Arm Action in Sprinting

The movement of the arms is an essential step towards optimal speed development.

The basic elements of "proper" arm action are as follows:

• the shoulders are square and remain relaxed while the arm is able to swing freely (like a pendulum)
• the arm is bent at 90 degrees (as coach Danaka Porter says "Keep it in an L-shape") on both upswing and downswing
• the downswing takes the hand past your waistband (my youth coach used to refer to sweeping past the top of your tracksuit pockets)
• the upswing takes your hand to just below eye level (check out the image of Carl Lewis below)

Here is a simple drill that I recommend athletes do in front of a mirror to observe their own arm action (amazing what some visual feedback can do to refine technique):



Once you have used the visual feedback to refine the arm action, you will need to spend time doing the arm action to become comfortable with it. The seated arm action is an excellent drill that an athlete can do while watching TV (commercial breaks are a good length of time to get some arm action reps done). Here is a video of this drill:




For some more advanced observations, my friend Jimson Lee has an excellent article on arm action on his blog. He likes to quote famous Canadian Track Coach Geoff Gowan , “You run with your arms on your legs”.

Basics of Running Mechanics for Sprinting Speed

The basis of achieving maximum speed require a focus on four key elements:

1. Arm Action
2. Body Posture
3. Leg Action - Ground Contact
4. Leg Action - Knee Drive
   

In the figure above, you should note how each of these elements are involved in the running motion of an athlete at full sprint.

Watching a video of current world champion and world record holder Usain Bolt should help you visualize this. When watching the videos, observe how the arms are used, how erect the body posture is, how the sprinters run on the balls of their feet, and how the knees drive forward to establish an optimal stride length.

• here is a slow motion analysis of his 100m world record performance in Berlin last year

As well, here are "frame by frame" pictures of Bolt's running style ( click here to see the photo sequence)

Here is some slow motion video showing his sprinting form:

Once you master these basics, only then can you pose like Usain does ;-)

Core Training for Soccer Examples from the L.A. Galaxy

L.A. Galaxy fitness coach John Ireland describes his soccer training philosophy and explains why he places such a high priority on core training.



See David Beckham doing a variety of soccer-related core exercises:

Leg Extensions with a Soccer Ball





Speed Abs





V-Up With Soccer Ball





Leg Circles With Soccer Ball





Half Sit-Up With Soccer Ball





Russian Twist With Soccer Ball





Leg Press With Soccer Ball

Importance of Core Strength for Soccer Speed

When we refer to "the Core", we are referring to the muscles that are involved in holding the torso in position. In other words, the abdominal muscles and other muscles involved in positioning the spine and pelvis. These muscles play an important role in coordinating movement.

When an athlete is deficient in core strength, we often notice:

• limitations in range of motion when approaching full speed
• difficulty in maintaining balance when changing direction
• inability to maintain an erect posture when in motion

In soccer players, core strength not only impacts the ability to move fast and change direction quickly, but is vital to the ability to win tackles.

These muscles also play a critical role in injury prevention. Strength in the hips and lower back will prevent many injuries to leg muscles.

Examples of Basic Core Training

In our last training session, I demonstrated a core routine. Here are the steps in my routine:

1. Vertical Leg crunch (click here for guide)
2. Raised Bent Knee Crunch (click here for guide , see animation here)
3. Raised Bent Knee Oblique Crunch - Right Elbow to Left Knee
4. Raised Bent Knee Oblique Crunch - Left Elbow to Right Knee
5. Feet-on-ground Bent Knee Crunch (see photo here)
6. Lying Straight Leg Crunch
7. Lying on Right Side Oblique Crunch (click here for guide)
8. Lying on Left Side Oblique Crunch (see animation here)

Here is an 8 minute fitness routine that covers some of the basic core exercises.


And here are some videos on doing the PLANK exercise: