Running Mechanics and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics
February 23, 2010
- Derek M. Hansen -
With the 2010 Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver, Canada, we are exposed to a wide array of different sports that rely heavily on unique skill-sets that are not required for conventional summer sports. Events involving flips, twists, jumps and edge-control, all while wearing either skin-tight or baggy [...]
Running and Knee Health: Recent Reports
January 18, 2010
- Derek M. Hansen -
Once in a while, some of the major media outlets actually publish some interesting articles on the topic of exercise. Those of us that tire of reading headlines about the “Top 10 Exercises for Body Sculpting” or “How to Run Off that Spare Tire” are shocked when [...]
If and When to Stretch? The Dilemma Continues
November 28, 2009
- Derek M. Hansen -
Almost every time I open the most recent issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, I will find at least a handful of articles on creatine supplementation, vibration training or stretching and warm-up. In this article, I will focus my attention on the whole issue of pre-event stretching [...]
Respiration Management and Running Performance
October 30, 2009
- Derek M. Hansen -
As a running coach and conditioning consultant, I get many requests each week to work with different athletes. I do my best to accommodate most of these requests, referring the odd one to other colleagues where appropriate. One of the most recent requests, however, [...]
How Many Reps Are Enough?
September 7, 2009
- Derek M. Hansen -
I am often witness to sporting coaches carrying out their training sessions and preparatory camps for various sports. The coaches have a practice plan and, invariably, an ambitious schedule for what they want to accomplish in a session, day or week. There are always injuries. [...]
Where You Look Can Affect How You Look: Running Mechanics and Gaze Control
August 4, 2009
- Derek M. Hansen -
Back in the summer of 2008, I was teaching a sport biomechanics course to a group of coaches. I was presenting a model for teaching running technique and how to use the concept of vision to elicit a desired postural response. When teaching an athlete to accelerate [...]
Running Mechanics and Shoe Selection: Implications for Performance and Injuries
July 3, 2009
- Derek M. Hansen -
A few months ago, a friend of mine sent me a link to an article about running shoe technology. The article appeared in the UK’s Daily Mail and is entitled, “The Painful Truth About Trainers: Are Running Shoes a Waste of Money?” Written by Christopher [...]
“My Kid Loves Sports, But He is So Slow: What Should I Do?”
April 13, 2009
- Derek M. Hansen -
Believe it or not, I’m asked this question at least once per week. Being in the business of making people run fast, you would figure that it would be the only question I would hear. Thankfully, some of my clients are already pretty fast. They just want to [...]
Identifying and Managing Fatigue in Running Athletes - Part 1
February 10, 2009
- Derek M. Hansen -
While everyone is clamoring to find the greatest new exercise or supplement for health, fitness and performance, I am always searching for easier ways to do more with less. In short, I am trying to determine the optimal amount of work for a given athlete, without falling into [...]
Electronic Muscle Stimulation for Strength, Athletic Performance and Recovery
January 3, 2009
- Derek M. Hansen -
This article will be one of many on the topic of Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) and related topics on electrotherapy and electrophysiology. It provides a general overview on the applications and benefits of electro-therapy devices. Future articles will delve further into the specific protocols for performance enhancement, [...]
