Lunge and RDL - Sagittal Plane Exercises
Part 1 of the series by @runmental focuses on sagittal plane exercises. The lunge (all variations) for obvious reasons should be a stable of any sagittal plane focused exercise routine. You can develop concentric and eccentric control of your 3 primary sagittal plane movers: hip extensors, knee extensors, and calf plantar flexors. The single leg dead lift is also GREAT for developing eccentric control - vital for any running athlete as the hamstrings must eccentrically control the limb when decelerating - or there goes your hamstring.
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If you have been running long enough, you've caught on to the fact that downhill running can wreck your legs, specifically the quads, contrary to what common sense may tell you (it seems easier). This is because of the large muscular demands to contract eccentrically, more so than when running up hill or on a flat surface. To help build up the resilience to handle this load, lunges are often a go-to for me. They require an eccentric contraction of the quads and glutes and can be done in a number of variations with and without load, depending on the goals/needs.
Keep in mind we want to maintain a neutral spine so keep those abs on! Also, maintain a vertical shin to help reduce the risk excess stress on the knee.
The deadlift—and even more so the single leg dead lift—is a crucial exercise for runners and sprinters looking to run fast and improve performance. Control at the end range is developed in these exercises, which helps improve hip and knee mobility while strengthening the glutes and hamstrings. Injury prevention for hamstring strains anyone? Be sure to use good form beginning with keeping the core tight, maintaining a neutral spine, and not allowing the hips to rotate.
Given that this is a single limb exercise, there will be some level of frontal and transverse plane challenges, but the primary motion and control is needed in the sagittal plane.
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