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Thread: Do power cleans or snatches help with barefoot/front-foot style running?

  1. #1
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    Default Do power cleans or snatches help with barefoot/front-foot style running?

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    About 10 years ago, way before I knew of SS, I began running in the front-foot or barefoot style. That is, I land on the ball of the foot first and just touch the heel.

    This style puts a lot of impact on the calves. When I first started I would find it very difficult to walk down stairs, but with practice the calves got used to it and I could run 6 miles without too much difficulty.

    The main advantage was that I found that my knees and shins felt better after running. I used to get shin splints with ordinary running shoes, but that went away with front-foot running.

    I then gave up running for some years. I have now restarted physical activity with the NLP. Good progress so far, but I've not started power cleans yet.

    Recently I also began running again with some friends. It's just an excuse to socialize. It happens monthly and the maximum distance is 3 miles.

    On the first day I did 3 miles, and my calves, having been deconditioned for some years now, seized up completely afterwards and I could barely walk for the next few days.

    The next time we ran, I did just 1 mile. The calves felt stiff afterwards but I could still manage to walk. 1 mile is my current limit.

    I'd like to train up my calves to take on the repeated impact of my weight (around 180lbs) for a 3 mile run, and I'm wondering if power cleans could train this aspect (actually it's the P. snatch for me because my forearms are too long to rack the bar on my shoulders).

    If not the p. snatch is there anything I could try to build up the impact load resistance on my lower body.

    Any opinions on this would be appreciated.

  2. #2
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    If for some reason this is actually important, power cleans and snatches do not actually train the calves. The plantar flexion is a side effect of the explosive knee and hip extension, not a "calf raise."

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the explanation.

    It's not important, I'm only disappointed my calves don't hold up as well as they used to, and wondering how it can be brought back to minimum serviceability.

  4. #4
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    If your fancy running style made them so sore you couldn't walk, why would you think that fancy running itself will not provide enough adaptive stress to make them adapt?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    If your fancy running style made them so sore you couldn't walk, why would you think that fancy running itself will not provide enough adaptive stress to make them adapt?
    I didn't say that the fancy running would not provide the necessary adaptive stress. It has done so before, and will likely do so again.

    I should have clarified though. The purpose of my question is that I was hoping to bring the calves back into order through general purpose strength training, instead of having to run every now and then. Hence the question on cleans and snatches.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shahmatt View Post
    I should have clarified though. The purpose of my question is that I was hoping to bring the calves back into order through general purpose strength training, instead of having to run every now and then. Hence the question on cleans and snatches.
    Into order for what? Fancy running, or cleans and snatches?

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