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By
Matt Russ
Having an effective
training plan is very important, but if you are reinforcing
bad habits or technique with your training you are working
against yourself. Technique, form, and skill are often overlooked
facets of training. Athletes should spend a portion of each
season perfecting their form, just as they work on strength,
endurance, and speed.
Proper technique not
only makes you more efficient and faster, it can prevent
overuse injuries. Endurance athletes repeat motions thousands
of times in a single work out. Improper leg tracking on
your bike or a bad foot strike at best wastes energy, but
could lead to a visit with the orthopedist. Here are some
guidelines for perfecting your form and technique…
- Seek instruction.
You can not work on better form if you do not know what
it is. A cycling or running coach can video your stride
or spin and give you exact feedback on what you need to
work on. Books and video tapes are helpful, but they do
not have a discerning eye and can not give you the specific
instruction you may need. Most coaches charge an hourly
fee for one to one instruction.
- Get Feedback. Visual
feedback is the best. If you own a video camera set it
up on a tri-pod to record your form. Playing it back in
slow motion allows you to break down each portion of your
stride or spin. A mirror in front of the treadmill or
trainer is another inexpensive way to give your self feedback.
- Conscious then
unconscious. The process of reinforcing proper form is
to consciously repeat a proper motion until it becomes
automatic and unconscious. This process takes thousands
of repetitions, and you must regularly focus on and check
your technique and form.
- Work on only 2-3
aspects of technique per session. If you try to adjust
too many things at once it is difficult to focus on performing
them all correctly. Take just a few aspects of your stride,
stroke, or spin and work on perfecting them.
- Slow then fast.
Take a motion or even part of a motion and perform it
very slowly and correctly. Gradually bring up the speed
of the motion until you are at your race pace. If at any
point you perform it incorrectly, slow down again and
repeat until you have it.
- Work in base. As
intensity increases it becomes harder to concentrate on
form. If proper form is not unconscious at this point,
it will be much harder to learn. The long slow base work
outs are great for working on form. This is not to say
you should only work on technique in base. You should
work on technique and use drills year round. Base is simply
the best time to perfect your form so that you carry good
technique into the season, and it adds variety to your
base work outs.
- Get the right equipment.
If you are running in the wrong shoe for your stride mechanics,
or you have an improper fit on your bike, it will make
it more difficult to have good form. Make sure you have
the right equipment and that it is adjusted correctly.
Learning and using
proper technique is "free speed." Often you can
lower your energy usage and increase your speed without
greater exertion. In fact, your exertion level may go down
and your speed or power up. Proper technique is no less
applicable to an amateur athlete than it is to a pro. In
fact, amateurs can usually benefit the most from technique
instruction.
Matt
Russ has coached and trained athletes around the country
and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT,
USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt coaches athletes
for CTS, is an Ultrafit Associate, and owner of www.thesportfactory.com
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