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Ponderism 2: Weak Leg/Strong Leg

  • 11-05-2009 10:41pm
    #1
    RunToFart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46 ✭


    Most of us have one leg that is weaker than the other. When running does this make the stronger leg more efficient and is this where most of the power comes from rather than the weaker leg?

    Does the stronger leg provide more power/speed moving forward and although the weaker leg does provide alot of power/speed does it just come forward in a less efficient manner simply catching up with the stronger leg and then you push off stronger from the strong leg again.

    Would be quite interesting to run a distance say a km or a mile (even 100 m) and measure the length of each stride from each foot and the energy or force applied or whatever way you would measure it to see which one provides more power/speed.


Comments

  • #2
    thirtyfoot
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    RunToFart wrote: »
    Most of us have one leg that is weaker than the other. When running does this make the stronger leg more efficient and is this where most of the power comes from rather than the weaker leg?

    Does the stronger leg provide more power/speed moving forward and although the weaker leg does provide alot of power/speed does it just come forward in a less efficient manner simply catching up with the stronger leg and then you push off stronger from the strong leg again.

    Would be quite interesting to run a distance say a km or a mile (even 100 m) and measure the length of each stride from each foot and the energy or force applied or whatever way you would measure it to see which one provides more power/speed.

    Depends. If you have midget style legs then the difference is negligible as your legs are so short and produce so little power.

    As you say everyone has legs that are weaker or stronger. Everyone has muscle balances all over the shop in fact. Its one of the main reasons people get injured and doing strength work (whether with weights or body or whatever) will help identify these imbalances and eliminate them. Many people are scared of doing weights but its the prime way to avoid injury other than not training or jumping or throwing at all.

    Have you ever done a squat and notice one leg wobbles more than the other or even a single leg squat as they will show very clearly. Or lunges or med balls throw twisting from one side then the other or overhead med ball throws from either side. Its not just the legs where the imbalance will be. A simple test is stand on a box - say 12-18 inches - and drop to the ground on one leg and try stabilise when you land. Alternate and see what difference there is and what control or lack of is on either side (if you are a midget try a box of 3-6 inches).


  • #3
    ladytri
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 278 ✭✭ladytri


    I'd go so far as to say I've a weak side/strong side- my left side is pretty useless, it's my gimp side!
    When I'm swimming my left arm is like a useless appendage AND all of my injuries have only occurred on my left side:
    Torn cruciate
    sciatica (only down my left leg)
    dog bite
    fractured wrist
    gimpy I tell ye, gimpy


  • #4
    RunToFart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46 ✭RunToFart


    ladytri wrote: »
    I'd go so far as to say I've a weak side/strong side- my left side is pretty useless, it's my gimp side!
    When I'm swimming my left arm is like a useless appendage AND all of my injuries have only occurred on my left side:
    Torn cruciate
    sciatica (only down my left leg)
    dog bite
    fractured wrist
    gimpy I tell ye, gimpy

    Dog bite ha ha. Arent you lucky the dog bite was on the weak side. You'd be totally gimpy if it bit your strong side. You'd be just floating in the water looking around you


  • #5
    ladytri
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 278 ✭✭ladytri


    RunToFart wrote: »
    Dog bite ha ha. Arent you lucky the dog bite was on the weak side. You'd be totally gimpy if it bit your strong side. You'd be just floating in the water looking around you
    too funny, can't breath! Left lung not pulling its weight:)


  • #6
    cesytnuochtaem
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭cesytnuochtaem


    ladytri wrote: »
    too funny, can't breath! Left lung not pulling its weight:)

    Do you find you tend to swim around in circles as well?:p


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  • #7
    ladytri
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 278 ✭✭ladytri


    It's more like a zig-zag motion than a full on rotation to be honest-
    diversion/correction/diversion/correction:)


  • #8
    geld
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 534 ✭✭✭geld


    Just like Ladytri I have a weaker right leg.

    I thnik it steams from a previous life when I played football and used to kick mainly with my left. I remember always trying on the left shoe when buying a new pair because I felt the left was marginally bigger.

    Any injuries I have received have been on my right. A few marathons ago I developed some stifness in my right leg. On my LSR my right leg felt it had run 20 miles at the 10 mile stage. I started concentrating on the right with weights and plenty of stretching etc. It took a long time to get better but it never feels as strong as my right.


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