Southernsoftie
don't let others put you off what really needs to be done.It's the range of movement in the full squat that is absolutely essential for the proper health of knees.People who don't do squats are the ones who need knee replacements, along with those who run too many miles in hard shoes.
If you do them in the way I suggested, you'll find a considerable improvement in your fitness(power) that will help your running.Ask Seb Coe.
One other point.Proprioception won't help you when stepping into a rut at 12mph, if your ankles are weak and inflexible. Rolling around on a wobble board or springing up and down on a trampoline won't help either, because the range of movement and resistance are low.
To get them to thicken up you have to apply considerable force to them, in various positions. The force should be high enough to give excellent results, but not so high as to cause strain.
Remember that once in the correct position you shouldn't attempt to move the weight(increases the jerk factor) only hold it statically.
Even with all this, you can still sprain your ankles on the fells fairly easily. At least though, you'll be in a position to withstand a lot that comes at you.
Last edited by CL; 06-06-2008 at 04:22 PM. Reason: typed at instead of a
Bollocks - squatting as suggested is dangerous full stop. Even Olympic weightlifters rarely use it for this purpose as a result.
To suggest such, particulary without any reference to ensuring good and correct technique and what that is is irresponsible
Saz you obviously don't know the sport of Olympic weightlifting. Both the snatch and clean and jerk involve the FULL squat.
Anyone in any doubt about the truth can go onto You-Tube and watch weightlifting competitions.
One other point. Olympic lifters are some of the most flexible athletes in the world, precisely because of the ranges of movement and forces their muscles and joints are subjected to.
It's fell running he wants to improve on...shouldn't he be spending his time fell running not squatting?!
I do feel that it is beneficial to cross train, weight train, generally exercise all body parts. But there's nothing better than getting out into the hills if that's where you want to improve. No specific exercise or machine can better that!
Only one who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. -T.S.Eliot
CL - I work directly with the British Olympic weightlifting squad and am one of their directors, I frequently watch them and some of the best lifters in the world train and compete
I am fully aware of what they can and can not do both in competition and training
To suggest that the full squat is of benefit to runners is laughable if it was not so dangerous
I am fully aware of what they can and can not do both in competition and training
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Obviously not! Lets see what the current european champion Dabaya, does in training. Go to You-Tube and type in 'Dabaya front squat 200kg'.
No it isn't dangerous because I do them, and I've never injured myself doing them.
CL,
To be good and squats, and therefore fell running do I also need to be good at backflips too?
http://blog.dojoathletics.com/2007/0...baya-backflip/