Post by admin on Mar 24, 2008 7:13:28 GMT -5
What causes this annoying thing?
Training too much on hard surfaces
Mechanical problems
Lack of shin strength
The running mechanics and technique you have for your drills will take time to correct, not something done over night, so by all means make sure you have a proper coach watching and teaching you proper form over drills/runs. As well plyometrics and incorrect landing puts excessive impact on the shins causing shin splints. If that's fine, then this leaves two things.
Hard surfaces like on the road or a hard track or maybe even a hall way or something, can cause shin splints. Reason is greater impact due to harder surface. So of course if you can do a lot of your training on a softer track or on grass. This only goes for plyometrics mainly, always done on grass unless you got a nice track to work with.
Keep in mind both the above cause impact and damage on other joints. So anything from jumps or long road running will put impact on joints AND the shins. Shins just you feel quicker and easier than your joints (feel them in the future).
So how do we address this problem quickly as well look to give better performance in sports too? Shin strengthening! Stronger shins can be helpful, after all making weaknesses into strengths will be beneficial no matter what.
Best way to strengthen your shins is by dorsiflexion, you need 2 basic exercises. The toe curl and the heel walk. Toe curl you can do in the gym, heel walk in practices on track/field. So starting out with week shins, you want to take it easy. Start 3 weeks, of 3 days a week. Toe curl on spot, 3x12. Heel walk 3x10m. After 3 weeks go to 3 weeks of single leg toe curls on a step, the alternate with double leg toe curls on a step. So double leg, then each leg = 1 set with no recovery between switches. Super set with 8 reps calf raises. Do 3 sets total. Increase heel walk distance by 5m and add a set.
During these 6 weeks ice your shins after workouts to prevent shin splints and provide quicker recovery for shins. Then rest shins for 2 weeks and return to doing simply regular shin work. 3-4 days a week do heel walks and toe curls, few sets of 10 reps/meters and you're fine and should no longer have shin splints.
If you have very weak shins, you should add on 3 weeks of high intense shin work after 2 weeks of no shin work. 4 times a week, combination of toe curls (5 sets with resistance band and/or dumbell) as well as heel walk. You can also use a dorsiflexion machine. Get in lots of heel walks.
A extra supplementary exercise which is great overall for athletic development is skipping. This works entire lower leg area the way it should be worked. Do variety of regular skipping, to doubles, to single leg, side to side, front and back, higher jumps, single leg higher jumps. Also help work on landing from more intense plyometric exercises.
Training too much on hard surfaces
Mechanical problems
Lack of shin strength
The running mechanics and technique you have for your drills will take time to correct, not something done over night, so by all means make sure you have a proper coach watching and teaching you proper form over drills/runs. As well plyometrics and incorrect landing puts excessive impact on the shins causing shin splints. If that's fine, then this leaves two things.
Hard surfaces like on the road or a hard track or maybe even a hall way or something, can cause shin splints. Reason is greater impact due to harder surface. So of course if you can do a lot of your training on a softer track or on grass. This only goes for plyometrics mainly, always done on grass unless you got a nice track to work with.
Keep in mind both the above cause impact and damage on other joints. So anything from jumps or long road running will put impact on joints AND the shins. Shins just you feel quicker and easier than your joints (feel them in the future).
So how do we address this problem quickly as well look to give better performance in sports too? Shin strengthening! Stronger shins can be helpful, after all making weaknesses into strengths will be beneficial no matter what.
Best way to strengthen your shins is by dorsiflexion, you need 2 basic exercises. The toe curl and the heel walk. Toe curl you can do in the gym, heel walk in practices on track/field. So starting out with week shins, you want to take it easy. Start 3 weeks, of 3 days a week. Toe curl on spot, 3x12. Heel walk 3x10m. After 3 weeks go to 3 weeks of single leg toe curls on a step, the alternate with double leg toe curls on a step. So double leg, then each leg = 1 set with no recovery between switches. Super set with 8 reps calf raises. Do 3 sets total. Increase heel walk distance by 5m and add a set.
During these 6 weeks ice your shins after workouts to prevent shin splints and provide quicker recovery for shins. Then rest shins for 2 weeks and return to doing simply regular shin work. 3-4 days a week do heel walks and toe curls, few sets of 10 reps/meters and you're fine and should no longer have shin splints.
If you have very weak shins, you should add on 3 weeks of high intense shin work after 2 weeks of no shin work. 4 times a week, combination of toe curls (5 sets with resistance band and/or dumbell) as well as heel walk. You can also use a dorsiflexion machine. Get in lots of heel walks.
A extra supplementary exercise which is great overall for athletic development is skipping. This works entire lower leg area the way it should be worked. Do variety of regular skipping, to doubles, to single leg, side to side, front and back, higher jumps, single leg higher jumps. Also help work on landing from more intense plyometric exercises.