If you are one of those athletes, and there are many, who look at their strength, pre-hab or rehab routine on their training schedule and either moves it to another day, cuts it short, spends more time on their phone then doing the workout, or heaven forbid lets it turn RED, then this is a blog for you.
No coach wants to see that text from an athlete which has the dreaded word - INJURY in it, and NO athlete wants to be sidelined. We all have goals that we want to accomplish and it is a foregone conclusion that the only way to achieve your goals is by being consistent, but how can you be consistent if you are constantly plagued by injuries - well simply put, you can’t.
So What’s an Athlete To Do?
NOT skip their strength work. Not now and not ever.
Let’s be clear, injury prevention is multifaceted, but one sure way to wind up injured is to have a weak and imbalanced body.
This becomes an even larger issue the older you get.
There are numerous studies that show that, “Most runners lack strength in at least one muscle group, as well as in their neuromuscular pathways, the lines of communication between brain and body, says Jay Dicharry, M.P.T., the director of the REP biomechanics lab at Rebound Physical Therapy in Bend, Oregon, and author of Anatomy for Runners. Strong pathways help muscles fire more efficiently and in quick succession, which enables you to run with greater control and stability (https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20812228/how-to-prevent-common-running-injuries/). The same goes for the swim and bike. A weak body is an out of balance body, which leads to over compensation and potentially an injury due to the repetitive motion of endurance sports. If you do not train to fire your muscles and make sure those muscles are strong and balanced then you will not be able to fire them when needed.
A Strong Core is a MUST!
If you cannot hold a plank for 60 seconds, then there is work to be done.
Everywhere you turn you are told that you need a strong core, but what really is your core?
The core muscles are made up of a number of muscle groups: the abdominal, pelvic, lower back, and hip muscles namely. A strong core is essential as it means that you can fully engage your stabilization and mobilization muscles. The stabilization muscles are essential to maintain good posture and support our body, and the mobilization muscles function to move our body.
Weak core muscles contribute to poor posture, back pain, and many injuries.
Where do you start?
It does not need to be complicated - check out this blog from Coach Katie on some great core movements.
It’s all about the Bootie - but seriously, it really is.
If you want to avoid pain in your joints, you need to start with making sure that you have a very strong posterior chain. This is especially important for female athletes who tend to be quad dominant. If your bootie is weak, the quads take over, even when it is to your detriment as an athlete.
Weak glutes will lead to not only injuries, but could be holding you back from your true potential.
The importance of strong glutes is extensive. The glutes extend, laterally rotate, and abduct your hips as well as stabilize your SI joint, and transfer force through the tensor fasciae latae and IT band. The glutes aid in lower back stability. Essentially there is a very strong connection from your glutes to your knees to your ankles.
If you have back pain, hip pain, hamstring pain, IT band, knee or even Achilles issues, it is important to get to work on your glutes. While this seems like a long list of ailments to all stem from one area of weakness, remember that the glutes are the largest muscle in the body and they influence the biomechanics of the entire leg.
What Else Can I Do?
At Evolve we love this simple and effective routine called Myrtls. Check it out here and give it a go. If you find that it is far too easy, add a theraband above the knees.
While it would be great to have a strength training routine that you hit three times a week for 45 minutes, it is also not always practical. The best strength routine is the one that you will do consistently and with good form. It’s that simple!