Thursday, February 27, 2014

Hip Flexor Stretching: Don’t Just Go Through The Motions…

This is one of the key exercises I see runners having a ‘lightbulb switching on’ moment with during our Running Technique Workshops.


Particularly targeting Rectus Femoris, this has to be one of my all-time favourite stretches!


I get runners and triathletes to do this at least once daily, and then pre and post workout. Unless we’re dealing with hypermobile athletes, I don’t feel we can individually ever do enough mobility work promoting extension patterns.


Why do I like this particular stretch so much? With the 20sec isometric ‘butt squeeze’ followed by 20 x 1sec Glute Max contractions, not only are we delivering a strong mobilising effect to the anterior tissues of the Hip, we’re also strengthening the neural pathway (mind-muscle link) for getting those important Glutes kicking-in.







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Should Baseball Players do Crossfit

Nice piece from Tony Gentilcore


Should Baseball Players do Crossfit?


http://ift.tt/1haKYQX


this might also interest you


Why Crossfit May Not Be Good for You








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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

@MarilynKaminski








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Training for the 40 – Repost

The following is excerpted from a piece I wrote previously and is used with the permission of http://ift.tt/1iANajV


Training for the forty yard dash is an interesting process and has become a near obsession in football. The reality is that most athletes are looking to reduce the forty-yard dash time by as little as .1 to .2 seconds. In order to accomplish a one to two tenths of a second reduction I have always advocated training for the first ten yard segment of the forty yard, as this is the area of greatest potential change.


In fact when training athletes for the NFL Combine I have never had an athlete run longer than a twenty-yard dash. Our athletes routinely have gone to the NFL Combine without ever having run a forty-yard dash. To some this may seem foolish but I prefer to view the process as both intelligent and cautious. Athletes rarely injure themselves running a ten-yard dash but often seem to incur muscle strains from repeat forty-yard dash attempts.


In fact, in a race that takes from 4.3 seconds to 5.3 seconds to complete at the elite level, the first ten-yard segment takes the longest time and by default is the easiest to impact. Ten-yard dash times range from 1.5 seconds to 2 seconds.


Each proceeding ten yard segment taking roughly 1 to 1.1 seconds to complete. By simply improving performance in the ten-yard dash, we can easily take off the elusive .1 seconds that so many athletes are looking for. In fact for most elite athletes the forty-yard dash is actually a test of acceleration and not one of speed. I believe we mistakenly use the term speed when in fact we are referring to acceleration. When we say an athlete has great speed we actually mean that he or she has great acceleration. In the famous Ben Johnson versus Carl Lewis races top speed was not reached until the 60-meter mark. This means that the athletes continued to accelerate for a full 60 meters. An athlete that runs a 1.5 second ten yard dash may be capable of a 4.3 second forty yard dash. However, the athlete may run a 1.5 second first ten segment and 2.6 second twenty. This means that the acceleration pattern is as follows:


0-10 1.5 sec


10-20 1.1 sec


When looking at the chart above it becomes glaringly obvious that the initial segment takes 1.5 times the length of the other three. As a result it is obviously the segment most apt to be altered.


Think about this. The forty-yard dash should be run in approximately seventeen steps. Simple. An athlete with a normal stride length will measure out at about 7.5 feet. This means that a reasonably good sprinter will cover 15 feet, or five yards, every two steps. I believe the big key to the forty yard dash is to get the athlete to develop stride length in the first ten yard segment by pushing, not overreaching. Why seventeen? The first five-yard segment should take three steps; the remaining seven segments would take two steps each for a total of seventeen steps. Is seventeen the magic number? No. The key is to teach athletes to push, not reach and to minimize stutter steps. We try to get our athletes to master three steps for five yards and five steps for ten yards and, to do it without a reaching action. We continue to emphasize that stride length is a function of back-side action-reaction and not front side reach. We teach lots of push with no emphasis on stride length from the front side mechanics. In fact we never do B-skip type drills, as I believe they teach improper mechanics and are not appropriate for forty-yard sprinters.


Here are the keys to the first ten yards.


- Is the athlete moving quickly or does he look like he is moving quickly? What does this mean? Many athletes come out of the start with great turnover and go nowhere. They remind me of the Roadrunner from the cartoons. Wheels spinning and going nowhere fast. Often these guys look fast and run slow. Generally these guys are fast twitch athletes who do not like the weight room. The great accelerators often look slow coming out because they are producing great force and minimized steps. Running is all about Newton’s First Law. Action-Reaction. Force placed into the ground produces motion forward, very simple. The start is clearly not about turnover or frequency but about force into the ground. This is the reason there is such a strong correlation between vertical jump and forty-yard dash times. Vertical jump is simply a measure of Newton’s First law. When an athlete applies force into the ground, the ground applies force back in an equal and opposite manner. More force, more vertical displacement.


- Have you timed your athletes for a 10 and 20-yard dash? As I said in the previous paragraph I’ve seen slow guys with lots of turnover and very little movement? Try being objective versus subjective. Time your athletes not just in the forty, but also in the ten and twenty. 1.5 sec hand held is fast. 1.8 is average for a ten (adult male).


- Next, video the ten yard dash and the twenty yard dash. See how many steps it takes an athlete to run ten and twenty yards. Don’t tell the athlete to cut down steps, simply tell him to push the ground as hard as possible. Simply telling an athlete that you are counting steps will cause over striding. You want to see how many steps it takes. This will tell you if you have an athlete who is moving his feet but not applying any force. A good sprinter will run the 10 in 5-6 steps and the 20 in 9-10 steps.


- Also look at the video and see the first step. Does the athlete gain ground? A good indicator of a powerful start is that the foot taking the second step does not touch the ground while the front foot is still on the line. In other words, after step one you should not see two feet in contact with the ground. You will be amazed at how many guys simply step out of the start instead of pushing out of the start. Just as we confuse speed and acceleration, we often confuse first step and first push. A quick first step does nothing. It is the push that creates the action-reaction, not the step. What you want is great push, not a great step. This also relates to stride length. Stride length is accomplished by great forces placed into the ground, not by things like knee lift.


- Another great indicator that the athlete is beginning to understand powerful starts is when the athlete appears to be falling forward out of the start, almost out of control. I tell my athletes to drive themselves out of the start so aggressively that they almost fall flat on their face. I cheer if they look like they are going to fall. That shows me great aggressive push.


- Time each test three times. Either average all three or take the middle, throwing out the high and low. You don’t want to record a mistake. Electronic timers don’t make mistakes unless there is a malfunction. Throw out scores that are obviously wrong.


Start Tips

- Weight is on the front hand and foot. This is not track. There is no block. The back foot can be minimally helpful.


- Hips are low, don’t raise the butt. You can’t push out from straight legs.


- Never take instructions from a track coach on forty technique. They are used to blocks, you don’t have them.


- Eyes are between the hand and foot. Don’t look up. The head should be in a normal anatomical position


- Weight should be so far forward that if you don’t run, you would fall.


Start Drills

1. Dive Starts- have the athlete dive into a crash pad from the start position. This is a great drill for teaching first-push power


2. Timed 10’s- I love timed tens. I try to watch the start and count the steps. We use a Speed Trap timer and don’t watch the clock. We will time every week, sometimes twice a week. A few rules.


• Tell the athletes only three attempts per day. This leaves time for the athlete to ask for “one more” at least twice. I really want to time five reps but, always tell them three.


• Try to get the athletes to forget about the timer and concentrate on the technical things you want done. Big push out of the start, great hip extension etc.


• Please note: – the use of a timer is an excellent way to reduce anxiety about being timed. My athletes are very comfortable about being timed by the time the Combine or Pro Day comes around. It also should be noted that many athletes will choke and revert to old patterns as soon as a timing device is presented. Timing early and often allows the athlete to see the changes in pattern like stepping out of the start or stuttering. The timer also generally reinforces that these behaviors are slower, not faster. Frequent use of the timer does what the book The One Minute Manager calls “catching someone doing something right”. We focus on execution, not time. Great execution will lead to better times, which will ingrain proper habits.


3. 3 for 5, 5 for ten (this is a tough drill as you will constantly have to emphasize that stride length comes from push, not reach, be careful with this drill) I view this as an advanced drill and one that must be monitored constantly. Success is not accomplished by number of steps or strides but quality of strides.


4. One Leg Starts- this is another great drill to teach the athlete how to use the front foot in the start. Simply ask the athlete to run a series of timed tens using only the front foot. This will teach the athlete how to focus on exploding of the front leg. Often our athletes will move from abysmal at this drill to being able to run as fast as from a three point start.


Just a reminder, these drills will improve what you already have. They are teaching drills. The real key to speed lies in increasing force production. To really improve speed these drills and cues must be combined with a lower body strength and power program that emphasizes maximal strength. Don’t underestimate the value of force production in the forty.


Another reminder, if you really want to understand speed, pick up a copy of Charlie Francis Training for Speed. Charlie Francis hits on basic concepts in a way no one has before or after. In spite of any perceived scandal Francis is still the best sprint coach of all time.








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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

@MarilynKaminski








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Don’t Be That Parent

I think we’ve all been there. We’ve all yelled at a ref or “car coached”. I can tell you that my daughter once told her friends that it was important to play well if the ride home was long. I guess I’ve “car coached” too much already.


This is a good reminder from the folks at USA Hockey


Don’t Be That Parent








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Dynamic Warm-Up for Running: Video Examples

This is one of the very first videos I recorded for Kinetic Revolution way back in 2010, very much the early days of the project!


I was originally prompted to record this example of a dynamic warm-up to give one of our athletes at the time a reference for their own training. Although I now use some slightly different variations to the exercises and drills, these are a great example of some of the elements of a structured dynamic warm-up.


Let me know how you get on :)







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Monday, February 24, 2014

Hamstring Stretch for Runners – Don’t Make This Common Mistake

Sometimes it pays to revisit some basics… the basics like effective hamstring stretching . This is an area that a surprising number of runners get slightly wrong!


In this quick video below, I explains and demonstrate the difference between a stretch which brings on an intense feeling behind the knee, and a true stretch of the hamstring muscles.



Sciatic Tension vs Hamstring Stretch


The intense feeling or ‘burn’ behind the knee that many runners associate with feeling a hamstring stretch is often actually the feeling of increasing tension on the sciatic nerve as you lean forward… rather than the targeted hamstring muscles themselves.


Instead we should be looking to create a stretching feeling in the muscle belly of each of those hamstring muscles (middle of the posterior thigh), using the hamstring stretch in the video. Try it! :)






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Sunday, February 23, 2014

ESPN: Take a ride on the Sochi rollercoaster

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - From Team USA's foibles to Team Canada's win, the Olympics were memorable

You might not have liked the outcome, but one thing we were reminded of once again is that there is nothing like Olympic hockey. (via ESPN)



February 23, 2014 at 06:05AM

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ESPN: No doubting Canada's dominance

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - Canada's defense-first mindset delivers win for the ages

With an all-world defensive effort, the Canadians finally put to rest the criticism that they couldn't win on the big ice surface, writes Pierre LeBrun. (via ESPN)



February 23, 2014 at 06:54AM

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ESPN: U.S. officials defend performance

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics -- U.S. officials defend team performance

The speedskaters flopped, and the hockey team was blanked when it mattered most. If it wasn't for some brand new sports, the medal count would be paltry. (via ESPN)



February 23, 2014 at 08:30AM

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ESPN: 5 things to know about Canada's win

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - Five things to know about Team Canada's win over Team Sweden

Here are five things we learned in Canada's 3-0 shutout against Sweden to win the gold medal in Sochi. (via ESPN)



February 23, 2014 at 05:20AM

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Saturday, February 22, 2014

ESPN: Alexander Zubkov holds slim lead

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics -- Russia's Alexander Zubkov holds slim lead in four-man bobsled

Alexander Zubkov has company in his pursuit of Olympic history. More than the Russian probably expected. Definitely more than he wanted. (via ESPN)



February 22, 2014 at 11:56AM

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Neural Mobilization Exercises for Runners and Triathletes

Exercises for Sciatica in Runners


…and other common neural symptoms


The final injury that called time on my pro-rugby career wasn’t the ACL (knee) reconstruction, various broken bones, or dislocated shoulders, but lumbar disc degeneration at two levels of my lower back (L4-5 & L5-S1).


The disc degeneration in itself isn’t necessarily the big issue, as there are lots of people out there with the same level of wear-and-tear with no particular symptoms. However, mine came with significant neural irritation and pain locally in my lower back, and more painfully referred symptoms into my right leg, from buttock and hamstring, right down to the heel – Ouch!


Does this sound familiar? So many runners suffer from the pain of neural irritation / tension (sometimes referred to as Adverse Neural Dynamics). These symptoms can be manifested in various differing parts of the body. In runners, typically we see symptoms following the distribution of the sciatic nerve (buttock, posterior thigh, calf and heel pain) often referred to as ‘Sciatica’. We also see neural symptoms in the mid-back region and on occasion we see symptoms linked to the femoral nerve.


On occasion (particularly after long periods cycling) my neural irritation still acts-up. Over the years I’ve learnt to manage it very effectively. Here’s a video which does a great job of describing the specific exercises I use on myself and my clients when neural irritation / tension is part of the cause of their symptoms…


I’m posting this article as a useful guide to self-management techniques… If you are currently running in pain, PLEASE go and see a Physio. You need to be assessed properly!



Research


As ever, I’m interested in understanding the supporting research. Ellis and Hing (2012) conducted a systematic review with the aim to provide an overview of the literature surrounding the therapeutic efficacy of neural mobilization as a treatment option. They concluded:



Neural mobilization is advocated for treatment of neurodynamic dysfunction. To date, the primary justification for using neural mobilization has been based on a few clinical trials and primarily anecdotal evidence. Following a systematic review of the literature examining the therapeutic efficacy of neural mobilisation, 10 RCTs discussed in 11 studies were retrieved. A majority of these studies concluded a positive therapeutic benefit from using neural mobilization. However, in consideration of their methodological quality, qualitative analysis of these studies revealed that there is only limited evidence to support the use of neural mobilization. Future research needs to examine more homogeneous studies (with regard to design, pathology, and intervention), and we suggest that they combine clinical outcome measures with in-vivo objective assessment of neural movement.



At the time of their systematic review, the evidence-base while seemingly in favour of Neural mobilization as a treatment option, was limited at best.


Personally, I know it works for me, and for many of my athletes. My suggestion is to see a Physio, then if indicated give these exercises a go… but only gently to begin with – I can’t emphasize that enough :)






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ESPN: Too much, too soon for U.S. in Sochi

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - Team USA feeling pretty low after bronze-medal loss to Finland

A disappointed and embarrassed Team USA leaves Sochi with unfulfilled expectations, Scott Burnside writes. (via ESPN)



February 22, 2014 at 09:03AM

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ESPN: 5 things to know about Finland's win

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - Five things to know about Finland's win over Team USA in the bronze-medal game

Five things to know about Finland's 5-0 win over the U.S. to win the Bronze medal at the Sochi Olympics. (via ESPN)



February 22, 2014 at 07:00AM

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ESPN: Evgeni Plushenko to get back surgery

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics -- Evgeni Plushenko to have back surgery in March

Four-time Olympic medalist Evgeni Plushenko will have back surgery on March 2. (via ESPN)



February 22, 2014 at 06:15AM

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Friday, February 21, 2014

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ESPN: Defense is key to gold for Canada

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - Defense has Canada set to defend gold after beating United States

Canada's strong defensive play has them in position to defend their gold medal, writes ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun. (via ESPN)



February 21, 2014 at 01:01PM

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ESPN: The wait is over

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics -- USA wins speedskating medal on final try

It had taken almost two weeks -- thirteen days to be exact -- for any of the 25-member American speedskating team to medal. And it finally happened on their last chance. Silver. (via ESPN)



February 21, 2014 at 03:36PM

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ESPN: Cute turns ugly for Team USA

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - Team USA loses trying to be cute against Canada

Americans have to resign themselves on going for bronze after trying to be too fancy against Canada, writes Scott Burnside. (via ESPN)



February 21, 2014 at 02:42PM

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ESPN: Russia edges U.S. for relay gold

ESPN: 2014 Winter Olympics -- Russia edges U.S. for gold in short track speedskating 5,000 meter relay

Viktor Ahn led Russia to Olympic gold in the 5,000-meter relay Friday, giving the short track star a record-tying eighth career medal. (via ESPN)



February 21, 2014 at 12:06PM

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ESPN: Stealth Swedes soar again

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - Stealth Swedes soar again with win over Finland

You might not be talking about them, but the top-ranked Swedes are back in another gold-medal game. (via ESPN)



February 21, 2014 at 09:14AM

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Another Case for Organic Meats?

More from our good friend Dr. Mercola. I love how much criticism a guy for trying to do good things for the public.


http://ift.tt/1fmS1oW


What the FDA Knew ( and Hid) About Anti-biotics in Animal Feed








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ESPN: Paul Martin won't play for U.S.

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics -- U.S. without Paul Martin for semifinal vs. Canada

The United States will be without Paul Martin, one of their top shutdown defensemen, for Friday's semifinal game against Canada, USA Hockey announced. (via ESPN)



February 21, 2014 at 06:01AM

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ESPN: Canada finishes 1-2 in skicross

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics -- Canada claims gold, silver in women's skicross

Marielle Thompson and Kelsey Serwa finished 1-2 for Canada in women's skicross Friday, giving their country bookend gold-silver performances in Olympic freestyle skiing. (via ESPN)



February 21, 2014 at 04:17AM

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

ESPN: Victory Is Theirs: Marie-Philip Poulin

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics -- Victory Is Theirs ... Marie-Philip Poulin

In our daily recap Victory Is Theirs, we highlight someone who has earned a big win at the Games. On Thursday, it was Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored twice to lead Canada past the United States in the women's hockey gold-medal game. (via ESPN)



February 20, 2014 at 04:31PM

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ESPN: Many subplots for Canada-USA

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - What to watch when the U.S and Canada face off

Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun look at five things to watch in the Canada-USA game, including the pressure on the Canadians and NHL-related subplots. (via ESPN)



February 20, 2014 at 09:45AM

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ESPN: Finns, Swedes don't like each other

ESPN: 2014 Sochi Olympics - What to watch when Finland and Sweden face off

Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun look at five things to watch in the Finland-Sweden game, including spectacular goaltending. (via ESPN)



February 20, 2014 at 07:29AM

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