A Great Summer Read Now that summer is here we all know that training in the heat is tough! Personally during the summer months we get out extra early in the morning to avoid the heat as much as possible. Some folks like to get out in the evening. So what’s best, morning or evening? With questions like this we always respond, “Whatever time you will actually get out and train that is the best time.” With this in mind you can expect it to be more humid in the morning and it will be hotter in the late afternoon. Mid-day…. forget about it. Another thing you may consider in the summer months is spending more time in the gym. Running is much more than leg power so we think summer time is a great time to work on our core and other muscle groups. Hit the gym a few times a week and cycle through workouts that focus on.... Upper torso – Lie on your back and do dumbbell presses. This recruits all sorts of abdominal muscle groups. It targets pectoral muscles and other stabilizers and will improve respiration. The incline barbell press will help respiration too and can be used to mix up the routine. Push ups and pull ups are good for the torso as well. Arms and shoulders – Standing bicep curls, barbell curls (vary the width of your grip). These exercises will help you balance and counter balance as you swing your arms. Core – Hip abductor machine will help in preventing piriformis pain. Do floor sit ups and oblique twists, these will help in keeping the pelvis aligned which is critical in the gait cycle. Upper legs – the Hip adductor machine strengthens the adductor group and can prevent patella from tracking latterly too much. Aka prevent runners knee. Machine Leg extensions can also help prevent the patella from tracking too much laterally. These are just a couple of quick tips to motivate you to do more research on your own and have a focused plan when you head to the gym. It has been said many times a runner is only as strong as their weakest link. So why not find yours and work on it this summer and build a balance throughout all your muscle groups. Recommended reading.. Running Anatomy by Joe Puleo and Dr Patrick Milroy. This is a great summer read for any runner. Peace
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:56:08 +0000
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