research.  There are biased studies that show less injury with this type of running versus with shoes.  Injuries from those who wear shoes are also hard to study since so many more people run now with leg length discrepancies, muscle weaknesses, being overweight, etc.

From reading an article in the New York Times and putting my fitness training background, I have concluded that everyone’s body is different and therefore responds differently to certain exercise stimuli.  If barefoot running works for you, then incorporate it into your program.  If shoe running works, then focus on that.  As a personal trainer, I would recommend easing into the barefoot style of running.  Not only does your foot strike the ground differently, demand is being placed on different muscle groups including smaller foot muscles that are hardly used when wearing shoes.

High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) is a form of intense short exercise bouts followed by shorter rests.  They are designed to reduce training time and increase your VO2 max, which is the amount of oxygen you can uptake during exercise.  It is also proposed that you are able to maintain more muscle mass as opposed to more steady-state, cardiovascular exercise.  The reason is that slow twitch fibers are more compatible with endurance training, whereas fast twitch fibers are more compatible with short, intense bouts of exercise (weightlifting or sprinting).  

The specifics of H.I.I.T. Training are as follows:

- Warm up for 5 minutes

- Give maximum effort for 15 to 30 seconds, followed by a 2 minute recovery

- Perform 6 to 10 of these intervals 

- Cooldown

This is a great way to mix things up as a personal trainer or in one of our bootcamps.  Keep the body guessing and results will come!

Cross Training is the act of incorporating several methods of exercise into your program to address a more complete, balanced overall plan.  This method of fitness training has been shown to reduce the likelihood of your being injured as the result of exercising “too much.”  It also has been shown to have a very positive effect on an individuals long-term adherence to a specific type of activity.

As personal trainers, we employ the use of cross training with our clients to provide a program that better addresses the specific demands of particular sports.  We have many runners who come to us in hopes of becoming stronger as runners.  Resistance training specific to the sport of running is added into their regimen and the results are usually very positive.  Running, alone, cannot provide some of the mandatory training necessary to reaching that next level.

Which method of exercise is the most efficient way to lose weight, become stronger, and stay lean?  The short answer- A combination of both resistance training and cardiovascular training.  Many are unaware of the way these methods work together to aid in the process of weight loss, increased strength, and maintenance.

No matter what the specific goal is of resistance training, the primary benefit is increased lean muscle tissue. As time goes on and you become leaner, your metabolism increases.  Regular, balanced resistance training can also aid in the power, stamina, and endurance during aerobic bouts of exercise.  It is generally recommended that these types of workouts take place 2-3 times per week in order to maintain.

Aerobic training, on the other hand, is essential for exercising your heart and lungs and typically has a higher caloric loss than resistance training.  Cardiovascular workouts should last for at least 30 minutes and have a maintained, elevated heart rate of 60-85% of Max Heart Rate during this time.  A variety of cardiovascular activities should be implemented at least 3-5 days per week.

A qualified personal training facility can assist in customizing the specifics and balance of both your cardiovascular routine and resistance training.

Running stores, running magazines, and probably many personal trainers constantly promote the need to select running-specific shoes based upon the plantar shape of your particular foot.  It is common belief that selecting the appropriate shoe that matches the needs of your medial foot arch will reduce injury during bouts of exercise.  

Running shoes are designed to either have:

1) Motion control- low arch

2) Stability- medium arch

3) Cushion- high arch

A very comprehensive, in depth study was done with the United States Army Basic Combat Training to determine if this was true.  It was determined that selection of running shoe based on plantar shape had little influence or injury prevention.  In fact, the BCT discontinued the practice of prescribing shoes in this manner after the study was completed.  The one variable that was determined to have the largest effect on injury prevention with shoe selection was to replace old, worn down shoes with new ones.

Running or jogging is an activity that is very helpful to fitness trainers in helping clients reach their goals. Whether it is a means of cardio to lose weight or improve speed for an athlete in his or her sport. Also, much like any other activity, it can be very simple or very technical and complex. The purpose here is to show two main concepts. The first is being able to teach proper form and general guidelines related to running as a fitness instructor would to their clientele. The other reason is to use the knowledge of running and relate it back to the weight room for your strength workouts. This will allow you do prescribe exercises that can help problems a client may have or need to work on.

Jogging Mechanics

Jogging is meant for everyone, but there are a few exceptions to every rule. Depending on the individual, the level of intensity or starting point may vary. However, the mechanics are the same for everyone. Jogging is not nearly as technical as people think. Many of the things described here are just proper form issues that will in turn prevent injury.

• Standing tall - big open chest, slightly leaning forward, 85 degree angle
• Arm swing - move from the shoulder, elbows roughly stay at 90 degree angle the entire swing, fingers relaxed, hip to cheek no more
• Foot striking - heel to toe, center of the heel
• Leg swing - speed changes leg swing and length, leg swings forward and back in a straight line, not out to side at any point, legs make a small circle

Sprinting Mechanics

Sprinting is much more involved than jogging is, but the better the form for both jogging and sprinting the better a person will be. Basically, even though there is more going on when sprinting, performing the proper technique is crucial both types of running. Also another factor that distinguishes sprinting from jogging is force production. Sprinting is all about generating the maximum amount of force when in contact with the ground and spending the least amount of time in contact with the ground as possible. Still another concept to consider is that there are different phases when sprinting, and each phases form changes slightly.

Acceleration Phase-start to 10 yards

• Body position-45 degree angle
• Arm swing-same as jogging, but recommended to always go hip to cheek
• Leg swing-straight forward and back in a straight line, knee drive forward hip height, leg extension back slightly behind hips when contacts ground

Max Velocity Phase-10 yards and beyond

• Body position-up tall like jogging form
• Arm swing-same as before
• Leg swing-changes from forward and back to circles, circles much more precise than when jogging, butt kicker, knee punch, leg extension, pull

Common Improper Running Form Mistakes

Upper body hunched over

Crossing center line of body with arms

Too much arm swing

Long back kick

Shuffling feet

Hip and leg swing

Over striding