After a week of camp, I now feel comfortable enough to introduce the technique with my cross country team. I went to Home Depot and purchased 200 feet of blue and white poly rope. I cut the rope into 8 1/2 feet sections and melted the ends to prevent them from fraying. After cutting fifty ropes and inhaling fumes from each of these, I was ready to start utilizing them with my team.
During this first week of implementation we kept to 8 basic stretches. Half of them utilize the rope and the others do not. Here is a list of the 8 stretches that we used:
STRETCH #1: SINGLE LEG PELVIC TILT –
No Rope
Lie on your back, bending your non-exercising knee. Bend your exercising knee and
place your hands behind your knee/thigh. Using your abdominals and hip flexors,
lift your exercising leg toward your chest until you can go no farther. Aim
your knee toward your armpit, gently assisting your leg at the end of the
stretch with your hands, but do not pull.
STRETCH #2: BENT LEG HAMSTRING – With Rope
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Make a loop from the rope and place the foot of the leg you're exercising into the loop. Lift your leg until your thigh is perpendicular to the floor. Grasp the ends of the rope with one hand and place the other on top of the thigh of the exercising leg to stabilize it. Gradually extend your leg by contracting your quadriceps, causing your foot to rise to the ceiling. The goal is to lock your knee and have your foot at high noon. You may have to lower the angle of your leg from the hip at first. Use the rope for gentle assistance at the end of the stretch, but do not pull the leg into position.
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Make a loop from the rope and place the foot of the leg you're exercising into the loop. Lift your leg until your thigh is perpendicular to the floor. Grasp the ends of the rope with one hand and place the other on top of the thigh of the exercising leg to stabilize it. Gradually extend your leg by contracting your quadriceps, causing your foot to rise to the ceiling. The goal is to lock your knee and have your foot at high noon. You may have to lower the angle of your leg from the hip at first. Use the rope for gentle assistance at the end of the stretch, but do not pull the leg into position.
STRETCH #3: STRAIGHT LEG HAMSTRING – With Rope
Lie on your back. Begin with your non-exercising knee bent and with that foot flat on the floor. Make a loop from the rope and place the foot of the leg you're exercising into the loop, locking the knee so the leg is extended straight out. From the hip and using the quadriceps, lift your leg as far as you can, aiming your foot toward the ceiling. Grasp the ends of the rope with both hands and "climb" the rope, keeping slight tension on it. Use the rope for gentle assistance at the end of the stretch, but do not pull the leg into position.
Lie on your back. Begin with your non-exercising knee bent and with that foot flat on the floor. Make a loop from the rope and place the foot of the leg you're exercising into the loop, locking the knee so the leg is extended straight out. From the hip and using the quadriceps, lift your leg as far as you can, aiming your foot toward the ceiling. Grasp the ends of the rope with both hands and "climb" the rope, keeping slight tension on it. Use the rope for gentle assistance at the end of the stretch, but do not pull the leg into position.
STRETCH #4: GASTROCNEMIUS – With Rope
Sit with both legs straight out in front
of you. Loop the rope around the foot of your exercising leg (still straight).
From your heel, flex your foot back toward your ankle, using the rope for a
gentle assist at the end of the movement.
STRETCH #5: LATERAL TRUNK FLEXORS -- No Rope
Stand with both arms at your sides. Raise
one arm, placing that hand behind your head with the elbow pointed away from
your body. Bend at the waist so that the arm that is straight is lowered down
the side of the leg toward the knee and lower leg. This stretch can be modified
by leaning slightly forward or backward before bending at the waist.
STRETCH #6: TRUNK EXTENSORS -- No Rope
Sit with your back straight, your knees
bent, your feet resting on your heels, and your toes pointing slightly up. Tuck
your chin down, contract your abdominal muscles to pull your body forward.
Grasp the sides of the lower legs with your hands to gently assist at the end
of the stretch. To modify this for a deep lower back stretch, bring your heels
closer to your body.
STRETCH #7: HIP ADDUCTOR – With Rope
Lie on your back with both legs extended
straight out, looping the rope around the inside of the ankle, then under the
foot, of the exercising leg, so the ends of the rope are on the outside. Lock
that knee and rotate the other leg inward slightly. From your hip and using
your abductors, extend your exercising leg out from the side of your body,
leading with your heel. Keep slight tension on the rope and use it for gentle
assistance at the end of the stretch. Do not pull the leg into position
STRETCH #8: QUADRICEPS -- No Rope
Lie on your side with your knees curled up
against your chest (in a fetal position). Slide your bottom arm under the thigh
of your bottom leg and place your hand around the outside of your foot, or use
a looped rope. Reach down with your upper hand and grasp the shin, ankle or
forefoot of your upper leg. Keep your knee bent and your leg parallel to the
surface you're lying on. Contract your hamstrings and gluteus maximus, and move
the upper leg back as far as you can, using your hand to give a gentle assist
at the end of the stretch.
For video of these techniques visit Coach Dominguez's Blog: http://dominguez-running.blogspot.com/
After one week of implementation I am very happy with the results. Stretching has never been a highlight of practice, however, in the last week I have witnessed many members of my team getting excited about active isolated stretching. I plan to continue this routine for the rest of cross country and track season.
