You Want To Get In Shape? Try This...

Long slow running is the enemy to getting in really great shape for court and field sports and many other sports for that matter...

I would say the most difficult job I have is convincing parents and coaches to stop having their athletes run long slow distance (LSD) as a primary way of getting fit. It is one of those in-grained beliefs that is hard to rub out. Simply because their coach did it, and the coach before did it, and the coach before him did it and blah blah blah. Without going into the science behind it in this blog post I am just going to tell you there are better more efficient and safer ways of getting athletes in shape then LSD training.

Let's consider a couple points here; If you want to get lots stronger do you lift really light weight all the time- no you lift heavier weights. If you want to lose weight do you continue to eat and drink poor food choices, and lots of it- no you choose healthier foods. But when I have parents and coaches come to me and tell me they are frustrated with their athletes slow feet and lack of explosiveness , and in the same sentence say "I am having them run distance for 30-45 minutes 4 times a week", it makes not sense (sorry for the long run on-sentence). They are having the athletes do exactly what is slowing them down and making them less explosive.

Long slow distance running will do this:
1. Train the nervous system to recruit slow twitch muscle. It slows down how quickly a muscles will fire.
2. Reduces the ability to get much stronger due to the energy system being pre-dominantly used. The ability express higher levels of strength is being diminished.
3. In many cases it is causing overuse injuries of the feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, and neck. Not many athletes are physically designed to run long distance and endure the consistent pounding of step after step.
4. It will ingrain a running pattern that is not conducive to quick cutting, change of direction, and acceleration more commonly seen in court and field sports.

Long Slow distance running will also do this: (just to be fair)
1. Relieve mental stress by allowing a person to think and relax will out on the road
2. Burn calories (too many other ways and better ways to do this though)
3. Hmmm- that's all I've got.

Keep in mind. I am talking about athletes wanting to get in shape for their court or field sport. I don't want you to think that I am totally against an occasional run every now and again if someone wants to do it. I just personally think, unless you are a distance runner, it is a waste of time when there are too many other better options.

OK. I am going to challenge you to do the following workout for the purpose of getting in shape. You may gain some strength from this. You many increase posture, you most likely will drop some fat doing this workout but I promise you this....YOU WILL GET IN SHAPE! You will feel like you just sprinted a 200 meter race- several times.

Here is goes:

Warm Up:
1.Do roughly 5 minutes of foam rolling to prepare the muscles
2. Stretch what needs to be stretch on you. Not along stretching session, just stretch what's needed.

3. Activation:
-Glute bridge- 1 x 10 reps
-Hip flexor holds- laying on your back with the hip bent past 90 push drive you knee into your hands and hold the position for 3 seconds. do 3 sets on each leg.
-Side lying leg raise- 1x10 reps on each side. Keep belly forward and toe pointing down toward bottom foot. don't let the toe turn up.

4. Dynamic Movement Preparation
-Reverse lunge hold with arms overhead. Bend slightly to the side away from the back leg- 3 reps on each side
-Side lunge walk- perform 5 reps to the right and left
-Inch work walks- from a push up position walk your feet in toward the hands without bending the knees, then walk the hands away. perform 5 reps
-1 leg RDL body weight- stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent. Bend forward keeping the back flat and by raising the free leg straight out and up- squeeze the glutes. 5 reps on each.
-Skips- skip for 20 yards up and back or skip for 10 seconds
-Jumping jacks- 20 reps
-Lateral shuffles- 10 yards up and back or 10 seconds
-Heel toe walking- 20 yards up and back or 20 seconds

5. The workout: Perform the two circuits 3 times through. There is no rest between exercises. You do get 90 seconds between circuits (one you have done all 3 exercises it counts as one set- you then get 90 seconds)

Go through 3 times
1a. Front lunge with DB's- 8 reps on each leg
1b. Push up walks- 8 reps (perform one push up and then take 4 steps forward- perform second push up and repeat)
1c. Dumbbell row or tubing row- 8 reps on each
rest 90 seconds and repeat

rest 90 seconds and begin second new circuit below:

2a. Side squat walk- Hold one db at chest height. squat down to nearly parallel. Walk 8 steps to the right slowly and 8 steps to the left slowly- stay in squat the entire time.
2b. pull ups or pull downs- I prefer pull ups if you can do them- 8 reps
2c. Alternate shoulder press- 8 reps each side
rest 90 second and repeat

rest for 2 minutes and finish with the cardio routine below:

do this in circuit format as well

3a. Lunge cycle jumps- start in a lunge position- jump up and switch the other foot forward. repeat for 20 reps
3b. Forward and backward runs for 30 seconds
3c. Medicine ball quick rotations. hold the m-ball out in front of the chest with both hands roughly 12 inches away from body. Keep feet panted firmly and rotate the ball quickly from the right to the left (only go about 1/4 rotations). Perform for 20 seconds.
repeat this routine 1-3 times total.

Now, after you have completed this routine you tell me if you had your cardio system challenged???

This is one of the many ways to get in shape and never pound the pavement with long slow distance running. Plus you get so many other benefits.

let me know your thoughts.

Yours in Speed,

Lee