COACH FORUM: Fall Strength & Self-Care Sessions
Hello Purple Patch athletes!
This week we will be answering questions around the new fall functional strength programming, as well as the self-care sessions we developed in partnership with Eva Popper of SMI (which you can find in your Today's Plan optional workout library). Drop your questions in the comments below so we can ensure you are empowered to take on training with confidence and excitement!
For more details on the new strength program, THIS ARTICLE is a great place to start as well.
Cheers,
The Purple Patch Team
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Hi team, looking forward to discussion on these topics!
What are your favourite balance exercises, specifically for running? (Any additions to the ones Coach Mike and Sara P are doing in their core/activation sessions?)
I like to do yoga, for balance, body awareness, and self-care but have gotten away from it in the past few months concentrating on the Squad program as prescribed instead. When and if I go back to yoga, do you have suggestions for specific postures to i) do more of, and ii) do less of, based on the demands of our sport? (e.g. passive shoulder holds for flexibility prob will not be a good thing for me, but dynamic 1-legged work with trunk rotation seem to be a good reflection of some of the current core/activation exercises we have been doing anyway)
Thanks for the input!
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Hi Coaches,
Thanks for the new optional stretch sessions. I have already done twice and feel many knots on my body already loosened up. I have been told that static stretches should be done post workouts. So I want to make sure if I have been done them correctly since I did the stretches post workouts.
Another question is how many sessions you would advise for a week? Is it possible to do too many stretches and make my body too loosened up and unstable?Thanks!
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Hi Jessica,
When I hear 'balance' for running, I think of stability--how the ankle and hip stabilize the leg. I think you have the right idea--single leg work where you are moving your upper body (such as the airplane movements we have in the strength work), but I would also suggest to do them barefoot. Weightlifting that you are doing with only body weight or with non-maximal weights can generally be done barefoot with good balance results.
My barefoot suggestion would be to do movements where the supporting leg (the one on the ground) is planted, meaning the foot is not leaving the ground. A 1-leg deadlift, for instance, can be done barefoot to help with your running balance.
Start with that change, and see how it is for a few weeks.
--Kai
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Hi Tony,
You are absolutely correct that static stretches are best done post workout, so you are doing the right thing! I'm glad you are feeling the benefit already. You can do these sessions after every workout, rotating between upper and lower body and spending more time on areas that are most restricted. You do want to make sure that you are also doing stability, core, strength work as well, as this will provide the balance of mobility/stability that will allow for optimal training and performance. It is possible to overstretch (holding for several minutes and progressing too quickly), but if you follow the guidelines given in the Patch videos this week, you should not be at risk of that!--Eva Popper -
Hi Bruce,
Can you send in a support ticket with a screen-shot of what you are seeing in Today's Plan? That will help us troubleshoot what is missing so you can access the sessions.
Thanks
--Kai
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Hi Chris,
Many athletes experience balance and stability training needs, so you are not alone with that. Something you can think about is regressing exercises closer to the floor. What I mean by that is doing an exercises standing is the most advanced position. For some exercises where you are simply standing (the legs are not doing the work), you may find benefit in having a half-kneeling position (one knee on the ground with the other foot forward). This will challenge your core and hip stability in a similar way to standing, but with 3 contact points on the ground (foot, knee, foot), instead of 2 (foot, foot).
This can translate well to single leg balance exercises. With standing exercises, you can also use a wall or a chair like training wheels on a bike. Try not to hold the wall, but instead use it sparingly to resent your balance as you are going through the exercise, slowly needing it less and less as you improve your balance and stability.
You can also go for single leg hip bridges (having your back on the ground) as a way to work on all the stability and balance in the hip and ankle, while having more support and focus. Then you can super-set that with some standing to reinforce the muscle training in the desired final exercise (meaning going from hip bridges to standing 1 leg balance and back and forth).
Let me know if that helps!
--Kai
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