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See the issue: March 2007

By Chad Zimmerman

For most T&F athletes, hitting a new PR—whether it’s a faster time, higher jump or longer throw—is the number one training goal, with injury prevention a distant second. It’s usually not until a tweaked muscle keeps you out of a meet that those training priorities flip spots.

Jim Radcliffe, head strength coach for the nationally ranked Oregon men’s and women’s track teams, provides the foresight and training you need to pump up your PRs while simultaneously reducing time spent on the sideline.

“We like to work on core strength first—to develop what we call ‘the athlete’s pillar,’” Radcliffe says. “How well the pillar of core strength holds up is how well the athlete will hold up in terms of health and success throughout his or her events.”

Oregon athletes spend their first few weeks of strength training without any weight. Radcliffe uses only bodyweight exercises that challenge his athletes’ core strength and stability. Forget about crunches and sit-ups, though. “A lot of people view core strength as lying down on the ground and doing some abs and low back extensions—things like that,” Radcliffe says. “To us, core strength is partly that, but it also involves doing stuff on your feet that incorporates posture, balance, stability and mobility. We see a lower incidence of muscular injuries to the hamstrings, groin, hip flexors and low back when our athletes train consistently and religiously with this.”

One exercise Radcliffe prescribes is the Single-Leg Squat, performed only with body weight 1-2 times a week, before jumping into a weight-training workout. To improve core strength effectively, he recommends taking the exercise through a three-step progression of increasing difficulty. Once you master one progression, move on to the next. Some athletes can move through the progression in a couple of weeks; others may take a month or more. The key, however, is to focus on proper form and technique.

Single-Leg Squat

This exercise will be difficult to perform if you don’t arch your back, spread your chest and move at the hip. “We really want to function around the torso, especially the hips, which is what a lot of our core exercises require—more movement at the hip and less at the knee,” Radcliffe says.

Progression One: No balance, bent leg

• Stand on right foot with right arm holding on to rail or wall
• Bend left leg so foot moves back
• Keeping right foot flat on ground and right knee behind toes, squat down and lower hips until left knee gently touches ground
• Return to standing position
• Repeat for 5-10 reps on each leg

Progression Two: Balance, bent leg

• Same as progression one, but don’t hold onto wall or rail

Progression Three: Balance, extended leg

• Stand on right foot with left leg extended out front
• Hold arms out front at chest level
• Keeping right foot flat on ground and right knee over toes, squat and lower hips until right thigh descends below knee level
• Return to standing position
• Repeat for 5-10 reps on each leg

Coaching Point: You can hold your arms out front or even grab the toe of the leg out front. This will help you keep your posture.

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