As explained in Part 1, the track workout warm up starts with an easy 2 lap jog followed by running modification drills.  Immediately following those drills are a series of lunges that are modified by changing where the arms reach during each lunge.  We typically perform 10 lunges (5 lunges with each leg) with each of the 6 different arm reaches. 


Lunges with 3D Arm Reaches


Forward Lunges with Arms Reaching at Overhead

• What the Runner Feels:  a big stretch to the front of the thigh of the trailing leg.
• What the Movement Expert Says:  reaching both arms at overhead while you lunge will reduce the amount of anterior tilting of the pelvis – this means that the hip of the trailing leg will experience greater extension which will create a significant stretch to the hip flexor and quad in the sagittal plane.

Forward Lunges with Arms Reaching toward the Ground 

• What the Runner Feels:  a big stretch to the back of the thigh of the leading leg.
• What the Movement Expert Says:  reaching both arms toward the ground while you lunge will increase the rate and amount of anterior tilting of the pelvis – this will create increased hip flexion of the leading leg which will result in increased stretch to the hamstrings in the sagittal plane.

Forward Lunges with Arms Reaching at Overhead to the Same Side of the Lunging Leg

• What the Runner Feels:  the leading knee diving medially.
• What the Movement Expert Says:  the overhead reach to the same side as the lunging leg will shift the center of gravity medially which will limit the leading hip’s ability to adduct – to compensate, the leading knee will abduct while the leading foot will pronate.  Both these motions occur in an effort to load the butt muscles of the leading leg.

Forward Lunges with Arms Reaching at Overhead to the Opposite Side of the Lunging Leg

• What the Runner Feels:  the side of the leading hip stretching.
• What the Movement Expert Says:  the overhead reach to the opposite side of the lunge leg will shift the center of gravity laterally which will result in increased adduction of the leading hip.  This will create a large stretch to the adductors of the trailing leg and a large stretch to the abductors of the leading hip.

Forward Lunges with Arms Reaching Same Side Rotational at Shoulder Height

• What the Runner Feels:  increased butt muscle activation of the leading leg.
• What the Movement Expert Says:  the same side rotation reach will increase the internal rotation of the leading hip which will help load the butt muscles of the leading leg.

Forward Lunges with Arms Reaching Opposite Side Rotational at Shoulder Height

• What the Runner Feels:  a stretch to the hamstrings of the leading leg.
• What the Movement Expert Says:  the opposite side rotational reach will increase the transverse plane load to the medial hamstrings and the adductors of the leading leg.  The reach will also increase the transverse plane load to the trailing hip – this will result in increased hip internal rotation which will improve the load to the hip flexors of the trailing hip.

All professional athletes go through a specific, well-planned warm up before any athletic activity.  Creating new habits where running modification drills and lunges become an integral part of your running experience will help you maintain a healthy body while improving your speed and ability to be successful in the sport you love.

As mentioned in the previous post, all joints and muscles load and unload 3-dimensionally during any activity – this allows your muscles to decelerate and or accelerate motion in one to three planes of motion.  Adjusting motion and exercise patterns is critical for maintaining mobility with strength and keeping your body healthy.  The overarching purpose of these movements is to increase motion while at the same time teaching your body to control new motion.  Waking up as many muscle groups and nerve pathways (or to be more precise, proprioceptors) as possible before running or any activity is always crucial and this is often best accomplished by introducing variable movements.


Dan Benson, DPT, OCS, FAFS, GPS, CAFS, FMR

CEO Forefront Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Orthopedic Certified Specialist
Fellow of Applied Functional Science from the Gray Institute
Nike Golf Performance Specialist
Certified in Applied Functional Science
Certified in Functional Manual Reaction

www.forefrontpllc.com

This will be a 2 part series designed to explain the “why” behind the different exercises I guide the Green Lake track workout group through every Monday evening. 

We always start with 2 laps of slow jogging to get the blood flowing.  At lap 3, on the straight sections, we begin the running drills.  Those technique modifications include running with feet normal width apart with toes turned in and then toes turned out.  The next set of alterations move feet further apart than normal with toes neutral, turned in and turned out.  And the final set involves the feet coming across midline with toes neutral, turned in and turned out.  To explain the effects in detail, I will limit the discussion to one variable at a time. 

Modifications Introduced While Running

Toes Turned In

• What the Runner Feels:  increased activation of butt muscles during the initial loading phase (foot strike) and increased stretch to hip flexors during late stance phase.
  

• What the Movement Expert Says:  there is decreased pronation due to increased hip internal rotation during the loading phase and increased supination and hip internal rotation during the late stance phase.  There is also increased thoracic spine rotation which means increased core loading. 
  

Toes Turned Out

• What the Runner Feels:  decreased activation of butt muscles during the loading phase and decreased activation of hip flexors during late stance phase.
  

• What the Movement Expert Says:  there is increased pronation and decreased ability for the gluteus muscles to activate during loading phase (because pronation has improved, the hip will internally rotate, just not as far as usual) and decreased supination during the late stance phase.  There is decreased thoracic spine rotation which means less core (front and back) ability to stretch and activate to help with all phases of the running cycle – this teaches the body to use and control motion without its typical resources.
  

Feet Wide

• What the Runner Feels:  decreased butt muscle activation during loading phase and variable hip flexor loading during late stance phase.
  

• What the Movement Expert Says:  there is increased pronation during loading phase and decreased supination during late stance phase.  Despite the increased pronation, with your feet wide, it is harder to recruit the gluteus muscles due to a lack of hip adduction during loading phase; the hip flexor likely loses much of the internal rotation pre-load during late stance phase but receives a better frontal plane load relative to running. There is decreased core loading due to decreased thoracic spine rotation.
  

Feet Across Midline

• What the Runner Feels:  increased butt muscle activation during loading phase and less ideal hip flexor loading during late stance phase.
  

• What the Movement Expert Says:  there is decreased pronation during loading phase, and increased supination during late stance phase.  This produces improved gluteus muscle loading due to improved hip adduction during loading phase; there is decreased frontal plane load to hip flexors during late stance phase but increased hip internal rotation.  At the mid back there is improved core loading due to increased pelvis tilt and rotation creating increased thoracic spine Type I mechanics (opposite side rotation and side bending).
  

All joints and muscles load and unload 3-dimensionally during any activity – this allows your muscles to decelerate and or accelerate motion in one to three planes of motion.  Adjusting motion and exercise patterns is critical for maintaining mobility with strength and keeping your body healthy. 

There will be little difference if you are a heel, midfoot or forefoot striker with these drills.  The overarching purpose of these movements is to increase motion while at the same time teaching your body to control new motion.  Waking up as many muscle groups and nerve pathways (or to be more precise, proprioceptors) as possible before running or any activity is always crucial and this is often best accomplished by introducing variable movements.


Next Segment:  Part 2 – Lunges with 3D Arm Reaches 


Dan Benson, DPT, OCS, FAFS, GPS, CAFS, FMR

CEO Forefront Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Orthopedic Certified Specialist
Fellow of Applied Functional Science from the Gray Institute
Nike Golf Performance Specialist
Certified in Applied Functional Science
Certified in Functional Manual Reaction

www.forefrontpllc.com