Warm up?  C’mon!  Let’s just get to the workout already!  I know this sounds silly, but I also know that’s what most of us do on a regular basis, if not all the time.  In this time crunched era where no one has a moment to spare, who has time to warm up?  Our bodies will warm up as we go!

The truth is that most injuries happen within the first 6 minutes of a workout.  Yes, this is not always the case, but I didn’t say “always”, I said “most,” and it depends on the intensity of the activity*. 

“Ok, fine, I’ll throw in a few stretches,” you say, and off you’ll go.   Well, new research has shown that static stretching “cold” muscles before exercise can actually lead to injury rather than prevent it.  Some research actually says that static stretching “turns the muscle off” so to speak, before an activity.  However, it is very effective for recovery purposes and injury prevention afterward. 

So how do we get our body ready to exercise safely and effectively?  

We use a Dynamic Warm Up.  Yes, dynamic, meaning active, lively, vigorous, and purposeful!  We bring our body from a resting state to a point of exercise readiness in a gradual manner using movements that stimulate the nervous system, and essentially heat, or warm up the muscles, and fully mobilize the joints and ligaments being used. 

Benefits of a dynamic warm up include:

• Increased speed of contraction and relaxation of warmed muscles
• Dynamic exercises reduce muscle stiffness
• Greater economy of movement because of lowered viscous resistance within warmed muscles
• Facilitated oxygen utilization by warmed muscles because hemoglobin releases oxygen more readily at higher muscle temperatures
• Facilitated nerve transmission and muscle metabolism at higher temperatures; a specific warm up can facilitate motor unit recruitment required in subsequent “all out” activity
• Increased blood flow through active tissues as local vascular beds dilate, increasing metabolism and muscle temperatures
• Allows the heart rate get to a workable rate for beginning exercise
• Mentally focused on the training or competition

*Now, it’s important to note that shorter races or more intense workouts require a longer warm up than longer events or easy workout.  If you remember, I said something earlier about injuries depending on the intensity of the activity; this is where that comes into play.  If you don’t have a lot of time, it’s actually better to cut short your main set rather than cut short your warm up.  You might even consider rescheduling the workout if you really have a small window of time.

Dynamic Warm Up Exercises:

Heel Walks:  Walk forward with your foot flexed up so your toes and balls of your feet are off the ground.  Activates anterior muscles of the leg and stretches calves.

Forward & Backward Arm Circles:  Swing your arms in a forward circular motion one at a time, then alternate, then both together.  When alternating, allow the hips to rotate freely and naturally. Next, swing your arms in a backward circular motion one at a time, then alternate, then both together.  Again, make sure to allow the hips to rotate freely and naturally.

High Toe Walk:  Walking normally, roll from the heel through the entire foot and toe off strongly, pushing the body upward and forward.  Keep in contact with the ground, don’t skip.

Knee Grabs:  Walking normally, raise one knee, grab your shin, and pull it in to your chest.  Keep your body upright.  Lower your leg as you walk and raise the opposite leg in the same manner.

Forward Leg Swings:  Standing upright, swing one leg straight forward as high as you can safely do, and reach out with the opposite hand to your shin or foot.  Then let the leg swing behind you.  As your leg moves past your centerline, bend your knee as if you were going to begin kicking a ball.  When you reach your extended limit, swing through to the front again, and repeat.  Do 10-15 reps, and then switch legs.  Activates hamstrings, glutes, quads, & hip flexors.

Side Leg Swings:  Using a wall, fence, or partner for balance, swing one leg across the front of your body, and then back out to the side as far as you can safely do.  Let your leg swing loosely using momentum to carry it from side to side. Do 10-15 reps, and then switch legs.  Activates abductors and adductors.

High Knees:  Using quick short steps with a forward body lean drive your knees upward as high as you can safely do.

Butt Kicks:  Jogging slowly, raise one knee and flick your butt with your heel.  Repeat this with the opposite leg and alternate for 10-15 steps.  Make sure to lift your knee simultaneously, and not just flick your heel up behind you.

Carioca:  Moving sideways with your arms extended alternately move your trailing leg across the front of the lead leg, and then behind the lead leg.  Allow the hips to rotate freely as you move across the ground.  Face one direction, and then return facing the same direction leading with the opposite leg.

Striders:  Striders are shorts bursts of acceleration.  After doing warm up drills begin jogging for about 3 minutes and then do some striders.  The first one should be just a little faster than your warm up jog, then gradually increase your pace with each one.  End with a pace just faster than your expected finishing or training pace.  4-10 striders should be sufficient.  Walk back to the start of your strider for rest between each.

Cool Down

“Wow!  What a great workout!  I had an excellent warm up, and everything went according to plan.  See you later…”  Wait a minute!  What about a cool down? “Excuse me?  I gotta go!”   Actually, a cool down is just as important as a warm up.  It allows your body to return to a state of rest gradually, making it easier for the processes of restoration and adaptation to training to take place.  An appropriate cool down will:

• aid in the dissipation of waste products – including lactic acid
• reduce the potential for DOMS – Delayed onset Muscle Soreness
• reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of venous blood at the extremities
• reduce the level of adrenaline in the blood
• allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate

After finishing your workout, take 5-10 minutes to do some easy jogging and walking to gradually reduce your heart rate, and then do some static stretching for recovery.   It is important not to bounce or jerk the muscle being stretched.  It must be a controlled slow movement.  Make sure to hydrate, and try to stretch in a warm, dry location.  As you stretch take long slow breaths to aid in relaxation.

Good Stretches include:

Gastrocnemius and Soleus:  Stand leaning into a wall or fence. Extend one leg behind you and keep it straight with the heel on the ground and the opposite leg bent.  Try to push down the wall keeping your heel down.  Then bend the back leg still keeping the heel on the ground.

Supine Hamstring Stretch:  Lying on your back, bend one leg keeping your foot on the ground.  Lift the opposite leg as high as possible keeping it straight.  You may hold the leg with your hands behind your knee, or use a towel or stretch strap to maintain the stretch.

Groin Stretch:  Sitting down, bring the soles of your feet together with knees bent to the side.   Grab your feet and try to bring your nose down to your toes.  Then sit up and use your elbows to put slight pressure on your knees for the desired stretch.

Hip Flexor:  Kneeling on one knee, tuck your butt under and lean forward toward your front supporting foot.   Raise your arm on the side of the kneeling leg and reach over the top of your head.  Be sure to keep the low back from arching.

Quad Stretch:  Standing with your feet hip distance apart, bend one knee and grab your foot behind you.  Bend your standing leg and bring your elevated knee behind you.  Keep your body upright.  You do not need to bring your heel to your butt.

There are many more stretches you can do.  Stretching after running promotes increased performance, enhanced recovery, a more economical gait, and a prolonged running career.

I should have never left T2 (bike to run transition) My body was telling me at the tail end of the bike that it was done for the day, but I decided to give the run a try anyway. I stopped less than a mile into the 13.1 mile run. It was then that I noticed a dead snake on the side of the road. It looked as though it had just expired from the heat. I thought to myself, “Yeah, that’s exactly how I feel,” and I started walking back to transition.

Wait a minute! What do I always say? “Unless you’re hurt, or at risk of injury, try not to give up. Always finish what you start, even if you have to walk.” Which is what I did – very, very slowly to the tune of a three-hour-and-five minute half marathon.

I finished the race, and take pride in the fact that I’ve never DNF’d (Did Not Finish). Only half heartedly though, did I accept the “congratulations for finishing” acknowledgements from volunteers, officials, other athletes, etc. You see, I’m a coach. A certified USA Triathlon Coach! This wasn’t the performance a coach was supposed to put on!

Now I can look back and make a list of half a dozen reasons for what happened to me on race day. As a coach, I can’t help but ask, shouldn’t I have been prepared for all of them? Oh don’t think this was my only bad race. No, I had plenty before I became a coach. I’ve learned from every single one of them, and I believe that those experiences are what help me to be a better coach. Nonetheless, the whole time I was walking, I kept asking myself, “Are coaches allowed to have a bad race?”

In high school and college I played football and ran track. I was a running back, and a 200/400m sprinter, respectively. Suffice it to say, I was never an “endurance guy.” To this day, I swear that if one of my old college track teammates had not been there to witness my first marathon, no one else on the team would have believed that I had finished one. I came to triathlon looking for a new challenge for my competitive juices, and since I was already a strength coach, expanding my knowledge to endurance coaching was a natural progression. I was not, and will never be a professional triathlete. I am an Age-Grouper, just like so many others; I always have been, and always will be. As a busy coach, husband, and father, I am content knowing that even with a relatively short training schedule (10 hours per week or less) I will usually finish in the top third in my age-group, if not overall. I know how to prepare on limited time. At least I thought I did….

The ego is always the hardest hit following a performance such as mine. It’s especially hard to swallow if you are someone who coaches others. “If I can coach someone else, why couldn’t I help myself?” “Will anyone want my coaching services if I don’t perform well?” These were the serious questions I could not avoid. After all, this is how I make my living! “Is it time for me to seek another profession?”

Continuing along my “death march,” I attempted to answer my own questions in between numerous futile attempts to do something resembling a run. Along the way, I met some very nice people. There was David who was inspired to sign up for the race because of his friend, who apparently is an “endurance rockstar,” and who was way ahead of us, if he had not already finished. All David wanted was to not finish last in his age-group, and since I happened to be in that very same group, I assured him that he would meet his goal and congratulated him on a job well done. Anne, another fellow sufferer, seemed to be really struggling to catch her breath. I walked even more slowly with her, and gave her my ice and a gel. She then proceeded to snap out of it and run away from me! She did say “thank you” before going on her merry way.

There was also Tom, a decent swimmer and cyclist, who couldn’t seem to get his run figured out. He was feeling bummed out about his performance. I told him not to worry. I said “I’m a tri coach, and look where I am!” I chatted with him for a few more miles giving advice on tempo runs, and including brick or combo (bike followed by a run) workouts into his training plan to help get him through the last leg of his races. He was very appreciative, and ultimately said, “Thanks Coach!” and ran ahead as well. I just continued slogging along, trying to get through the day. Even bad things come to an end eventually, but it was a good hour-and-a-half longer than I’d envisioned. I was feeling down and wondering if I really should look for another job.

A few days after the race, It occurred to me that there were many wonderful people on the course who I would never have had the opportunity to meet if not for my “bad race.” I also realized that I did some of my best coaching out there on the course with some athletes that really needed it. My coaching had taken the various forms of physical assistance, training advice, and much encouragement and motivation. My “bad race” helped others have a good race, and hopefully better races in the future! Maybe my day wasn’t really all that bad. I was out there struggling, but I was also doing something I love: helping others improve! I was back in the trenches with other age-groupers connecting to the people who enable me to practice my chosen profession. That can’t be a bad thing.

So, the answer to my question was a resounding YES! Coaches are allowed to have a bad race!

It doesn’t matter how much you know, or how much you prepare, sometimes it’s just not going to be your day. I had a bad race, but ultimately, I had a good Coaching Day, and for me, that’s more than good enough!

Oh, and I didn’t finish last, that snake was still out there as dead as ever on the side of the road when I crossed the line!

JB

Ok, so just because it took me this long to hopefully prove something that you probably already knew, doesn’t mean you can just start pumping iron and reap the benefits of better performances. Not all strength training programs are created equal, but there are a couple of training principles that are the same regardless.

#1 is the overload principle. Overload states that for any training adaptation (increase in strength, endurance, etc.) to occur, you must train at a level beyond what you are already accustomed. The one story always used to reflect this principle is the story of Milo of Croton from Greek mythology. Everyday, Milo lifted a pet calf. As the calf grew, Milo was challenged beyond what he was the day before until ultimately he was strong enough to lift a full grown ox. I’d be pretty impressed if any of our real strong men today could lift an ox, but you get the point. In any form of training, in order to improve, you need to challenge your body to do more, or go beyond what you currently can do. That can mean increases in resistance, speed, volume, frequency, or duration.

#2 is the principle of specificity. It is also called the SAID principle; Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. This means that results from training are limited to the physiological systems used and overloaded during training. If you want to improve at something, you need to do that something. This is probably the most important principle. You can’t train for a marathon, and expect to be fast sprinter, or vice versa.

The principle of specificity is where the term “Functional training” originates. As I said (no pun intended), not all programs are created equal, but they may all be equally beneficial for their specific purpose. All the term functional training truly means is training in a manner that mimics or resembles the activity you are going to perform. If an endurance athlete goes to the gym and starts training like they do at Venice Beach, they will not maximize the benefits of strength training for their endurance sport. A bodybuilding program is not functionally appropriate for endurance.

What exactly is functional training for endurance? In order to answer that question, you need to examine the endurance sport you are training for and answer a few more questions. Where does the sport take place; on land, in the water, on a piece of equipment? What physical actions does the sport require, and what are the muscles/joints involved in those actions? The big thing with functional training is training “movements, not muscles”, but there can be instances where training a specific muscle or joint is necessary before progressing to a more complex movement, as in the case of rehabilitating an injury. The majority of the time however, you need to train for how you move.

Let’s take a look at 3 main endurance sports; running, cycling, and swimming.

Running:

For most people, running is the quickest and easiest way to start endurance training. It is also one of the most injury producing sports we do. Of the estimated 24 million runners in the USA, 65% will have a running related injury each year, that’s about 15 million people! Looking at the basic movements required to run, will give you the clues you need to design your functional strength program to hopefully prevent some of these injuries.

1. The first obvious point is that running takes place 1 leg at a time. Right away you have to be able to stabilize on a single leg during the support phase of each stride.
2. Running involves contra-lateral (opposite, or opposing) movement between upper and lower extremities. When the right foot moves forward, the left arm moves forward to counter balance the movement. This counter movement involves rotational forces through the core (from bottom of rib cage to the knees) of the body.
3. Forward motion is caused primarily by hip extension. Once the foot contacts the ground, the hamstrings and gluteals contract to pull the torso forward. Think of it like trying to scrape something off the bottom of your shoe.
4. The drive phase, or “push off” requires simultaneous hip extension, knee extension, and plantar flexion. So running involves multi-joint movements working simultaneously to move the body along.
5. In the recovery phase, the hip extends rapidly, and the knee extends eccentrically to pull the leg through to the next stride.

Right away, you can see that single leg stability is a must. If you can’t balance on one leg, there is no way you will be an efficient runner. In order to get the most power per stride, you must stabilize the hip joints; of which the hamstrings and glutes are the primary movers.

The contra-lateral movement between the upper and lower body requires rotation of the torso, and thus demands a strong and stable core (ribs to knees, lumbar spine and hips). A weak core reduces the amount of power transmitted between the upper and lower body and limits performance.

Let us not forget that every step you take transmits anywhere from 300 to 500 pounds of force directly through your foot and ankle into the rest of your body. Good ankle stabilization and joint mobility is a must. Running takes place in a standing position, so it makes sense for the majority of the exercises chosen for a strength program to occur standing. It does not mean however, that exercises that don’t have you upright are not appropriate; it just depends on how closely they mimic the actual running movements.

Finally, running requires multi-joint movements in a highly coordinated fashion. Performing single joint exercises such as those in a bodybuilding program just don’t translate effectively. Running is also an explosive sport, so incorporating plyometric exercises is essential for improving performance.
All of these movements happen fairly rapidly and extremely repetitively. Amazingly, unless you’re a coach or therapist, you never think about it because as soon as you can walk, you can run.

Cycling:

Cycling presents us with an interesting dynamic. It is a ground based movement just like running however, instead of contacting the ground with our feet; we are connected through a bicycle. Our means of propulsion are still movements of joints and muscles, but they are translated through pedals, cranks, chains, frames, and wheels. Obviously, the main focus is on the pedal stroke and the coordinated movement of the hips, knees, and ankles.

The chart below gives you a breakdown of what muscles are used during the pedal stroke.

Don’t be fooled however, into thinking that it’s solely the legs that are responsible for propelling the bike forward. Remember that when one side of the lower body moves, it is counter balanced by movement of the opposite upper body. The human body naturally moves in a contra-lateral fashion between upper and lower extremities using rotational forces to provide locomotion.

This rotation and involvement of the core and upper body becomes more evident in cycling when you are sprinting or climbing, but it is present at all times. Notice when you’re pedaling out of the saddle how the bike moves from side to side away from the downward pedal stroke.

Is cycling a leg dominated sport? Briefly, yes, but without a strong core, you will not be able to generate maximum power. With power meters all the rage in serious cycling, it makes sense to incorporate training the core and upper body into your cycling strength program.

Swimming:

Swimming transports us from a land based activity into the relatively anti-gravity environment of the water. It also changes our perspective from a vertical position to a horizontal position. Add to that the fact that water is more dense than air, and we have a completely different environment than what we are used to.
How do we move our body through this strange medium? The first thing we have to consider is drag. Drag is the resistance encountered when moving through water. Have you ever tried running in water? It’s not so easy, is it? This is due to the large surface area of your body pushing against the water. Hence, in water, we use a horizontal position to create a smaller surface area for the water to resist against. This streamlined position helps us “cut through” the water and move more easily.

Now we have to consider buoyancy. Some people are more buoyant than others, but there is still an element of gravity for everyone to deal with. There must be downward force applied to the water to keep us buoyant, as well as backward force applied to propel us forward.

The more efficient we are at maintaining a streamlined position in the water, and the more power we can generate with each stroke, the more likely we will be able to swim faster. So how do we maintain good positioning and generate power, or thrust?

As you may have guessed, swimming is an upper body dominated activity. There is extensive use of the shoulder and arms in particular. The lower body also provides thrust through the kick; however, in endurance swimming, and triathlons, the kick is usually minimal and used to help stabilize the body in the water. What else happens during the swim stroke? From one stroke to the next, the body rotates through the water. This rotation is initiated by, you guessed it, the core (ribs to knees, lumbar spine and hips). Without a strong core for swimming, you could not generate enough power, or maintain proper body positioning to “cut through” the water. If your lower body sags down in the water, you create a greater surface area and thus more drag, creating the swimming equivalent of running uphill.

Putting it all together:

1. All three disciplines require different movements for locomotion, but all use rotational forces to facilitate those movements. It makes sense then to incorporate exercises in your program that strengthen your core with particular attention focused on rotation.
2. All three sports require multi-joint movements working together in an integrated/coordinated fashion. Therefore, it’s important to train with movements that require more than one joint at a time. Exercises such as leg extensions and dumbbell curls are not an appropriate choice for the endurance athlete.
3. Two of the three involve ground reaction forces, so it makes sense to train in a standing position with your feet in contact with the ground.
4. They all require power in order to move faster, so incorporating power training such as plyometrics is essential to improve performance.
5. They all require movements in multiple planes of motion (sagittal-forward, frontal- side to side, transverse-rotation), and require multiple planes of stabilization, so training must mimic those movements such as training on a single leg, or using reciprocal and unilateral movements.

It’s important to understand that not all exercises will fit into these descriptions, but that does not mean that they are ineffective for endurance athletes. Remember that you had to crawl before you could walk, and walk before you could run, so it’s important to follow an appropriate progression.

There are a number of protocols you can use in your training. These include: body weight training, medicine balls, cables and tubing, free weights, stability balls, plyometrics, etc. There are also a multitude of exercises that each protocol lends itself to.

The following is a brief list of great exercises for each protocol:

Body Weight:
Squats Lunges (all planes) Single leg squats Step ups Single leg reach Push ups variations Pull up variations Crunches (all varieties) Single leg balance

Medicine balls:
MB squats MB lunges MB chops MB rotations MB push up variations MB toss variations

Cables and Tubing:
Push variations Pull variations Hip flexion/extension Hip ad/abduction Torso rotation variations Resisted running Resisted jumping

Free weights:
Squats Lunges Reaches Overhead presses Dead lifts Row variations Rotations Push up variations

Stability balls:
Squats Lunges Single leg squats Bridge variations Push up variations Back extensions Knee tucks Rotations

Plyometrics:
Squat jumps Split squat jumps Depth push ups Jump rope Box jumps Bounding Long jumps Double leg hops Single leg push off

These are only a few of the endless list of exercises that can be incorporated into an effective strength training program for endurance athletes. Remember that in order for an exercise to be “functional” for endurance it needs to resemble actual movements used in the chosen sport. That is the principle of Specificity. In order for any improvements to occur, the endurance athlete must challenge and go beyond what they are already capable of doing. That is the principle of Overload. You now know that Strength training is indeed good, and in fact essential for the endurance athlete to improve performance. You also know the basics of how to go about designing a program for three specific endurance sports. The most important thing for you to do is to keep examining your sport to understand exactly how to train for it. Don’t just randomly go into the gym and pump iron. If you go in with a plan and a purpose you’ll be successful.

JB