Maybe you’re new to the term strides, or maybe it’s something you have a general idea about but there are still some things about strides you don’t quite understand.
Necessary Background Information:
We build muscle strength two different ways, through physically building larger muscle fibers (hypertrophy) and through increased muscle fiber activation (neuromuscular connection/the “mind/muscle connection”). The best way to build strength through the later is to put muscles under significant force which forces the body to create strong mind/muscle connections. In weight training this is through lifting REALLY HEAVY WEIGHTS, in running this is through running fast and hard.
Strides
A way for us to build mind/muscle connection through placing our muscles under higher force, while also not causing enough stress to require recovery due to the short duration of the effort and rest between.
Depending on who you talk to or which running magazine/blog/etc. you’re reading you’ll see slightly different definitions here.
But to keep things simple, let’s all agree for right now that they’re short accelerations or bouts of fast running that last from 20-30 seconds or 100-150m.
Now, let’s dive into some finer details on all of that both in terms of when we do them and what does it really mean to do them “fast”, more about when, and how to perform strides to get these benefits by visiting our full content in The Training Club