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Video: Expert Core Strengthening

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If you can do these exercises, your core is probably at rockstar status! In this third installment of core strengthening videos, we take strengthening to the next level. With running, it is critical to be strong, but also be able to respond quickly and efficiently. If you can hold a plank for 60 seconds, but your core muscles are .1 seconds too slow when they are called upon, then your core is not functioning properly. The exercises we tackle today are more quick and dynamic, requiring greater agility. This element of quickness is critical for being a strong runner.

Have fun with these and please pass them along to someone who may find these helpful. Let me know how they go for you by commenting or emailing info@runphys.com. Please ensure you are comfortable with basic exercises that we’ve addressed in recent videos (basic and advanced core strength), before attempting these.

Video: Advanced Core Strengthening

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We don’t need any further convincing that core strength is important for running. But what exactly is core strength? Is it synonymous with having a ripped 6-pack? One of the biggest mistakes that we make is to ‘strengthen our core’ by isolating individual muscles. We need to ensure that our muscles can work together to make each movement stable and efficient. We do this by thin-slicing each activity into specific movements that we can work on.

In today’s video, we take core strengthening to the next level. These movements are geared toward the critical moments of running where our core has to work the hardest. Be careful with these ones and make sure you’re up to the challenge! Please share with a friend and give me your feedback on how these go for you. Enjoy!

Video: Basic Core Strengthening

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Core strength is a hot topic in the running community and just about everywhere! Indeed, proper stability of the core is necessary to perform all of the activities we set out to do in a given day. All too often, we attempt to strengthen muscles that are not firing properly. This can lead to imbalances and compensations — not good things!

Today’s video focuses getting your core muscles firing and engaged. When this is happening consistently, then we can move on to higher level strengthening activities. If you have back pain, attempt these carefully and slowly please!

Give these a try and let me know how they go. Please share with a friend who may appreciate better core strength!

Video: Hip strengthening exercises to enhance core stability

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Hip strength is a critical component for running, especially those that want to run faster and with less likelihood of having pain. In this video, we tackle three exercises that can be performed to build strength and allow the core muscles to function properly. Stronger hips set up the abdominals to work more efficiently, as well as make it easier for the calves and feet to be happy, all positive things when it comes to running.

Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for future videos. If you find this video helpful, please pass it along to someone else who may appreciate it, thanks for watching!

Hip flexibility and knee drive

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There are many aspects to running efficiently. Among those is having proper bending of the knee during the swing phase of running (while your foot is in the air). This makes it easier to land and push-off more easily. In order to have excellent knee drive, it’s imperative to have hip flexibility and strength.

This brings us to Jodi’s story. She is a runner who has had limited flexibility in the outer part of her right hip. This has made it difficult to run regularly and participate in 5k races. Let’s see what her form looks like.

As she runs, her knee drive is a little slower than ideal, but on closer inspection, it appears that weakness in her hips is an underlying factor. More specifically, during the loading phase, she has too much rotation of her hips and pelvis, which indicates that her lateral hips are not engaging quick enough. This slowness to engage will make it more difficult to push-off. This can translate to a more shuffling type of gait, rather than a quick/clean push-off with knee drive.

So here’s what we did, first a simple A drill to practice knee drive, first while running in place, then while running forward.

Next, we did a simple stretch for the hips to ensure improved flexibility.

She also did a drill to strengthen the landing phase, forcing the lateral hips to fire more quickly to stabilize.

Lastly, she did a simple high knee running drill. Again, this dials her hips into moving more quickly during the loading and the knee drive phases of gait.

After all this, here’s the new and improved Jodi!

Notice better quickness of her hips and feet during the landing to push-off stretch, and improved knee drive. She generally looks more efficient through her lower core as well, with less hip side-to-side motion. Her arm swing is also more straight forward, which is a sign of improving stability as well. Overall, these changes don’t look natural yet, but will become so with consistent practice of these drills. Expect great things to come, excellent work Jodi!