FitSugar

Home Fitness Test: Quad Strength and Endurance

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:30:00 PST

Ski season is rapidly approaching and with it means sore quads. That is if you don't do any preseason conditioning. I would start with the simple assessment of the your quad endurance, which is also a great exercise to add into your routine.
Wall Sit Test
Assesses: Quad strength and endurance

Place your back against the wall, and walk your feet out and away from the wall about 3 ft.
Bend your knees allowing your back to slide down the wall.
Bend both your hips and knees to 90 degrees and adjust your feet as needed. Imagine you are sitting in an invisible chair.
Start your stop watch now and see how long you can hold the position. Don't forget to breathe!

To see what your results mean

76 seconds or more = very good
58-75 seconds = average
57-30 seconds = below average
30 seconds or less = poor

Interested in more at home fitness tests? Then check out these assessments you can do in the comfort and privacy of you own home. Source

From Beginner to Expert: 4 Ways to Become a Better Runner

Leta Shy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:42:26 PST

Have you got the running bug? If you've recently committed to a running program, it may seem like there's not much prep involved, except downloading your favorite playlist. Running is a popular pastime because it doesn't require much know-how to start - just pick out your shoes and go. But that doesn't mean that there isn't technique. Whether you're starting out or never thought twice about your regular runs, read on for tips on how to become a better runner.

Learn the basics: The barriers to entry may be low, but that doesn't mean running isn't a skill. If you are a beginner runner, pay attention to how you run. Listen to your gait - you shouldn't be running unevenly or hitting the ground hard. Read more tips on analyzing your running style here. And remember that mid- or forefoot-striking is best (as opposed to heel striking) for helping prevent injuries.

Read more tips on proper running after the break.

Show Your Running Knees Some Love

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:30:58 PST

Running as a convenient form of cardio may be the bee's knees, but it can leave my knees aching. Although studies have found there is no connection between running and an increased risk for arthritis, here are some easy ways to show your knees some love.

Stay flexible: Tight hamstrings or quads can prevent the knee from going through its full range of motion, which can negatively impact the soft tissues that work the knee. Hamstrings can get especially tight for runners, and here are five easy ways to lengthen the muscles in the back of your legs. Don't forget to stretch your quads post-run, as well as your calves. Tight calves can create knee pain so stretch the back of your lower legs as well.
Maintain a healthy weight: Running can be considered a series of connecting hops, and the force of landing on your knees is considerable. Excess weight just increases the force of pressure your knees endure while running.
Strength train: Keeping your legs strong can help prevent knee injuries. Strong quads and strong glute meds, the muscle on the side of the pelvis, can help prevent iliotibial band syndrome, which causes pain on the outside of the knee, so do this wall sit exercise.
Cross train: Doing multiple forms of cardio is a great way to give your knee joints a nice break. Biking, swimming, Zumba, and running in water are great ways to mix up your cardio routine.

How to Run a Faster 5K

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:23:54 PST

You've been running regularly for some time and have completed a few 5K fun runs. But now it's time to step it up and take this distance seriously. Here are some tips to help you beat your personal record when running 3.1 miles.

During Training

Add speedwork: If you want to run a faster 5K, you have to practice running faster. Coach Andrew Kastor recommends adding 80-meter sprints into your training schedule, and here's his plan for running a faster 5K in four weeks. Remember: sprinting can be hard on the body, so make sure to start off with shorter sprints and build up to the full 80 meters, especially if you're new to speed work.
Add short uphills: Hills require strength and endurance, so if you practice them during your training, you'll develop speed and muscle power, and just as with plyometrics (jump exercises), hill sprints will increase flexibility in your muscles and tendons, which reduces your risk of injury. In your training, tackle shorter steep hills (about six to 10 percent incline). Sprint up for 10 seconds, then walk downhill backwards to avoid pressure on the knees. Repeat, eventually building up to eight 10-second sprints. It's a surefire way to stronger, faster legs.
Incorporate strength training moves that target your shins, calves, quads, glutes, and core: Running alone won't increase your speed. You need to strengthen the muscles that make you move so your actions will be more powerful and more efficient. Incorporate variations of squats, lunges, step-ups, calf raises, bent over rows, and these three booty moves from celebrity trainer David Kirsch.
Become familiar with the route: Obtain a map of the 5K course, and if the route is open (like in a neighborhood or wooded trail), practice running it to familiarize yourself with the hills, curves, and mile markers. Knowing the course in advance will give you confidence and an added advantage over runners who are running it for the first time.

Keep reading to find out what to do on race day to run a faster 5K.

The Lowdown on Warming Up For Workouts and Races

Susi May — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:18:00 PDT

A proper warmup starts your workout on the right foot, prepping both your muscles and lungs for what's to come. Once the staple of readying the body for exercise, stretching has fallen under scrutiny of late. Studies have found that static stretching, holding the stretch for 30 seconds to two minutes, is basically a wash as it neither causes nor prevents injury. And if your workout involves sprinting and jumping, slow passive stretching can result in a loss of muscle strength and power, which is no good if you're in it to win it.

So if slow, meditative stretching is out, how exactly should you warm up? Well if soccer or any other high-intensity sport is your game, orthopedic physical therapist Colleen Birmingham, of the Running Center at CPMC in San Francisco, suggests some dynamic stretching - moves that lengthen muscles while you're in motion, like walking lunges and leg kicks. Active stretches "increase blood flow to muscles in a functional pattern of movement without impairing performance," explains Birmingham, who has a sports conditioning background.

I'm into plyometrics workouts (read: will jump when my trainer says so) and will suffer through speed drills, but the majority of my workouts fall under the low-intensity category - endurance running, cycling, and swimming. For these workouts, Birmingham reminded me that research has shown no benefits to stretching, either dynamically or statically. For this reason, Colleen recommends warming up by going "slow for the first 10 percent of your run, bike, or swim and steadily ramp up. This tactic allows your muscles to warm up so you can go the distance without wasting time and energy stretching." However, Santa Monica-based trainer and owner of Training Adventures, Paul Vincent, likes a short dynamic warmup pre-run complete with "running drills and different muscle activations." For the seasoned Ironman triathlete, the warmup is also a time to assess the state of your body: "The objective is to not only get the body warm, but to check in and see what’s tight or sore so you can deal with that before training."

Get the skinny on race-day warmups when you read more.

5 Reasons to Love the Incline

Leta Shy — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:04:58 PDT

I know that I should embrace the incline while I'm running, but most of the time the thought of running hills and trudging along an angled treadmill fills me with unease. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize I should be loving the hills - and why you should, too. Here's why:

You'll burn more calories. There's a pretty big difference between a totally flat treadmill and one with a five percent incline - almost 100 calories in difference. Running uphill can burn major calories, and anything helps, so the next time you're on a run, try upping the incline on your treadmill a little bit, or finding a not-quite-flat route.
They help prevent shin splints. Running on flat or downhill ground can make you more susceptible to painful shin splints by putting pressure on your shinbones, but running uphill can alleviate that stress (just make sure you're careful when you're on your way down!)

More benefits of hill running after the break.

Running With a Pack in the Hood to Coast Relay

Susi May — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:18:56 PDT

When invited to run on a friend's team in the mother of all relays, you answer yes and start training immediately. This is how I joined the Van Tramps for the 30th running of the Hood to Coast Relay. I had seen the documentary (here's my review of Hood to Coast, the movie) and was honored to be in the 12-women team named partially after the Von Trapp family singers, immortalized climbing hills in The Sound of Music. But our team name is also a nod to the hours spent in a van, tramping around Oregon between Mt. Hood and the Oregon coast. Silly names and decorated vans are all part of the fun of this endurance relay.

The race starts five miles up the eponymous mountain, winds its way through the city of Portland, OR, before ending 200 miles later at the beachy town of Seaside. The 12-member team is divided equally into two vans. Each member runs three legs of the 36-leg race, with stage lengths ranging from just under four miles to just over eight. The race takes over 24 hours to complete, so all racers have the thrill of running in the dark wearing flashing lights (or vests) and headlamps. In fact, race officials won't let you check in at the starting line without first showing them your safety wear. Nothing like sharing a sweating reflective vest with your teammates. It's bonding!

Learn more race deets after the break.

Running Hills: Go From No Way to Give Me More

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:15:55 PDT

There's an enormous hill by my house that I used to pass by and shudder. That is, until I went on a run with my hill-loving neighbor. Hills are intimidating, but they really do make us better runners. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?

Here are some tips to make hills feel easier so you can start incorporating them into your runs.

When You're Not Running
When you're not running, cross-train with other types of intense cardio to strengthen your heart. Mountain biking, hiking, walking with the treadmill's incline pumped up - all at a vigorous pace - will do the trick. At first, it will feel like it's impossible to catch your breath, but as your body gets used to the physical demands, you'll be able to get through an intense workout without feeling like you're going to pass out.

Strong legs are also important because they propel your body weight forward when you're running up a hill. When strength training, focus on moves that target your calves, shins, quads, hamstrings, and booty like balancing side leg lift squat, reverse lunge, Superman booty lifts, calf raises, and elbow plank with donkey kick.

Keep reading to find out what tactics you can use during your run to make hills a breeze.

6 Reasons to Row Your Way to Fit While Burning 800 Calories

Self — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:08:43 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Once upon a time, rowing was considered a man's sport, beloved by preppy Ivy League boys and lake fishermen. Times have changed. Here's what happened: we ladies found out it was fun. You know what else is fun? Being toned. And, contrary to popular belief, rowing accomplishes that for more than just your upper body.

Just ask ultra-endurance athlete and World Rowing Champion, Josh Crosby, who created the now internationally practiced Indo-Row workout with partner and fitness developer Jay Blahnik. (They even collaborated with WaterRower on a special Indo-Row Machine that uses actual water.) Though the first classes began in 2005, Indo-Row went global in the last three years and is now offered at over 50 clubs from Equinox and Sports Club LA to The Mayo Clinic's Wellness Center. And, as with any growing trend and especially ones that start in California, Hollywood has caught on. Though the Indo-Row team is hush-hush about A-list clientele, a few names have leaked out like Nicole Kidman, Estella Warren, Kevin Bacon, and Jason Patric.

In the creator's own words, "Indo-Row was designed to bring the benefits of rowing to the masses." See Crosby's top six reasons to row after the break!

Race a Faster 10K: Add Mile Repeats to Your Week

Susi May — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 03:06:24 PDT

The 5K distance is often considered the "gateway" race. Crossing the finish line after running 3.1 miles can set a racing habit into motion with the quest to conquer longer distances and shave seconds off finishing times. In the stepping stones of races leading up to the bucket-list marathon distance is the 10K. Doubling the mileage from 3.1 to 6.2 can be daunting, but it's important to keep your workouts varied. And by varied, I mean adding speed work, which means pushing your pace, and mile repeats are perfect for this. My Equinox trainer Lauren, an avid runner herself, recommends doing a workout featuring mile repeats once a week during your training program, and doing them on terrain similar to what you will be racing on - you can stick to streets if you're prepping for a road race, or find a hilly course if your race is full of climbs.

When training for a 10K, a typical mile repeats workout means running a mile at race pace four to six times with a three to five minute recovery break between miles. This recovery break means you slow to jog, and the time of your "break" (in quotes because you're still moving) should decrease as your fitness level improves. Lauren says, "You want to try to hit your repeat pace at race pace or just under. At the beginning of your training program, you can add as much as 30 seconds on to your repeat time/race pace and take the full five minute rest. If you are in better shape and nearing your race date, drop a few seconds off your mile pace and take a shorter rest." Mile repeats improves both your speed and endurance, and helps you familiarize yourself with how your race pace will feel.

To see an outline of the workout keep reading.