Runner’s Legs

People with “Runner’s Legs” don’t get them on accident. They train them. Hard. Whether it’s running mile upon mile, think Prefontaine, or the sprinter whose legs look like they were taken off Seabiscuit, they are in the gym training and on the track fixing flaws. The mechanics of running that they work on is a whole different article to be written in itself. So let’s take a look at what some things are that you can do to improve your running legs not on the track.

Imagine your normal leg routine. How many times does it include squats, lunges, hamstring curls, and leg extensions? Now that may be good for some occasion (on leg extensions a rare one), but certainly not day in and day out. Why train bi-laterally for a sport that is never bi-lateral? During a run, besides in the blocks or starting, you are always on one foot. So mix up your leg routine. Throw in some single leg squats or RDL’s every once in a while and build those pillars one leg at a time.

Now, if you just go in and just jump into single leg exercises, you probably won’t be getting the most out of your workout. Weak ankle stability will hinder your legs in the long run. Do not build strength on a weak foundation. You are only loading up on whatever dysfunctions you have and different parts will break down. Instead, first work on stability through the joint and strengthen the tiny muscles within your foot. The bottom of your foot is just as sensitive to touch as your hand. There are a lot of nerve endings that end there and if you don’t stimulate them, they stay asleep and you won’t know what your foot is doing with the ground. Start your leg routine with a 2 minute lacrosse ball roll out on the bottom of your foot.

So that’s all well and good, but ankle stability isn’t going to get you from point A to point B. That is just one link in the chain. Actually, the last link when it comes to actual running mechanics. What your ankle does is directly related to what your knee does. Also, what your knee does is directly related to what your hips are doing. So if A = B, and B = C, then A = C. For non-math majors, that means everything your legs do during running is because of what your hip is doing. Any hitch, misstep, or irregular stride is caused by either tightness, weakness, or a mechanical flaw in your hips. The more irregularities in your running, the more risk for injury. Your body wants to run smoothly. It’s what you do to it that affects that ability.

NEXT LEVEL SPEED

How Your Body is Like a Hurricane

This past weekend I was inside like most people, except for the crazy few that decided it was a good time to go surfing. I was without power and a limited cell service. I was disconnected to the world, and it was rather refreshing for a change. I got to slow down and do some meditating. While I was deep in thought I had an idea strike me. Your body is a lot like a hurricane. Go with me here.

First off, it is very powerful. Your body is capable of some incredible things. You can do things that will even amaze you. Athletics in general, whether it be throwing a baseball or hitting a golf ball, are powerful tasks. Every sport involves some kind of power aspect. Even if sports aren’t your thing, you can do some powerful things too. Mankind, in general, has sent a man to the moon… Granted that’s rocket power but still the thought is incredible.

Second, it is unpredictable. All week we had newscasters telling us how the world was going to end. They might as well been advertising for 7-11’s all over the East Coast. Your body is the same way. Not one thing you do is exactly the same as the time before. Again, in sports this is easy to see. In fact, my definition of an athlete is someone who can perform a task called of them time and time again, even though no time is the same. Adaptability is Athleticism. Sport is unpredictable. Same goes for everyday tasks. Yea maybe you take the same road to work but you have no control over the traffic or the other cars. You are called to adapt to your surroundings and be unpredictable.

Lastly, the eye of the hurricane needs to be like your core. Even with all the craziness going on around the eye, the inside is calm and peaceful. In athletics, if you have a weak core you will not perform to the best of your ability. At all times you must be in control of your core. Same goes for non-sport life. Every movement you do is effected by your core. If you are not in control of your core at all times, you are not moving efficiently. What does non-efficiency mean? Injury. Maybe not right away like a contact injury, but over time your body will break down. Think of this as a tree lying in the road. You are going to have to go down a different path that is not as efficient as your intended path. Your body does this by compensating, and time after time of this will leave you with back pain, shoulder pain, or knee pain. Your body is the ultimate compensator.

So put these together and you get that, like a hurricane, your body is powerful, unpredictable, must have a strong core to stay together. Start training your core today at Next-Level-Speed to take the unpredictability of everyday life and use it to make you stronger, more powerful, and more efficient.



by Matt Otteman

When it all began…

We all can think back to the first time we ever picked up some weights and began our first “workout” routine. Some of us were 14 using their dad’s old weights in the garage, others 15 using mom’s credit card to join a big name gym, and there will always be the group who found themselves training in their high school dungeons, lingering with the stench of hard work from years past. Some wanted to be diesel, others jacked, brolic was also a popular choice, but whichever fit your preference, we all wanted to top it with a layer of shredded top.

For me it all began at Dolphin Fitness in Eastchester, NY when I was 14. It was a place where bench press was king and skull crushers were queen of the castle. My goal was to train for my sports; football and wrestling. As far as I knew, a big bench and some bi’s and tri’s would accomplish my goals. The more I internally rotated myself, the better off I thought I was. After a few years of this I was then introduced to “power cleans” where I was taught to “jump and shrug BIG”. NOW…I thought I had it all figured out.

As time went on and I learned from new coaches, I realized the value of making your workouts functional to your goals. As an athlete, I began eliminating single joint isolation movements and it became a lot less important to work slow twitch muscle fibers. I came across a coach (Marc Chasnov) who stripped my clean technique to square one and taught me the importance of hip extension and keeping the bar close to the body.

To this day, I still keep an open mind to others philosophies and recommendations. Although there are a wide range of methodologies, none of them are the “end all be all” of programming. It is important to keep an open mind and hear out other people who study the field. Along with keeping an open mind, you must remember; “don’t drink the juice”. If you like one person’s stance on a particular exercise or technique, it doesn’t necessarily make all of their opinions the answers to life’s weight room challenges. There are so many great minds out there and the truth is they do not all feel the same on every subject, so while it is perfectly fine to give people your attention, there is more research to be done before it becomes part of your practice.

Visit us at Next Level Speed. 

We will help you achieve all your goals.


-Lou Crispo