Muscles to work for runers
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Taken from Mens Health.com - ( http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/fitness-training-plan )
No sport can be mastered with just one type of workout—and running is no different. “The whole body is involved when you run,” says Phil Wharton, 2:23 marathoner and founder of the Wharton Performance Clinic in New York. “To prevent injury and increase speed, you’ll need to look beyond your mileage and strengthen your entire body.” Here are the main areas that many runners overlook in their training—and how you can strengthen them to be a better runner.
Feet: “People don’t usually think to strengthen their feet,” says Wharton. “But two to five times of your body weight crashes down on them when you run—which means the muscles need to be strong to prevent injury.” Strengthen your foot muscles at your desk, while watching TV, or even at the dinner table. Simply place a towel on the floor and grasp the end closest to you with your toes. Curl your toes to pull the towel towards you, holding each pull for three seconds. “This creates dynamic tension, which increases blood flow and activates the muscles,” says Wharton.
Neck: “Most people spend all day in a seated position—with their heads leaning forward,” says Wharton. “As a result, your whole body leans forward when you run.” If one region of the body is out of alignment—another region will try to compensate. In this case, you’ll overstride in an attempt to keep your legs under your body, making you prone to injury. The fix: Lie facedown on a bench or bed—with your head hanging over the edge and arms straight out in front of you. Extend your head up and down for three sets of ten. “The weight of your head, coupled with the resistance of lying down, strengthens the muscles behind your head and puts your neck in a correct postural alignment,” says Wharton. Do this twice a week.
Glutes: “Your glutes provide the force that propels you forward,” says Wharton. “The stronger your glutes, the faster you’ll run.” Lie on your stomach and raise one heal at a time, bending your leg at a 90-degree angle. “This isolates the glute, which ensures that you’re not relying on stronger muscles to compensate for a weak glute,” says Wharton. Do three sets of ten—on each side—twice a week.
Shoulders: “If your shoulders are weak, you’ll have poor posture and your arms won’t swing back and forth in the correct position,” says Wharton. (They should be aligned with your torso and bent at 90-degree angles.) “An improper arm swing will limit the rotation of the pelvis, which shortens your stride and makes you slower,” he says. Strengthen your traps and rhomboids—commonly weak muscles—to improve your posture and allow your arms to swing properly, which will improve your overall form.
To strengthen the traps, lie facedown on a bench. Keeping your elbows locked, raise your arms to shoulder level. Then, lie in the same position but drop your head to the floor, which isolates the rhomboids. Bend your arms at 90-degree angles and lift them to shoulder level. Do three sets of ten—of both exercises—twice a week. “This will straighten your upper back and encourage proper running form,” he says.
No sport can be mastered with just one type of workout—and running is no different. “The whole body is involved when you run,” says Phil Wharton, 2:23 marathoner and founder of the Wharton Performance Clinic in New York. “To prevent injury and increase speed, you’ll need to look beyond your mileage and strengthen your entire body.” Here are the main areas that many runners overlook in their training—and how you can strengthen them to be a better runner.
Feet: “People don’t usually think to strengthen their feet,” says Wharton. “But two to five times of your body weight crashes down on them when you run—which means the muscles need to be strong to prevent injury.” Strengthen your foot muscles at your desk, while watching TV, or even at the dinner table. Simply place a towel on the floor and grasp the end closest to you with your toes. Curl your toes to pull the towel towards you, holding each pull for three seconds. “This creates dynamic tension, which increases blood flow and activates the muscles,” says Wharton.
Neck: “Most people spend all day in a seated position—with their heads leaning forward,” says Wharton. “As a result, your whole body leans forward when you run.” If one region of the body is out of alignment—another region will try to compensate. In this case, you’ll overstride in an attempt to keep your legs under your body, making you prone to injury. The fix: Lie facedown on a bench or bed—with your head hanging over the edge and arms straight out in front of you. Extend your head up and down for three sets of ten. “The weight of your head, coupled with the resistance of lying down, strengthens the muscles behind your head and puts your neck in a correct postural alignment,” says Wharton. Do this twice a week.
Glutes: “Your glutes provide the force that propels you forward,” says Wharton. “The stronger your glutes, the faster you’ll run.” Lie on your stomach and raise one heal at a time, bending your leg at a 90-degree angle. “This isolates the glute, which ensures that you’re not relying on stronger muscles to compensate for a weak glute,” says Wharton. Do three sets of ten—on each side—twice a week.
Shoulders: “If your shoulders are weak, you’ll have poor posture and your arms won’t swing back and forth in the correct position,” says Wharton. (They should be aligned with your torso and bent at 90-degree angles.) “An improper arm swing will limit the rotation of the pelvis, which shortens your stride and makes you slower,” he says. Strengthen your traps and rhomboids—commonly weak muscles—to improve your posture and allow your arms to swing properly, which will improve your overall form.
To strengthen the traps, lie facedown on a bench. Keeping your elbows locked, raise your arms to shoulder level. Then, lie in the same position but drop your head to the floor, which isolates the rhomboids. Bend your arms at 90-degree angles and lift them to shoulder level. Do three sets of ten—of both exercises—twice a week. “This will straighten your upper back and encourage proper running form,” he says.
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