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PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend...
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Last weekend I was at the National Sports and Conditioning Association sport specific expo (football and baseball) pushing my new exercise machines. Because I was emphsizing the running speed benefits of the cranks I brought along Aaron Thigpen, a world class sprinter, who has been using them in his coaching business (his clientel is mostly baseball players) for about a year.

I learned a lot listening to him. Much of it is way to complicated to put in a post here but here are a few gems.

One of the reasons PC's are so effective in improving running is encouraging proper form. The MAIN form improvement however, is not knee lift as I though but, rather, toe lift. For a quick turnover it is imperative that the foot not flop back after push off but rather the toes be brought up quickly. If that is done everything else follows. It is what you should concentrate on and what the PC''s make you do, i.e., lift those toes on the back stroke. This is applicable to everyone (PC'ers or not) and reminded me somewhat of what Pose technique is trying to do.

One more thing. He also recommends that you spend a little time riding the PC's before each of your training runs or after each PC bike ride you do some running. He makes all of his athletes run immediately after using the PC bike. He thinks the good motion memory the PC's instill gets incorporated better in the run if it is done immediately, even if the muscles are tired.

How about you guys/gals trying some of this and giving me some feedback.

BTW, the expo was a big success. Picked up the New York Yanquis!! Also, expected to see nothing but big muscle-bound people but was surprised as I met several triathletes, including a few who lurk here and at gordos sites.

Frank

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks
Last edited by: Frank Day: Jan 5, 04 17:47
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Re: PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend... [Frank Day] [ In reply to ]
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Well, this ties with what I have said so many times in the past...sometimes my anterior tibialis hurt worse than my hip flexors! My wife actually noticed that my shins "look different" after being on PC's a couple of months.

I may not know exactly why they helped my running (I always thought it was knee lift), but, whatever the reason, they certainly did help. I'd be shocked if it could be demonstrated that knee lift wasn't one of the main reasons....but, I've been shocked before!



Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)
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Re: PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend... [Frank Day] [ In reply to ]
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Drawing up the toes is part of the ankling technique
but it is also something that cannot be done
effectively when pedaling at a high cadence, you do not have enough time.
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Re: PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend... [perfection] [ In reply to ]
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One of the things that Aaron was always pointing out to people is it is much easier to pull up with your toes up than with them down, even when pedaling. Therefore, while some ankling might be beneficial, extreme ankling, it would seem, would not be. That is why, it would seem, "ankling" would be hard at high cadences, at least if I understood Aaron correctly. The key to high cadences and fast running turnover is to get the toes "up" ASAP on the recovery.

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks
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Re: PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend... [Frank Day] [ In reply to ]
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 Are Powercranks spring loaded or is it only the
weight of pedal and crank that have to be raised by
the rising leg?
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Re: PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend... [Frank Day] [ In reply to ]
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Well Frank, what Thigpen suggests jives with my personal experience last year when I got my PC's around 3 weeks before the Boston Marathon. If you recall, we were having a cold winter in Ottawa Canada, so I spent ~ 30 - 40 min on my rollers riding PC's to warm my body out before doing my weekly 20K pace run. If you recall, I noted at the time ~4-5 min improvement on the run at the same aerobic heart rate. I also find that when I do a PC ride on the rollers and do 30-60 second 'sprints' at 120 rpm or so, when I do go out for runs the next day, a fast clip seems pretty easy.

Finally, I have been lifting a lot of heavy weights lately in prep for my XC ski race season. It was interesting that after a summer on PC's, I can use the "whole stack" for the hip extension machine. So that is a 140 lb pencil neck tri geek, lifting 20x170 lbs with each leg. The muscle bound brutes in the weight room are totally baffled by how I can do this ! Clearly if I was a sprinter or an NFL running back or wide receiver (just a small dream), this would be of some benefit in breaking tackles with a free safety and middle line backer hanging off my legs...OK enough of that, back the reality :-)
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Re: PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend... [perfection] [ In reply to ]
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The major weight you have to lift is simply the weight of the leg. The pound or so the cranks weigh is "insignificant".The PC's are not spring loaded.

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks
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Re: PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend... [devashish paul] [ In reply to ]
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Dev Paul wrote: "It was interesting that after a summer on PC's, I can use the "whole stack" for the hip extension machine. So that is a 140 lb pencil neck tri geek, lifting 20x170 lbs with each leg. The muscle bound brutes in the weight room are totally baffled by how I can do this ! Clearly if I was a sprinter or an NFL running back or wide receiver (just a small dream), this would be of some benefit in breaking tackles with a free safety and middle line backer hanging off my legs...OK enough of that, back the reality"

Wow, am I impressed. I think I will forward that report to a few people. You might be a candidate for the NFL if only we could figure out how to keep your bones from being crushed. :-)

Frank

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks
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Re: PowerCrankers, pay attention, I learned a lot this weekend... [Frank Day] [ In reply to ]
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Frank, as a highschool track guy I only got down to 11.5 (hand timed) in the 100m and only 22 flat in the 200m. Clearly, this is insufficient even as a third string NFL receiver. The 5'6", 140 lbs would not help either, but I can easily bulk up to 140 if I stop all this endurance crap :-). It is unlikely that any NFL type would have the same gains in hip flexor strength as I put 7500K on my PC's this past summer.
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