9:30 a.m. 8 miles, including 4.5 easy; dynamic stretching (15 min's AIS before the run); 8x Benjamin Buttons - intended to do 10 but form started going, so only did 8; 2.5 miles cool down, followed by 3 mins SRS.
'The Power of Threes' and what they're all about:
These three exercises should be performed in the order in which they are presented, and only when you are well rested. Specific strength training aims for positive adaptations of the nervous system as well as the muscles. Completing the exercises when you are over tired leads to poor neuromuscular co-ordination and movements that are slower than desirable.
That means that the trio of specific exercises should be completed before a running workout, not after, and in fact the best possible time is immediately before an interval, economy, or lactate threshold session, not before a slower workout.
While that may sound paradoxical (some might fear that strength training would slow down a subsequent training session), the truth is that positioning the exercises right before your high intensity workout will help you run faster. In fact, at least five different scientific studies have shown that a high intensity strength session activates the nervous system, increases the "firing rate" of nerve cells that control muscles, and improves the overall "recruitment" of muscle fibers during a workout.
Another caution: perform the third exercise, only on an aerobics floor, wooden gym floor, grass, a synthetic track, or any resilient surface which offers some "give". Hopping repeatedly on concrete or asphalt may increase the risk of overuse injuries to the lower leg and shin.
One final warning: form is everything; if your form is slacking, stop. You’ll get injured if your form is all over the shop. Especially watch that your knees stay above your ankles and don’t shoot forward. If your knees are moving forward – over your toes – you are stretching your patella tendon and you’ll end up a victim of your over-enthusiasm.
The high step up: This exercise strongly develops the hamstrings, with complimentary development of the gluteals (the "buttock" muscles) and the quadriceps. Simply begin from a standing position on top of a high bench/wall etc (approximately knee height), with your body weight on your left foot and your weight shifted toward the left heel (this is very important). The right foot should be free and held slightly behind the body. Lower the body in a controlled manner, until the toes of the right foot touch the ground, but maintain all of your weight on the left foot. Return to the starting position by driving downward with the left heel and straightening the left leg. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions (for all of the exercises it’s 15 to start – I’ll post how to develop all of the exercises) and then switch over to the right leg. Maintain absolutely upright posture with the trunk throughout the entire movement, with your hands held at your sides.
One leg squat: This exercise strongly develops the quadriceps and gluteals, with a complimentary boost to the hamstrings. To complete one leg squats in the correct way, stand with the left foot forward and the right foot back, with the feet about one shin length apart (your feet should be hip width apart from side to side). Place the toes of the right foot on a block or step, which is six to eight inches high. As in the step up exercise, most of the weight should be directed through the heel of the left foot. Bend the left leg and lower the body until the left knee reaches an angle of 90 degrees between the thigh and lower leg. Return to the starting position, maintaining upright posture with the trunk and holding your hands at your sides. Complete 15 repetitions with the left leg before switching to the right leg.
One leg hops in place: This exercise builds strength and co-ordination in the entire lower extremity, including the foot, ankle, shin, calf, thigh, and hip. (This is the daddy of all exercise.) The resilient, bouncy nature of the exercise makes it the most specific of the three and extremely close to the actual movements involved in running. Simply start from the same position you used for the one-leg squat, with the toes of the right foot supported by a six to eight inch block. Hop rapidly on the left foot at a cadence of 2.5 to 3 hops per second (25 to 30 foot contacts per 10 seconds) for 15 seconds. The left knee should rise about four to six inches, while the right leg and foot should remain stationary. The left foot should strike the ground in the area of the mid foot and spring upwards rapidly, as though it were contacting a very hot plate on a cooker. The hips should remain level and virtually motionless throughout the exercise, with very little vertical displacement. After hopping for 15 secs on the left leg, switch to the right leg and repeat the exercise.
Why hop on one foot instead of bounding from foot to foot, as runners usually do during their dills? For one thing, it is very difficult to move fast while you are bounding, so bounding is not very much like sizzling through a 5k or 10k race. By contrast, you can move very quickly during the one-leg hops, so your power expands dramatically and your co-ordination during high speed running improves greatly. Eventually you will learn to move more quickly and efficiently. Research by Russian scientists indicates that one-leg hopping is far superior to bounding at inducing improvements in leg speed
For similar reasons, the one leg squat is superior to runners' traditional exercise, the two legged squat. While a much greater load can be hoisted on the shoulders during a two-legged squat, that weight is distributed through two legs, not one, so the actual resistance per leg is often less. In addition, the trunk of the body is often inclined significantly forward in a two legged squat but remains nearly vertical in a one-leg effort, so the latter more closely parallels the form required for running. Plus, for purposes of maintaining balance, the feet are often angled outward during the two-leg squat, which is unnatural to running, while the feet point straight ahead during a one-leg effort. Overall, the one leg squat has the added advantage of being safer, since less total weight is used.
The first exercise, the high bench step up, is like climbing hills in the comfort of your own home or gym. You are basically lifting your body repeatedly against the force of gravity and powering your hamstrings, quads, and gluteals in the process. Like hill workouts, the step up should improve your running economy.
There you have it – The Power of Threes. None of these exercises are new, but putting them together in the way outlined will improve your stride length and frequency. I’ll show you how to develop the exercises and include them into other sessions – like what I did today.
Don’t do any of these exercises if you’re in the middle of marathon training. This stuff should be included in your base training and shouldn’t last much longer than 8 weeks – 12 if you’re a tad older like me.
Tomorrow I'll explain the 'Crazy Cubans' and then I'll go on to explain the 'Benjamin Buttons' and the 'Forever Youngs'. 6:00 p.m. 6 miles easy. The Benjies seem to have worked, although I don't look younger, my legs feel a lot fresher than they did this morning; not bad, as the session of Benjies is what I'd consider a toughish workout, especially on top the Power of Threes:) | 