IOL Strength and Conditioning

As I first mentioned in the post about running a couple of weeks ago, a group of friends have committed to running the Marine Corp Mud Run next fall in Bakersfield, California. A few in the group could go out and run it today, but most of us need a little work, or maybe a lot. Some are going to need to drop some weight to help the joints handle the impact of training for this thing; I’m one of those — Monday’s D day, d as in d i e t.

Nearly everyone, those not young athletes, could use a forever bout with some corrective exercise — rehab or prehab, in today’s parlance. If you’re not familiar with the idea of corrective exercise and even less familiar with how to make your personal program, you need primer. Here’s the place to start: Joint mobility, structural movement, physical rehab.

A terrific option for knowing where to start with your corrective work is the Functional Movement Screen Gray Cook and Lee Burton developed. There’s a do-it-yourself home version described in Gray’s book Athletic Body in Balance, and you can also get an overview on their website, Functional Movement Systems.

There’s a short video showing the movement, a description and an implications overview. Click on the red test menu button to view the various screens, and give the screen a go. Where you fail — or the closest to failure — becomes your top corrective priority. Along with daily cardio, this is where you’d put your exercise attention during this introductory phase.

If you can’t quite swing the FMS, a shotgun approach is not the worst idea. There are some things that nearly everyone needs, so it’s a place to begin. Here’s a list to get you started.

Foam rolling is something to keep in the program forever. Here’s a long discussion on foam rolling, including links and rolling implement ideas.

Rolling the glute medius is going to tell you whether you need to roll your glute medius (heh heh), ditto the piriformis. Everyone needs to roll the IT bands along the sides of the upper legs, and also to roll their feet with a golf ball and roll their calves with a stick. The self-mobilization against the wall, shown below, is easy to learn, and will help remind the calves to unclench.

The Cook hip lift is pretty easy to self-administer, and glute activation exercises are not hard to learn.  Here’s a thread on glute activation.

The standing psoas test is easy to self-administer. Rolling the psoas and doing an isometric hold are the easy fixes for problems in this area.

The adductors — the leg and hip muscles that lift the leg away from the body — are important, as is spinal stability. Here’s a video showing a bit of both.

That ought to get you started. But if you want the full plan, including the D I E T part, here’s the link to our From Scratch Volkslauf Training guide. You’re very welcome to join us in Bakersfield next October, or to participate in the prep with no travel plans.