EXERCISES ACCENTUATING ACCELERATION By Natasha Lothery MS, CSCS, USAW
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cceleration is a force characterized by pushing. To accelerate the athlete must exert force into the ground, a push, in order to move forward. The stronger the force is applied (with optimal technique), the faster the athlete accelerates. Force should be applied with attention to the right muscle groups and right form. The major muscle groups involved in acceleration or applying the push into the ground are the extensors of the hip, knee, and ankle, mainly the glutes and calves. The following are exercises that focus on working these muscles in a fashion similar to accelerating on foot. These can be added as a teaching tool and supplement to your acceleration based training program.
2. Bird dog This is another great exercise promoting hip extension over low back extension. It is important when an athlete is accelerating to put force into the ground via a powerful drive from and extended leg. When running, the goal of the athlete should be to have the ability to extend at the hips while maintaining stability in the low back. The bird dog exercise teaches the athlete to contract the
1. Glute-bridge with alternate marching Have the athlete lay on his or her back with knees bent. Tighten the abdominals, lift the toes, push through the heels and lift the hips off the floor by tightening, or contracting, the glutes. The goal is to open the hips in such a position as to create a relatively straight line between the shoulder, hip and knee. Hold hips in extended position while alternating bent-knee leg lifts. If the athlete feels any cramping in the hamstrings chances Glute are, they are allowing bridge their low back and hamstrings to dominate the act of extension. Have them start from the ground position, tighten their abdominals and glutes, and try again. This exercise teaches the athlete to hold, or stabilize, their body in hip extension while executing hip flexion.
Bird Dog
glutes in order to completely lengthen their leg out. This can not be done if the athlete bends, or extends at the low back. Position the athlete with hands and knees on the floor. Their wrists should be aligned underneath their shoulders and their knees underneath their hips. Bring the right elbow and left knee in towards the navel, and then extend both right arm
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ACCELERATION WALL DRILL and left leg as straight as possible by driving out from the shoulder and glutes. Again, the goal is to have the athlete execute this exercise without extending the low back-teach the athlete to drive the legs by extending from the hips instead of from the low back.
3. Mt. Climber To execute this exercise, the athlete will need to position their body in a narrow-grip push-up position with arms extended and on the balls of their feet with legs extended. Wrists need to be Mt. aligned underneath Climber relaxed shoulders (make sure there is no shrugging), and their hips and shoulders should be in a relatively straight line. Make sure that the athlete can hold this position for at least 20 to 30 seconds while maintaining a “braced” or contracted core (tight abdominal and low back muscles). The athlete should be able to hold this position without letting their low back sag (proper maintenance of core stability). Begin with having the athlete flex their right hip, bringing the thigh in towards the navel, with the toes pulled up, and maintaining contact with the ground through the ball of the foot. The left leg should be completely extended from the hip down, with the left ball of the foot in contact with the ground. On cue, have the athlete switch from a right flexed leg and extended left leg, to a left flexed leg, with the right leg extended. The athlete should be able to execute several repetitions of alternating hip flexion and extension without bouncing up and down in the hips, or sagging in their low back. The goal, once again, is to work with the hips while stabilizing the back.
4. Acceleration Wall Drill The purpose of this drill is to take what the athlete learned on the ground to a more upright position. The body needs to be positioned at about a 45-degree angle from the ground. There should be a relatively straight line between the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. To execute the wall drill, have the athlete flex the right hip bringing the right thigh at an angle parallel to the floor with the toes lifted up. The right shin should be at a 45-degree angle to the ground as well, or parallel to the angle of the body. On cue, have the athlete drive the right leg down by contracting the right glute while driving the left leg up, by flexing at the left hip. The athlete should be able to execute several repetitions of alternating hip flexion and extension without bouncing up and down in the hips, or
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sagging in their low back, and maintaining the 45-degree body position to the floor.
5. Acceleration March
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ACCELERATION MARCH
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The common goal of all of these exercises is to educate the athlete on maintaining proper core posture. The ability to stabilize the torso while performing explosive movements with the limbs is vital not only
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Once the athlete has a certain level of competency in execution of the previous mentioned ground-based and wall exercises they now can be progressed to the acceleration march. Place a restraint or resistance device designed for speed training, such as a ½ inch or 1 inch super rubber band, around the athlete’s waist. Have the athlete lean slightly forward into the same body position as they were in when performing the wall drill (shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in a straight line and at an angle approximately 45-degrees from parallel). Next have the athlete march forward with a tempo, or pace, comfortable to them. There are two main areas of focus in performing the acceleration march correctly: maintenance of core stability and limb execution with proper technique. The athlete should be able to complete a set distance of marching without losing the straight line connection between their shoulders and hips, in other words, as the athlete is marching they should keep their core muscles firmly braced and not allow their low back to sag, or their upper back to slouch. Have them maintain proper posture in their torso. Emphasize to the athlete that their arms should be bent at the elbow creating a right angle between their upper and lower arm. Their shoulders should be relaxed, and forceful swinging should occur from the shoulder joint (make sure that they are not elevating their shoulders, and staying relaxed in the neck). Their goal is to drive their thumbs from “cheek to cheek”. Likewise, the athlete should move their legs in the same fashion as taught in the Wall Drill: forcefully drive the leg down from the hip joint-not the low back. The toes should be pulled up with the ball of the foot coming in contact with the ground. The opposite leg should be driven up with just as much effort as the leg that is driving down. Make sure the thigh is parallel to the ground, and the toes are pulled up as well. The shins should be kept at a 45-degree angle to the ground, similar to the angle of the torso, in order to prevent reaching and pulling with the hamstrings or “putting on the brakes” (this usually happens when the ankle deviates too far in front of the knee). As the athlete is learning to execute this drill properly, use only a very slight amount of resistance, or no resistance at all, with your rubber band-or other restraint device. The waist level restraint device should aid the athlete in awareness as to where their hips are in relation to the other joints of their body (kinesthetic awareness). Once the athlete can perform this drill with a fair level of competency, exercises to progress from the Acceleration March include: the Acceleration Skip (the same drill as Acceleration March, but performed in a more rhythmic fashion), and the Acceleration Run (perform an actual maximal effort acceleration focusing on all the technical aspects). The common goal of all of these exercises is to educate the athlete on maintaining proper core posture. The ability to stabilize the torso while performing explosive movements with the limbs is vital not only for optimal performance, but to maintain joint and muscle health. Teach athletes that the limbs are only as functional as what they are attached to-the core. With attention to the finer details, and repetition with the above stated exercises, athletes may see promising results in their performance.
for optimal performance, but to maintain joint and muscle health.