No Glutes = No results The Plague of the Mediocre Athlete - If you've read my articles and training manuals, you know I preach footwork and horsepower. Get light and smooth on your feet and learn to move optimally, then increase the force you're able to exert in your sports movements. The main difference between average athletes and good athletes is found in the functionality of the feet, as well as the strength, development, and function of the glute musculature.
The glutes are mainly responsible for the horsepower factor and what I will talk about in this article. Non-Existent Glutes Too many people have non-existent glutes. From a strength perspective, if you were to consciously go in the weight room and do nothing but attack your glutes like a bodybuilder attacks his biceps, or a bench press specialist attacks the strength his triceps, you wouldn’t be that far off the mark.
Due to their natural strength and the leverage advantage they have over your legs, the glutes should always be the primary muscles that drive lower body movement. Workouts. Exercise Order and Sequencing for Corrective Exercise Programs | Article | PTontheNet. Heel Striking, Overstriding, and Cadence - Runners Connect. In last week’s article, Introduction To Running Biomechanics, we took a look at the individual components that make up a single stride, collectively referred to as the Gait Cycle. We considered two phases: the Stance Phase (during which your foot is in contact with the ground) and the Swing Phase (during which the same foot is off the ground).
We divided the stance phase up into four stages: initial contact - when the foot of the front leg first touches the groundbraking/absorption - the body making a controlled landing and absorbing elastic energy to use later in propulsionmidstance - the moment when the supporting leg takes maximum load as the body passes over itpropulsion - the ankle, knee and hip all extending (triple extension) to push the body up and forwards using the elastic energy absorbed during braking, up to the moment when the foot leaves the ground (toe off).
Initial contact In the excellent article “Is there an Ideal Footstrike for Runners? Heel striking Overstriding Cadence. Introduction to Running Biomechanics. Bi·o·me·chan·ics /ˌbīōməˈkaniks/ Noun The study of the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms. If the above has turned you off slightly, I totally understand. It’s hard to go for a run these days without worrying about where our foot is landing, what shoe we’re wearing, or optimal stride frequency. Surely running can’t be so complicated! The first thing you can do is discount anybody out there who tells you that their way is the only way. Running, like any sport, is a skill for which improvement will depend on suitable conditioning and active development, but it’s about building on your individual running style, as opposed to basing your training regime on what happens to work well for somebody else.
Having a basic understanding of the biomechanics of running can help you appreciate your own running form and see where you may be able to make improvements. Getting Started: The Gait Cycle The Stance Phase 1. 2. 3. 4. The Swing Phase Upper body and arm mechanics. Physio in the City. Assessment and rehab of movement control and balance. I’ve mentioned movement control and balance in most of my blogs on injury management. It’s one of what I think of as the Big Three; Movement control, range of movement and strength. If you have all three you’re onto a winner and less likely to struggle with injury. It’s also likely to improve your running economy, making you run more efficiently with less energy expenditure. When assessing balance it’s best to start with the basics; single leg balance and single knee dip.
When you can manage these, and their variations with ease and good control then you can progress on to more advanced work, including multidirectional exercises and impact control. So let’s start with assessing single leg balance; Then single knee dip; Use a mirror and assess yourself with these 2 tests. If you struggle with single knee dip, try some of the following exercises and again focus on good control. If you really struggle with balance you may have a strength or range of movement issue that needs addressing too. Gluteal Muscles, Psoas and Piriformis. What are the Gluteal Muscles? The Gluteal Muscles comprise of three muscles which make up the buttocks: Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius and the Gluteus Minimus. Tortora et al (1990) [1] describe the function of the gluteal muscles: Gluteus Maximus extends and rotates the thigh laterally Gluteus Medius and Minimus abduct and rotate the thigh medially Are your Gluteal Muscles Weak or Inhibited? An inhibited muscle means that the muscle is not firing properly (the neural signal is not reaching the muscle) and a weak muscle indicates the muscle is firing normally (not inhibited) but is lacking strength.
Liebenson (2006) [2] states that if a lack of coordination is seen when walking backwards it indicates the gluteus maximus is weak. What causes weak or inhibited gluteal muscles? If you spend long periods of time sitting in a chair then the front of the hips ( hip flexors - psoas ) become short and tight, while the back of the hips (gluteal muscles) become long and weak. Psoas Test and finally. Tight Hip Flexor - Weak Gluteus Maximus. Muscles of the Thigh and Gluteal Region - Part 1 - Anatomy Tutorial. Muscles of the Leg - Part 1 - Posterior Compartment - Anatomy Tutorial. How to correct running form. Proper Running Technique: Running Form Tips and Drills. Essentials of Running Mechanics with Bobby McGee.