Анатомия бега (2010,иностр

Muscles Involved

Primary: adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis

Secondary: vastus medialis

TECHNIQUE TIP

Avoid pushing the weight with the feet. Focus on bringing the legs together with the adductor muscles.

Running Focus

The adductor exercise can be used in a strength-development regimen or as a rehabilitative regimen that requires ancillary muscles to be developed without undue stress on the knee joints. Many knee problems are caused by an imbalance of the four quadriceps muscles, which cause tracking issues for the patella. The adductor exercise strengthens the adductor muscle group specifically and the vastus medialis secondarily, preventing the patella from tracking too laterally. Developing strength in the adductor group and the quadriceps muscles of the upper leg aids in the powerful extension during the propulsive phase of the running gait. To prevent imbalances in the quadriceps, perform the abductor exercise on the same piece of equipment, as described in chapter 7.

QUADRICEPS FOCUS

Machine Leg Extension

Execution

1.Sit in the leg extension machine in the appropriate position. Keep the knees in line with the fulcrum of the weight lever and the back straight. Grasp the handles on both sides of the seat, but do not squeeze.

2.After choosing an appropriate weight, extend, but do not hyperextend, both legs through a full range of motion with a fluid motion.

3.At full extension, lower the legs gradually, resisting the weight while inhaling deeply.

Muscles Involved

Primary: quadriceps

Secondary: tensor fasciae latae, sartorius

TECHNIQUE TIP

Avoid hyperextending the knees and rocking the body to help lift the weight.

Running Focus

The machine leg extension is a fantastic exercise because it is simple to perform and has a great impact on quadriceps strength. It develops the four muscles of the quadriceps equally (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius) and aids in keeping the patella tracking correctly. For runners suffering from a patellofemoral injury, the full extension needed for this exercise will unduly stress the patella. To help develop the quadriceps, a modified version of the exercise using a short arc (only the final 15 to 20 degrees of the exercise) helps off-load the patella. This exercise is a must during the introductory phase of training due to its general strength-building power.

VARIATION

Machine Leg Extension With Short Arc

The leg extension with short arc variation is an excellent exercise for developing quadriceps strength if there is knee pain due to patellofemoral syndrome. The only drawback is that it is not a full range-of-motion exercise; however, once the knee pain dissipates, the full extension exercise can be completed.

HAMSTRING FOCUS

Machine Lying Hamstring Curl

Execution

1.Lie prone on a hamstring curl machine. The pads of the machine are situated at the Achilles tendon. Hands are outstretched, holding onto the handles of the bench. Keep the head centered with the chin slightly off the bench.

2.Focusing on the hamstring muscles, slowly but fluidly pull the weight upward.

3.Return the weight to the starting position by gradually resisting the downward motion of the lever.

Muscles Involved

Primary: hamstrings

Secondary: gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, gastrocnemius

SAFETY TIP Some common mistakes made while performing this exercise are pulling strongly on the handles to help aid the motion of the exercise, lowering the weight too quickly, and slamming the weight into the glutes to finish the repetition.

Running Focus

As the counterpart to the machine leg extension, the lying hamstring curl works the large muscles of the hamstrings, helping to balance the quadriceps muscles of the front of the leg. The hamstrings come into play during the recovery phase of the gait cycle, as the lower leg bends at the knee, pulling the leg upward toward the glutes. The hamstrings group is not as strong as the quadriceps group, but it must be diligently strengthened or an imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstrings could occur. It is not common for distance runners to experience hamstring tears or pulls, but it is common for distance runners to suffer from hamstring tightness because of problems in the lower back. Also, many knee injuries are related to weak hamstrings.

One complaint about the hamstring curl is that it works only the hamstrings and not the hamstrings and glutes, which work together in the gait cycle. While true, this is less significant if the exercise is performed in the base, or introductory, phase of training, where the emphasis is more on general strengthening and less on functional work, and where other exercises can work the glutes.

Dumbbell Lunge