1/12: The Ultimate Running Speed Equation – Introduction

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Hello everyone, I am Dr. Larry VanSuch for AthleticQuickness.com and you are watching video #2 of this series called Speed Training Sessions.

Before I begin, I want to say if you haven’t already watched the first video, then I highly recommend you go ahead and do that now before watching this one, because, even though I am going to provide a quick review of it here in a minute, watching that first video in its entirety will help place not only this one into its proper context, but also, the ones to follow. So again, I highly recommend watching it and you can access the link to it in the description below.

Now, if you have already seen it, then great, welcome back. Let me just say that while I thoroughly enjoy making these training videos, I am really, very excited, to make this particular one.

And the reason why is because after speaking with a number of people throughout the years about the glutes/hams, quads and calves (See Figure 1)

Figure 1-1. Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles

and their role in the running process, I have come to the realization that while many had a general understanding of what these muscles did, which was to generate a pushing force on body forward (See Figure 2)

Figure 1-2. Pushing Force

no one, and I repeat, no one was even remotely aware of another component to this force, which was a rotational one, or, torque around the athlete’s midline in this direction (See Figure 3).

Figure 1-3. Rotational force, or, torque

And because they had no idea this rotational component even existed, they never considered the possibility that others might exist as well, others desperately needed in different parts of the body, such as the left shoulder, right shoulder, airborne leg and torso, to keep both sides of it in perfect balance while running. (See Figure 4).

Figure 1-4. Other torques in the rest of the body needed for speed
A tunnel vision approach to speed will always end in frustration

So, they ended up with the misconception that in order to get faster, all they had to do was work on the obvious, which to them was just the muscles supplying a simple, straight-line pushing force through the hip joint, (See Figure 5)

Figure 1-5. Tunnel vision approach to many athletes speed training routines

while the not-so-obvious, but equally important muscles producing rotation, and counter-rotation in the rest of the body were simply ignored. (See Figure 6)

Figure 1-6. Muscles supplying rotation and counter-rotation in other parts of the body needed for maximum speedAnd while this tunnel vision approach to running faster worked for some of these people some of the time, it was always met with a certain level of frustration for each and every one of them because it failed to address the needs of the entire body.

And so, my guess is that you may be stuck in a similar place as those I’ve previously spoke with, exercising the same muscles over and over again and expecting a different result…there’s a word for this type of behavior. And I’m also guessing that you are as unfamiliar with the concept of torque production in the body, as they were, and how it is needed to run your very best.

Therefore, in this video, I am going to introduce to you this concept of torque in a very big way because not only is it the single most important factor in determining who runs fast and who doesn’t, but it’s also the key to breaking you free from the mindset that all you need to do to get quicker is increase the strength in the leg pushing against the ground.

How I Plan to Introduce You to Torque in the Body

So, the first thing I am going to do regarding torque, is show you how the glutes/hams, hams, quads and calves produce their own rotational force and I’m going to show it to you from two different perspectives, so you can begin to see and understand it more clearly. (See Figure 7).

Figure 1-7. Two perspectives to visualize torque in the body. Side (sagittal) view and overhead (axial/transverse) view

Then, I am going to show you how four other areas in the body produce their own, similar torque at the exact same time the glutes/hams, quads and calves are producing theirs (See Figure 8)

Figure 1-8. All 5 torques shown on the body when you run and walk

and when I’m finished, I am going to assemble them all into something I call the Ultimate Running Speed Equation. See Figure 9.

Figure 1-9. The Ultimate Running Speed Equation

The Ultimate Running Speed Equation

This is an equation that shows how the entire body merges these five rotational forces to create the perfect balance necessary for us to move as fast and efficient as humanly possible.

And finally, what I think is the really cool part of this entire video, is I’m going to show you how to instantly identify this Ultimate Running Speed Equation, this equation of perfect balance in action on some of the best 100m sprinters and middle-distance runners in the United States so that you can get used to seeing, and believing, just how important and powerful these torques really are.

By the time we are finished, you will have become an ultimate running speed equation expert yourself…one who understands that running fast is all about achieving perfect balance in the body, one who understands the need to include a variety of different exercise to achieve this perfect balance, and one who is now more, ready than ever, to take their game to the next level. And this is why I am really, very excited, to make this video.

So, let’s do that quick review of Session #1 like I said I would at the beginning and then immediately afterward we will get this session started.