Gary’s Fitness Blog

The response to the clinic at John’s Run Walk Shop last week was even better than we could have imagined! The number of people that showed up (approximately 55 runners) along with the people that stayed longer to ask questions and then the emails we have received since that night.

We would like to continue this discussion with as many of the local runners as we can. The best way I see to facilitate that is by using this blog. If you have questions, comments or thoughts regarding the topic of strength training and running - just leave a comment in this blog.

To get you thinking about the ideas we covered, here is a summary of the clinic’s points and then a few links to previous posts we’ve written that address the idea of foam rolling and hip stability and strength:

Clinic Summary:

1. Think : Health - Fitness — Performance

2. Health is multi-dimensional (emotional, mental, social, spiritual, physical) and all components impact performance at some level.

3. Fitness is developed by implementation of consistent exercise, not from incorporating a short term application of “optimal program”.

4. A dedication to becoming a “fit” runner must precede a desire to become “fast” runner.

5. A runner’s physical health involves: muscular durability, skeletal structure/durability, functional movement, flexibility / range-of-motion, cardiovascular fitness, metabolic fitness and immune/endocrine/hormonal integrity.

6. Self Myofascial Release (foam rolling) + Strength Training = ability to address specific muscular imbalances, movement dysfunctions, range-of-motion issues and muscular/skeletal durability.

Relevant Articles:

Hip Strength in Females and Patellofemoral Pain
The article that I reviewed today discussed the question from another angle, Is there a difference in hip strength in females that have patellofemoral pain versus those that don’t?

Click Here to read more of this article

Patellofemoral Pain and the benefits of Physical Therapy and Strength Training
One of the first things I found interesting was that in the introduction they say that patellofemoral pain is the most common diagnosis cited by many authors. And that while it is a common issue to be seen and treated, the “pathologic origin of this disorder is not clearly understood.”

Click Here to read more of this article

Risk Factors and Injury Prevention Interventions for Patellofemoral Pain and Achilles Tendinopathy

Risk Factors they associated with this are: 1. muscle weakness and imbalance and inflexibility including quadriceps shortening  2. trauma, overuse, training errors or previous injury  3. patellar hypermobility 4. hip muscle weakness

Click Here to read more of this article

Here are some additional thoughts on my continued use of the TRX.

Some of the benefits that exercisers and trainers talk about when they use the TRX Suspension System include:

- easy to set up anywhere
- includes core strength in majority of exercises
- easy to use for functional exercises

All of those things are a great reason to incorporate the system into your routine, but one reason that I have grown to really like the piece of equipment is that it allows me to superset a group of exercises without wasting time switching machines for changing dumbbells.

The two superset groups that I have been using a lot with some of my clients and in my own use are:

1.  Chest Press –> Tricep Extension
2.  Row –> High Arm Bicep Curl

To bracket these two supersets I add a set of squats and steps-ups to get a full circuit.  For Example:

a.  squats with dumbbells, 10x
b.  chest press to tricep extension, 10x each exercise
c.  row to high arm bicep curl, 10x each exercise
d.  step-ups on plyo step, 10x on each foot

Rest 30 seconds and repeat full circuit.

I think that my clients are liking the circuit because it keeps them moving and creates little “dead time” (unless they want more dead time!).  I have to admit that the tricep extension can be a pretty tough exercise when you are starting to fatigue!

Here are two videos that Nikki and I took on Saturday to demonstrate the two superset examples:

In our book, Strength Training for Runners, Nikki and I included the single leg squat.  It is an exercise that I like to add into a runners program for several reasons:

1.  It requires you to use a single leg to produce force; this translates well into running which requites this movement to be repeated 1000’s of times.

2.  It helps develop stability in the hips and knees.  One of the premises that we have discussed in our book is that when a runner begins running more miles and increasing the intensity of their runs, if they have poor stability (primarily hip abduction and external rotation strength) they will be more prone to injury.  The research we share in the book supports this theory.

The NASM training that Nikki and I attended back in June also used the single let squat as an assessment for specific movement patterns, muscle imbalances and range of motion (just another use that a trainer may have for this exercise).

As I continue to build the list of exercises that I do on the TRX Suspension Trainer, I have found the single leg squat to be one that I find very effective.  I like how the TRX allows the non-power leg to follow a more natural “running” motion.  It allows this motion, but it doesn’t interfer with the stability aspect of the exercise - the exercise still requires a person to maintain good stability through the entire motion of the downward and upward phase of the movement.  By adding pauses at the bottom and top of the movement, you can add aditional stability challenges. 

Here’s a picture from the Fitness Anywhere site that displays this exercise at the bottom of the exercise movement:

 Hope you are staying injury free!

In the personal training studio I use a TRX Suspension Trainer everyday to provide some supplemental exercises.  For example, I use it to do chest presses (push ups), rows, assisted squats, one-leg squats and what they call the “power pull”.  I like to do many of these exercises as warm up exercises because it uses bodyweight as the resistance and it is easy to incorporate stability aspects to the workout.

Yesterday, I decided to do a complete workout on the system and start to experiment with some more advanced exercises.  Specifically I really wanted to challenge my core and see if I could get a complete workout.  We’ve been using it so long as an accessory I wanted to test it out as a primary piece of equipment.

I’m a little sore today, but that is expected as I still haven’t recovered from the EndureChallenge and any lower body work makes me sore.  My abs and triceps have also been a little sore today.  Does being sore mean that it is a good workout?  NO.  But I was able to challenge some stabilizing muscles in my upper body in uncoventional ways and the core work is pretty challenging.  There are still some core exercises that I’ve seen done that I wasn’t able to do.. maybe soon?

I’m going to try and incorporate one workout a week done completely on the TRX for a while and see how it works out.  I’ll let you know.

In full disclosure, I have signed onto their affiliate program.  Which means they give me a commission if you follow my links to their site and decide to purchase a system.  I have used the system in the studio everyday for over a year and really like it, so I feel good promoting the equipment.  I’m just excited to see how I can use it as a complete system.  It could be a great piece of equipment to own for some of my more mobile clients, if I can create complete programs with the system.

Here’s a youtube video to motivate you a little (I’ll see about adding some videos of my own in the near future).  The exercises around 1:42 into the video are the one’s that I have not been able to do yet?