Don’t Forget Athletic Movement

As trainers or coaches we spend a great deal of time breaking down movements, trying to find parts we can “train” or improve.  Watching this vintage film of Sugar Ray Robinson prepare for a fight, it struck me that the training isn’t complex or complicated, movements aren’t broken down or over analyzed.  Fluid motion, changes of direction, acceleration/deceleration, stability from the core radiating out (the medicine ball throws at his abdomen were and incredible display of balance and trunk stability).  Amazing.

Old Man Hurdle Jump

Working on the jumping aspect of my athlete’s programs, so therefore, I am jumping.  Took this video today playing around with Hurdles compared to Box Jumps.  We have had problems in the past with damaged shins with box jumps.

Measuring improvements in hip external rotation strength/power

I am looking into measureable ways to show improvements in strength and power in the hip external rotators, as increasing strength in this musculature has shown to prevent or repair knee valgus (knock knees).   Knee valgus characterizing medial collapse might be associated with knee injuries 1,4,5.  It has been shown that increasing strength in the hip and hamstrings combine to show significant injury prevention qualities for patellofemoral, IT and ACL type injuries 1,2,3.   In addition the Leetun Study, showed that athletes who did not sustain an injury were
significantly stronger in their hip abduction and hip external rotation muscles hip external rotation strength was the best predictor of injury 6.

With this in mind I am going to track the effect on landing/deceleration from a shallow depth jump effect on knee valgus compared with distance improvement on measurements of a maximal lateral broad jump or lateral bound.  Because the lateral bound is explosive, compound (using the entire leg but emphasizing the external rotators) I think it is a real world way to look at hip strength and power improvements and how they may effect lower body biomechanics

 

 

1. Clin J Sport Med. 2000;10:169-175.treatment programs incorporating exercises designed to address hip impairments have demonstrated positive short- and long-term outcomes on knee injuries.

2. Ferber R, Davis IM, Williams DS. Gender differences in lower extremity mechanics
during running. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2003;18:350–357.

3. Markolf KL, Burchfield DM, Shapiro MM, Shepard MF, Finerman GA, Slauterbeck
JL. Combined knee loading states that generate high anterior cruciate ligament forces.
J Orthop Res. 1995;13:930–935

4.Nakagawa TH, Muniz TB, Baldon Rde M, Dias Maciel C, de Menezes Reiff RB, Serrao FV. The effect of additional strengthening of hip abductor and lateral rotator muscles in patellofemoral pain syndrome: a randomized controlled pilot study. Clin Rehabil. 2008;22:1051-1060. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269215508095357

5. Powers CM. The influence of altered lower-extremity kinematics on patellofemoral
joint dysfunction: a theoretical perspective. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2003;33:
639–646.

6. Leetun D, Ireland M, Wilson J,  Ballantyne B, Davis I.

Core Stability Measures as Risk Factors for Lower Extremity Injury in Athletes

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
Volume 36(6), June 2004, pp 926-934

Never stop learning….

I had the honor and pain of getting into a biomechanics conversation on a facebook yesterday with three strength coaches that are way above my pay grade, Charlie Weingroff, Dewey Nielson and Daniel Martinez.  I ended up being totally wrong in my assessment of the situation, and the three of them graciously explained my mistake.  Just when you think you know what is going on, life figures out a way to show you otherwise.  Keep reading, keep learning, keep correcting and improving.

Strong correlation of maximal squat strength with sprint performance and vertical jump height

In this research article the researchers found strong correlation between sprint speed, vertical jump and squat strength.  If you are an athlete, and one, or more of these things are important to your performance, practice these skills.  Forget the agility ladders, and the other toys, get strong first, practice sprinting and jumping, and watch the improvements happen.  You have to build a stronger engine, before you make a faster car.