Free Your Body

(Photo via Running Times)

I couldn't agree more with this.

"Train movements, not muscles"--If you're an experienced exerciser, stay away from machines. You don't need them. I personally hate machines but I understand they're a lifesaver for beginners or for people who undergo rehabilitation. It helps gain confidence for beginners as they learn to connect the movements that work certain body parts along with written instructions, and sometimes muscle anatomy, on the equipment itself. After a while, let them go and head for the free weights. Let your body free so you can work on movements that target muscles at all angles, not just one or two which is what those boring robotic machines does for us. Don't be boring. Get out.

"Don't just lift. Coordinate"--coordinate, coordinate, coordinate! Get all parts of your body moving at once so every part can work with the other efficiently and in harmony. If you're doing an arm workout, throw in a leg workout as well (military DB press + single leg lunges). The bonus: your core gets stronger when all parts are working simultaneously!

"If you don't run lying down, then why do ab work with your body positioned that way?"--Yes, why? It's OK to do this every once in a while but to get the most benefit, strength or coordination moves that imitate repetitive movements in racing (or any other sport) should be emphasized. Become stronger and less prone to fatigue by stimulating those race-specific muscles!

Let's say you want to work on your running speed, more specifically, the push off phase (see #1 in photo above). This is the action that drives you forward. Calf raises is one thing you could do; however, instead of standing in an upright position, the best imitation would be placing your hands on a wall to bring yourself in a slight forward lean position from the ankles. This is technically how the body should be positioned when you run. Do the calf raises in that position. Work on power by adding in a knee drive with one leg so the other can, alone, work on the push-off phase. Switch legs and repeat.