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Post date: Sep 8, 2017 12:58:41 PM
Return to the Twelve Running Standards
Chapter 15. Standard #12: Jumping and Landing
Question: Can you jump and land with good mechanics? The mastery of jumping and landing is central to the mastery of good running mechanics. To meet this standard first be able to land on a box with good mechanics. Next, be able to perform 30 single leg jump rope hops on each leg.
Key Motivation: Think of running as a series of jumps and landings. How we jump and land is critical to reducing negative forces on the joints and tissues.
Recommended Mobility Exercises for Jumping and Landing:
Double ball ankle smash and strip (p. 216)
Plantar Mobilizations (p. 217)
Dorsiflexion Work (p. 218)
Plantar Flexion Overdrive (p.219)
Adductor Smash (p.227)
Briefing: To unleash the runner we were born to be we may have to do a top to bottom overhaul of how we move and think about movement.
Pay detailed attention to how the body pops off the ground--every angle, every firing muscle, every shape and every detail. Address each and every error, and set a new groove with good patterns and sound mechanics. This is both doable and worth it--a gift that keeps on giving. Build movement from the ground up.
When we jump in the air and land on our feet, we are performing an unloaded but dynamic squat. Running is series of pogo stick like quarter squats. The core pattern is the same. Mastering jumping and landing with good mechanics will give us a feel for running with good mechanics.
Jumping and landing puts this critical movement involved in running under the microscope. When the body moves the way it was designed to move, it has an incredible capacity to deliver power and use good positions to dissipate the stress of landing. This will pay special dividends during downhill running or running down steps.
Poor jumping and landing technique. There are 250,000 ACL injuries a year. A good way to not end up a statistic is to jump and land well. Good mechanics are the best medicine. When we collide with the ground, we land with the force of 3+ times the body's weight. Faults include:
Knees forward and shins not vertical. This position loses connection with the posterior chain and hammers the knees.
Toes pigeoned inward or fanned outward, duck like. We are out of position and ripping the knees with rotational shear.
Unbraced midline and disorganized lumbar spine. The muscles of the trunk are not organized and the pelvis is in a sloppy position. Power from the posterior chain is lost. The knees get hammered and so does the low back.
If we’ve been getting away with these faults and continue to practice them, it's only a matter of time until we have to pay the bill.
Test #1: Jumping onto a box.
Test #2: Single-Leg Jumps
Runner to Runner. Working with a jump rope is one of the best ways to prepare the feet and lower leg to replace heel strikes with a forefoot or mid-foot strike. It is the simplest and most straightforward way to strengthen the feet and ankles. Use single leg jump rope work as a way to assess imbalances.
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