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Make Your Muscles Smarter

Adam Hodges | October 1, 2014

Excerpted from The Triathlete’s Training Guide and featured in USAT’s Multisport Zone.

neuronsWhen most people think of strength training, they think of making their muscles stronger. But strong muscles aren’t worth much if they don’t fire when needed or coordinate with each other during sport specific movements. For endurance athletes engaged in strength training, it is important to recognize that stronger muscles form only part of the equation for enhanced performance. You also need to have good neuromuscular control over those muscles.

Any time a muscle contracts, it requires a signal from the nervous system. This is why we talk about neuromuscular movement (as opposed to just muscular movement). A great deal of the work done by the nervous system occurs more or less automatically as a result of… continue reading

Additional resources:

  • Functional strength
  • Neuromuscular activation
  • Running drills

Filed Under: Training Tips Tagged With: Drills, Prehab, Strength

Adam Hodges

About Adam Hodges

Adam Hodges, PhD, is a trail runner, multisport athlete, and coach with credentials from USA Triathlon and the American College of Sports Medicine. In addition to coaching multisport athletes, he has coached high school cross country and track runners in California and masters swimmers in Colorado and California. As a USAT All-American triathlete, he has competed in the ITU World Triathlon Championships, the ITU World Duathlon Championships, and the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a masters runner, he has won a series title in the XTERRA SoCal Trail Series. He began running in his youth and enjoys passing on the knowledge and experience he has gained over the years to both new and experienced athletes seeking to maximize enjoyment, competitiveness, and longevity in the sport.

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