every time i come back after an injury (hip issues) the first day of speed work my rectus femoris are VERY sore the next couple days after. Is this a sign of weak hip flexors(iliacus,psoas) & my rectus femoris needs to perform hip flexion cause of it? or is this just what every sprinter encounters when coming back?
Just a thought, but your abs might be weak. If the abs are too weak to rotate the hips forward, the hip flexors such as the psoas and rectus femoris have to do more work to lift the leg.
I too get the same problem from time to time when I haven’t sprinted for a while. But I was thinking it might be more of a lack of flexibility than lack of strength and the greater ROM encountered in sprinting really strains my whole front side from my upper abs to my quads. However, I havent been doing as much direct abdominal work anymore so Flash might be onto something.
Triguy, do you think flexibility could be the problem?
For anyone in the know, whats more likely lead to soreness or DOMS:
- Overcompensating from other muscles due to prime movers being weak.
or
- Extreme ballistic stretching of the muscles.
anyone?
one thing that I have learned from this site and now chalk up to experience is the role of both of the above stated as well as the role of mechanics. If the trail leg lingers in the back or in the recovery phase too long it puts undue stress on the hips. Over time working on butt kick drills that focus on kicking under the COM rather than behind the butt can improve this area. IF the arm swing is too pronounced behind the body when driving backwards, this too can contribute. TOo much speed work to soon also can be a factor.
Just a few things to consider.
Since this last post I have really increased my flexibility- both static and dynamic. I can almost do a front split now and I used to not be able to even touch hands flat on the ground standing up doing a hamstring stretch. My stepping over the knee is much more fluid when sprinting.
Yet my rectus femoris still gets tight when sprinting lately. But, I should also say that I just finished my last hill session that I am going to do for a while (as I will now do a phase of flat ground sprints). So maybe after I stop the hills I won’t have any problems. My volume is pretty damn low as it is as my last hill session was 180 yards total. Time will tell.
If ceasing the hills doesn’t work, increasing my volume of ab work without increasing tightness will be quite the balancing act.
Maybe decrease the intensity of speed work. Also try and break speed work up into two smaller sessions over the wk.
dont think its of much concern, everyone will be sore if they have a break, it just shows you what area was worked hardest, or was not up to strength for the workout.
make sure you get massage and release the tightness when you get sore.
Also rec rem will mainly just be trying to stablise the knee once up and running, if u have weak psoas who will find it hard to get comfortable knee lift and lack pwer, but it wont make rec fem sore.