short stride length, flexibility problem?

When I run, my coach comments saying I have a shorter stride length, but high frequency. And he says the reason is my tightness in the hip area…

my strength levels are more than fine, so that is not a factor in this, and my height is 5’8 - 5’9.

So is this due to my height or lack of flexibility according to my coach? The problem with the flexibility part… is that I myself don’t think im really tight at all, only he does. I can do all stretches to a pretty high ROM.

thoughts?

Have you considered that second guessing your coach on an internet forum is about the single most disrespectful thing you could possibly do as an athlete? Either he is your coach or he isn’t.

If he is, listen to him. If he’s not, don’t waste his time or insult him like this.

But stop trying to have it both ways.
Lyle

As an athlete I look to progress my times with the absolute best path of methods. I have 2 different coaches (school/club) and second guess a lot of methods.

Keep your opinions out of my threads.

Coach is probably right. I was deemed flexbile but my running form was tight. You might have general flexibility but not specific ROM for sprinting.

Is your flexibility with ROM static, active or ballistic?

How long is your stride then?

Actual stride length depends mostly on vertical force/displacement.

A coach can easily confuse range of motion of the legs with actual stride length.

static flexibility is good, dynamic flexibility is pretty good too. Example I can kick my leg over my head (keeping it straight)

dont know my exact stride length, will try to get a video up to perhaps get a visual look at it?

What about in the other direction? Poor hip flexibility won’t prevent you from doing high kicks.

My point Rainy. Thank you

I could do the front splits, but coming from a hammer back ground my body had been built to do that, from a flexibility point of view was more flexible then most sprinters yet my sprinting stride sucked.

My point is to keep working on the sprint stride and should improve, oh that and trust the coach.

Place tape markers at every meter (preferably in the middle of the lane where you place your feet) and film from the side. You should then be able to estimate your stride length very well. Also, be sure to achieve full speed!

“fine” doesn’t mean much.

Does a midget have a shorter stride length than a giant?

Horizontal.

Actually, I believe Anders is correct that it’s vertical force that has the greatest impact of stride length (discounting limb length).

its a combination of both, if it was all vertical high jumpers would make the best sprinters.

Is a jackrabbit faster than a horse, they both have the same stride length.
No:)

Of course horizontal velocity is a factor. That’s given. But vertical diplacement is a much more adjustable factor and the factor that separates the shuffler from the long strider.

3RM 2.5 BW squat isnt enough?

Post video of your lifts and your sprints. Without that information, we have no context of your lifts or your sprints with which to give advice.

If you don’t want to listen to the advice given in the threads, don’t make them. You argue every time somebody tries to help you. Take it or leave it.

I dont have any new lifting videos, all are from last year:

http://www.youtube.com/user/farzamk

couple sprint videos in there too

I am looking for advice, and im responding to it as well.

Too much lower back on those deadlifts.

You took you’re hips out from the begining. At first you were set up in a good position and then lifted you’re butt up before the lift. Keep the butt down and do the lift.

All the videos are old and the sprint videos have about half a second of film worth analyzing.

You’re young. Just keep training and stop worrying about the minutia and asking stupid questions–it will only hinder your progress. Get out of the mindset now that strength in the weightroom equals or even approximates strength on the track and that strength in the weightroom is going to translate to improvements on the track without significant work. Looking at your sprint videos alone it looks like you are stuck in this syndrome already because your upper body is incredibly rigid and it is hard to say, but your hips actually do look fairly tight in that video. ROM on mobility drills or stretches =/= muscle tone and tissue quality. This is why there are plenty of girls that can do all of the splits in the world and still look like their pelvis is in rigor mortis when they sprint.