What running muscles are best and how do I use them?

  • Research shows that running injury increases 8x in runners with the highest impact vs. least impact.
  • Need to use upper legs to create momentum with your foot and leg path/mechanics.
  • All goals of running: stress reduction (hormonal benefits), metabolic changes, injury prevention, V0x max (cardiovascular improvements), weight loss/control (fat oxidation and glycolysis) benefit more from using the upper legs/bigger muscles predominantly.
  • Tendon micro-tears require longer healing times and repeated run sessions without sufficient healing can lead to chronic low-grade inflammation.  This is why we need to activate the right muscles to control our tendons from getting pulled out of position, overused and to maximize energy return for performance.

Before your run

  • Release tight or typically overused muscles/tendons:  Stretch dynamically or stretch statically (hold) for only 2-5 seconds.  (Longer held stretches over-inhibit/weaken that muscle for 1-2 hours):
  • Hip flexors: butt kicks, slow walking lunges (don’t have to go low) or quad stretch with foot back on bench
  • Calves: bent knee low walk for a soleus emphasis
  • Pectorals/chest muscles: squeeze arms back in a ‘W’ formation and down towards back pockets
  • Hamstrings**: Tilt pelvis anteriorly and put arms overhead and keep your foot/toes down with knee unlocked (slightly bent)
  • Quads/Gluteal muscles: check if tight, then release before activation (see below)

**Don’t touch your toes to stretch hamstrings (unless extremely flexible and can fold at the hips with straight lower back – still not ideal) because this can:

  1. Aggravate sciatic nerve
  2. Increase bad posture (thoracic kyphosis)
  3. Potential lumbar or thoracic disc and/or lower back aggravation
  • Activate your running muscles: 1-5 second holds/contractions or dynamic movement (initiated by the correct muscles)
  • Glutes: leg swings (+/- hold at end range/maximal contraction), 45 degree between hip abduction (leg out to side) and extension (leg back), squats (sit back and lean forwards from hips)
  • Lower traps: ‘W’ formation with arms, squeeze mid-back and pull elbows back and down towards back pockets.
  • Lateral plane and rotational plane activation and stability: single arm and single leg front plank (from knees or toes) and single leg glute/hip bridge (rotation) and side plank (lateral).  You can also use a circular band around the ankles and knees and do some squats, lateral squats (moving sideways), hip extension (leg back with band)

During the run

  • London track and field world championships: 70+ cameras along distance running routes – largest biomechanics study of its kind
  • RESULTS: 70% of marathoners (148 elite men and women) were HEEL STRIKERS (including top 4 male finishers). Previous 10K world record holder had one stride 20cm (8 inches) longer than the other!
  • Symmetry and foot strike have less to do with performance and injury prevention than we once thought.

Explanation

When running, foot strike has 2 impacts, the first ground reaction force smaller than the next.

1st impact for ground adaptation

2nd impact for main shock absorption/propulsion

It is therefore less important what part of our foot we land on, but where we land, relative to our body (center of mass) and in what direction the leg/foot is going.

  • How do we run with our upper legs and decrease impact and absorb shock gradually more gradually/less abruptly?
  • Runners need to land under/near our center of gravity to reduce braking and injury regardless of what part of their foot hits the ground first.  The initial foot contact should be subconscious and is determined by incline, decline, running surface, camber of road/surface, speed, natural biomechanics, fatigue, footwear etc..

During your run (practical tips)

  • String pulling from chest pulling forward vs. string from head (tendency too bouncy with calf/quad overuse and excess vertical displacement).
  • Run slightly lower (than your standing height) and relaxed for optimal shock absorption with slightly bent hip and knee joints vs. excess calf running (too high) or excess quad running (too low – burning quads)
  • Pull ground vs. land and then push off.  Try to squeeze your glutes – as a drill only to (pre-) activate glutes and notice position of your hips (should not feel any hip strain).
  • Pick up your foot quickly after landing vs. waiting to push-off with calf excess.
  • Cadence – typically increasing turnover leads to a softer landing vs. overreaching with an artificially long stride.  Generally higher turnover/cadence is better (varies somewhat with speed, height, preference so no magic number but for most people 170-190 steps/minute is likely optimal.
  • Try to land midfoot, with ‘shuffle’ steps if running slower for tendon energy return (hysteresis). 
  • Try elbows at slightly less than 90 degrees, 90, or slightly more than 90 degrees (what is most comfortable/relaxed) vs. too straight or too bent.  Too straight puts strain on the shoulder joint and too bent tends to cause tension in the arm, shoulders and neck/upper traps.
  • If you are relying on too much on your upper body and/or feel your neck, shoulders or upper back are tight during your run, try more squatting exercises after/between runs.  You are likely trying to get lift from your upper body due to leg weakness or fatigue.
  • Try a very slight forward lean vs. too upright or too far forward lean (if your hip flexors are tight, a forward lean can allow for better hip extension (glutes/hams).  If you lean forward too far you will experience tightness in the back, hamstrings, calves and/or feet (posterior chain) to hold you in that excessive position.
  • Minimize/dampen leg movement (for chosen speed) vs. over reaching or attempting to have high knees or high heel kick up.  This is great for drills such as ‘ABCs’ but inefficient unless it happens naturally due to speed, flexibility/elasticity and centrifugal forces that can occur with very fast running.

POST RUN

  • After or between runs is a good time for strength and static stretching with longer holds.
  • Many of the same pre-run activation exercises (see above) done with more repetitions, sets and/or resistance can go from activation of muscles to actual strength improvement/gains.
  • For strength exercises (free weights, machines or band exercises, please try to do the exercises slowly (approximately 2 seconds up/in and 2-4 seconds down/out with continuous tension on your muscles).   Ideally the whole set lasts 45-60 seconds and ends when you can hardly do one more repetition with good form (regardless of the weight, band resistance or number of repetitions completed).

Some guidelines for strength training for runners

  • 1-2x/week for heavy weights during a running program.  Off or early season, 2x/week depending on recovery and intensity or volume of strength session combined with running schedule.
  • Focus on TUL (time under load or tension), ideally 45-60s, rather than number of repetitions.  This ensures a slow, controlled, continuous force to avoid breaks or ‘cheating’ through compensation by using other muscles, momentum and/or resting at the top or bottom of the exercise (that often occurs when a number of repetitions is the focus).
  • Add a few explosive jumps (plyometric) 1-2x/week: 5-8 is good, squat or split squat after or between slower strength exercises (or combined with pre/post run).  Plyometric exercises help bridge the gap between strength training and running power/speed.
  • For lateral running stability, put a circular exercise band around your ankles during side-steps, side-squats, low-walking in different directions, planks with lateral leg movements etc..
  • For rotational running stability, put a circular exercise band around your knees during squats, squat jumps, single leg squats, side plank (with clam shells) etc..
  • Once you can do an exercise for over 60 seconds, make it harder somehow.  For example, if you can do a plank for 60 seconds (from knees or toes), instead of going longer, make it harder but lifting 1 arm or 1 leg or putting a circular band around your ankles and side-stepping back and forth, squeezing your quads, glutes, abs, pulling your elbows towards your toes etc..
  • Good luck!