Racer X Virtual Trainer

Ok guys, quick question. Ive always made it a priority not to let my knees ever go past my toe in any exercise, lunge, squat... Trainer I met recently suggests otherwise, he seems knowledgeable, but some of the things he's told me goes against what Ive done for years. Are deep squats safe if your form is good?
And, are power cleans good or bad... it seems controversial, close friend of mine who I have always respected as a trainer told me he used to tell people cleans were excellent, but he later learned that because of the likely hood of injury he now suggest NOT doing cleans. But, yesterday I was working with a trainer who believes deep squats and power cleans are great, and cleans are ok as long as form is good...? im sure there are reasons one could argue for or against these things, but I feel like if an exercise is likely to get you injured, it would probably be best to avoid it and replace it with safer exercises, but then again these exercises would not still be popular if they were "bad". Should racers be doing cleans, deep squats, etc. (powerlifting) in any period of their training, or should they stick to less injury prone exercises?

Phelps,
Thank you for posting here on RacerX VT! Like most exercises, the key is correct form and a controlled ego. Certain ranges of motion take joints, tendons and ligaments beyond the scope of their purpose which leads to injuries. Another issue is trying to take a "safe exercise" and move too much weight. What many individuals don't realize is that lifting heavy weight is only part of the strength curve, slowing down the weight WITH momentum is where things become dangerous as well.

When it comes to cleans and deep squats, there are other ways to accomplish the same results with less risk of injury. What exercises are "ideal" is a result of establishing some baseline assessments to determine which muscle groups are strong and which are weak. Ironically, most athletes lift muscle groups that they are already strong at and avoid exercises that they hate (aka-not strong at!).

If you want to test the strength between your quads and hamstrings, try these two exercises:
Air squats - no weight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvUxcBYH ... plpp_video)
Hamstring press on fit ball - (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f-2PmchHFo)

Complete as many reps as you can in 30 seconds-rest 30 seconds and repeat for a total of three (3) sets. Document how many reps you completed within each set.
Compare the total number of reps between your squats (Quad-front of the legs) and hamstring press (hamstrings-back of the leg)
The closer the total number of reps the better "balance" you have between the front and back of the legs.

You asked the question about should you do these exercises? Think about your question this way, do the exercises that I am performing in the gym improve my body position and skill set on the track. It is as simple as that. If your riding coach is asking you to get into the correct attack position and you don't have the strength or flexibility to maintain the attack position for an extended period of time, you know what you need to be doing in the gym to improve your speed and endurance on the track.

If you have any questions or need anything clarified, please don't hesitate to post back here on RacerX VT.
-Robb Beams/MotoE

Found this today on the Men's Health site that I think is pretty informative.....

Never Let Your Knees Go Past Your Toes
The claim: Allowing your knees to move too far forward during exercises such as the squat and lunge places dangerous shearing forces on your knee ligaments.

The origin: A 1978 study at Duke University found that keeping the lower leg as vertical as possible during the squat reduced shearing forces on the knee.

The truth: Leaning forward too much is more likely to cause injury. In 2003, University of Memphis researchers confirmed that knee stress was 28 percent higher when the knees were allowed to move past the toes during the squat. But the researchers also found a counter effect: Hip stress increased nearly 1,000 percent when forward movement of the knee was restricted. The reason: The squatters had to lean their torsos farther forward. And that's a problem, because forces that act on the hip are transferred to the lower back, a more frequent site of injury than the knees.

The new standard: Focus more on your upper body and less on knee position. By trying to keep your torso as upright as possible as you perform squats (and lunges), you'll reduce the stress on your hips and back. Two tips for staying upright: Before squatting, squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold them that way; and as you squat, try to keep your forearms perpendicular to the floor.

_________________
Tim Crytser
Your Virtual Trainer
www.racerxVT.com