FUNctional Strength Training
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Excerpts from "Running Strong & Injury-Free"

Strength training needs to compliment your running or walking and the best way to do that is to do exercises that are FUNctional.  That means that you need to be training your muscles to do what they need to do in life.  The best way to visualize this is to look at the exercises you've been doing and then look at the activity you're training for and see how much of a resemblance you see between those two activities. 

     Think about it... when was the last time you were required to sit on your behind and kick your leg out against a weight?  So why are you in the gym training your leg to do that?  What about lying on your side and lifting your leg up in the air?  About the only time I do that one is if I'm in bed and get tangled up in the covers with my Golden Retriever(s) on top of me! Neither of those exercises though resemble what I really want to do... which is run well.  

     Let's analyze what your muscles really do when you run.  It isn't hard to do - back up and take a simplistic view... the muscles have ONE goal and that is to overcome gravity!  They decelerate your body weight as it comes into contact with the ground, then accelerate your body weight as you push off the ground.  The key here is that your foot is ON THE GROUND!  That is a key element of FUNctional strength training... you'll keep your feet (or at least one of them) on the ground.  The second major element is that you're required to maintain your balance in order to successfully take a step.  That is another key element of FUNctional strength training; there should be an element of balance challenge involved.  

So how do you start?  The most important rule is to remember that more is not always better; sometimes more is just more. The exercises presented here are best done in moderation and with close attention  to how your body feels while you’re doing them.  Pain is NOT an integral part of the training. You probably won't use any weight besides your body weight to start with and you'll probably want to wear your shoes rather than doing these barefoot.   You'll need to start gradually - no more than about 5-10 repetitions of the exercises to start with. They're way more intense than they look!

SQUAT.JPG

A squat is really nothing more than acting like you’re going to sit down, and then changing your mind.    To squat correctly, place your feet a shoulder’s width apart and keep your feet flat on the floor. Bend the hips and knees simultaneously, making sure to stick your butt back a little to insure you’re not keeping your back vertical.  Your back should be straight, but not vertical.  This technique takes the strain off both the lower back and the knees and places it squarely where it belongs – your BUTT!  You should squat only as deep as you are able to without having discomfort.  Deeper isn’t better if it hurts.  The squat is the basis for nearly all other exercises.  As far as strengthening goes, it is the easiest of the ones I’ll present here.  Squats are a good warm up for the fun to follow

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The next most difficult exercise are lunges because they are a more one-leg-dominant exercise. They are very effective in developing explosive strength and can be done in multiple directions, depending on what you want to strengthen. Lunge only as far as you can, being able to return to home base in one push.  No "bunny hops" permitted.  Lunge as deep as you want as long as it isn’t painful; the deeper you go, the more challenging it is to get back to home base. You’re limited only by your imagination here.  The lunge shown here is a forward lunge and works the hamstrings, hips, quads and inner/outer thighs.  Lunging in other directions works other muscles.

 The most challenging of the exercises presented here are the balance and reach exercises. Balance and reach exercises are exactly what they sound like -- you balance on one leg, while reaching your other leg or arm or arms in some direction.  Picture these exercises like a REALLY challenging game of "Twister"; you never get to put the body part down, you just get to put it close to the floor. The "target" you are reaching for with either your arms or leg is generally within one inch of the floor. When you reach with your arms, the other leg has to stay right alongside the leg you're balancing on. If you need to touch your opposite leg to the ground for balance, or need to reach your arms to knee or hip height rather than floor level, that is fine too. These forms of “cheating” are legal.  You get a lot of bang for the buck here.  There are literally dozens of muscles that work to keep you balanced while you reach with another body part. That work translates to rapid increases in functional strength. 

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Balance on your left foot and reach your right foot back and diagonally to the left as far as you can without touching the floor.  (You're reaching "southwest" with the right foot)

The goal with these exercises is to gain both balance and FUNCTIONAL strength as opposed to “brute" strength. That way when you stumble on a root at the end of a long trail run, your body will "recognize" that position of lost balance and simply recover it much the way it does every day in your routine. 

As your balance improves, be imaginative -- try reaching or lunging in different directions. New muscles will be challenged, so pay attention to which muscles you feel working and play with this a little. Perhaps try doing a few repetitions of the balance and reach exercises with your eyes closed (it will open up a whole new area of challenge!)  Remember you're limited only by your imagination.
 
 

As long as you don't break the cardinal rule: DON'T GO TO THE POINT OF PAIN, these exercises will be some of the most challenging and potentially rewarding strength exercises you've ever done.  (And the next time you're challenged to a game of "Twister" you'll be ready for whatever they throw at you.)  

© 2000 Running Strong - all rights reserved, please contact Janet Hamilton for reprint permission.

Special acknowledgment - to Gary Gray PT for much of the inspiration and genius that lead to the development and refinement of these functional exercises and test techniques.  

Gray, G.  Lower Extremity Functional Profile.  Adrian MI:  Wynn Marketing, 1995.

 
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