I scuff my calves and tend to have external hip pain. Working through you videos and seeing a physio next week. I’m ready to feel like a strong runner again!
Lol ok I confess, since watching glute activation videos, I've been looking for some clear "butt feeling" to tell me I'm using them. This was a relief to see!
The most valuable 9 minutes I've ever spent time on. Every issue you described but the knees tilting in and ankle taps I'm currently having issues with. And im most definitely a quad and calf runner after you explained what it was. This wasnt always the case for me, this is because off not keeping on top off fitness during lockdown. I have strong glutes but just proves I'm not activating them on my runs and my quads and calves are dominant and taking over. Thank you for this valuable information.
Nice! I can really relate to the lack of internal rotation. Would be great with a video on how to improve internal hip rotation in both running and walking. It's difficult to be mindful of it all the time.
Thanks James, this is the video I’ve been trying to find for a very long time, many breakthroughs and light bulb moments. In case it’s useful to others, here’s my journey… I already knew I had a left hip drop and thought I’d corrected it but I definitely feel the vast majority of work being done in the quads and calves, often get tightness in the lower back after running and definitely get ankles clashing often which does appear to be an indication of weak/unused glutes. I noticed today that I can’t activate my glutes properly, I know one is weaker but neither are being activated correctly. I am not running at the moment but keen to recover so I will be in “limp” mode with these learnings in mind and lots of mobility and strength training with a view to balancing and restoring my hips and core.
This is wonderful information. I ran into so many hip and knee problems starting out. It took me off the trail for a whole year. Every time I would run the issues would only get worse no matter how many weeks I sat out. So that told me that something wasn’t engaging correctly but I couldn’t figure out exactly where it was coming from. This helps. Thanks!
Can't tell you how much I am appreciating these detailed videos. A few months ago I was feeling a strained hamstring and adductor on my left leg only after running. The physio suggested weak glutes on the left side and gave me strengthening exercises and activation tips. Hadn't realised the ankle clip (and scuffs on my shoe!) were caused by the same thing! Thank you so much :)
In every video you are raising my runner's glute IQ. James, could you do a video about avoiding or resolving peroneal tendonitis, please. That's something that's been catching up with me too now, partly due to past multiple ankle sprains, but also I think, running on very un-even and bumpy roads. I'm sure most runners cannot avoid such uneven roads or footpaths, and so we have to adapt to them. The high cushioned shoes don't necessarily help either because they tend to magnify any bumps on the road due to their softness and resulting instabilities that the foot and leg have to counteract.
Hey James, thank you so very much for the video help. You've been a great coach! I'm on Day 10 of the 30 day challenge and I look forward each day to my body gaining strength and balance. My left patella still feels a bit wobbly at times, and the outside of my left knee a bit pinch-y. But I'm being patient with myself and viewing the longer videos where you discuss running more in depth is marvellously inspirational and again, helpful. I'm just frankly less frightened of being too weak and too old to run! Cheers. Scott Capurro xoxo
Oh. My. God. At about 3.40 you talk about the glute medius and the TFL and IT band. I often get the knee pain and hip pain you mention, had no idea it could be the TFL and IT band and had no idea about the glute med involvement. I'm off to get some glute med work done now. Always do Bridges and always squeeze the glutes hard bit now I need to add to the arsenal... (arsenal, see what I did there? 😉🤣)
1/lower back pain (right side, continously): check 2/ankle anterior impingement (probably due to stress fractures)(mostly when sitting): check 3/outer hip pain (right side, sometimes): check 4/collapsing right foot (pronation) when running with shoes: check (slight hollow foot) 5/stress fractures (medial tibial stress, more pronounced on right shin): check 6/diagnosis and remedy?
There are video sequences of Eliud Kipchoge at his sub 2 hrs marathon in Vienna filmed from straight ahead (I guess the camera was on the laser car) on which his upper body is extensivly moving left, right, left, right with every step he takes. At these sequences only the upper part of his body can be seen, the lower part is hidden behind his pace makers. Thus this extreme sideward movement can clearly be seen. I think that this movement is caused by Eliud's running from the hips, i. e. engaging the glutes.
Yeah that’s a side effect of our running. The pushing off of the ground leads to us spinning, and we compensate by swinging the arms. The torso movement could support the arm swining
Brilliant! Some real information from a knowledgeable person. I always watch these sort of tips from these top trail/ track runners and walk away learning nothing...except "increase your cadence, to minimize hip drop," or "workoit the glutes," or "it may be neuro-muuscular and your muscles aren't/ can't fire off in sequence" and "hopefully working our your glutes can repair that issue..." etc. This all sounds to make sense. I think I stick my butt out too far when I erect my back. In other words, I think I over straighten when I run, to the point where I create too much of an arched back. And? Yes! I get lower back pains! They come and go. Also, as a result my TFL was recently discovered to be tight! I learned, while doing squats, that my left hip/ thigh region was tightening at the TFL, to where I couldn't drop into a deeper squat without resistance there.
Hi James, informative video as always! The knees brushing while running resonates as does the leg kicking out. Video footage of me running definitely shows I have asymmetric running form. Even when standing /squatting in order for both my knees to face/bend forwards in parallel my right foot has to face at around 1 o’clock. Running shops advise I wear stability shoes (based on right foot which ‘over pronates’, but left foot is 100% neutral). In the last 6 months I’ve been working on glute exercises with resistance bands etc. with your channel being a great resource to try and address the issues in my right leg. Here’s the thing though... I’ve been running / playing active sport since my youth (in mid thirties now) and never had any injuries or issues (touch wood this continues). I’ve worn both neutral and stability shoes without issue or noticeable difference. Glute activation and strengthening exercises haven’t improved the visual look of my form. Other than my running form looking ugly there doesn’t seem to be a noticeable issue. But I’m always one for improving if there are gains to be had, plus I always wince when I see pics/vids of my leg kicked out or right knee appearing to collapse inwards (I look like Prisca Jeptoo on my right side, at least she’s symmetric)! How can I reliably tell if my ugly running form is more of a permanent physiological feature of my body (e.g. a natural misalignment/torsion in my leg) as opposed to something that can be improved through exercises?
I started running again a few weeks ago and my Glutes (and thighs and calves) have been aching almost continuously so I guess I'm using them to some degree. I'm looking forward to being fit enough again that I can go for a run without everything aching for a couple of days afterwards!
I've had the swiped interior of the ankle be an issue for years! Even when wearing heels. I just thought I was stumbling or something. BTW, I live in a hilly area and hill work is par for the course unless I drive to a place to run. Only in 2020 (now my job has me sitting ALL the time) have I suffered from HHT, and I can't wait to try your strength & mobility work to get back out there again!
Hey James, great video! I definitely know what you're talking about when you brought up clipping your calves or knees brushing when you run. I used to do it pretty bad, but I started doing glutes and it has become a lot better. However, despite me doing glutes every morning before I run I feel like I'm still not activating my glutes properly. How am I supposed to do it?
So helpful! I've been experiencing TFL and ITB syndromes on my left after my long runs. This video taught me a lot - will be a little more mindful of the pelvis during my next run
I've noticed that when trying to run with a faster cadence my glutes and hamstrings tire fast. So I've probably been a quads and calfs plodder all my life and have weak glutes and hamstrings as a consequance. The muddy calfs is also a familiar issue and I've suffere from runners knee in the past.
But HOW do you use your glutes while running? How do you make your body do it?? I do a lot of glute strengthening but I still don't use my glutes while I run and get low back pain.
So my upper hamstrings usually feel sore after a hard run, not my quads, but I sometimes get lower back pain, does that mean I'm not activating my glutes?? Confused
This is a BIG deal. Many in athletics including running aren't engaging the gluten or aren't fully engaging them. The gluten are the most powerful muscles in the body and there is a ton of gain possible by ensuring that you have proper gluten engagement.
So after my run I feel like the backs of my thighs and a little butt has been worked hard, does that mean I'm running right using my glutes? Or is this a different problem lol. Also after running the front muscles of my calves feel worked out too what does this mean? Thanks
I train on the same day. Non run days for me are either rest or cross training; working on other muscles that need work. If you cross train the same muscles in the same movement, it would not give you opportunity to recover. But I’m no expert.
You're right Geoffrey, the tendency for the knee to drift inwards is certainly affected by a runner's ability to control foot pronation. As the foot pronates, the tibia internally rotates and the knee follows inwards. The position of the knee is driven both top-down (using muscles like the glutes) and bottom-up (determined by foot and ankle control), so when pronation is poorly controlled, it places more emphasis on your glutes as external rotators/abductors of the hip to maintain knee position (and prevent the collapse inwards). In my experience, most knee issues are more about lack of top-down control, though, rather than being overly driven by what's happening at the foot... although it's still an important factor.
Yes. I have the same issue. Its more then likely that my Quads are stronger and take all the beating. Look at Sagerunnings video on the matter. Its Vertical osilation and lifting the knee too high. I now use it as a fail safe in Tempo runs, if i get tired i now actively Increase knee height with each stride, that gives the other muscle groups a short break while the quads get hit.
