The MOST USED MUSCLE in running

[@Cloppa2000]

Great info! At 60 and new to running!! I've just pulled my soleus!!! Hoping it recovers soon so I can strengthen it.. Will definitely be binge watching your channel for advice! 👍👍

[@SafeMotions]

Congrats for starting running! But sorry to hear about the injury. You might find that gentle massages might help and you can start strengthening as long as it doesn't hurt. Start seated so that you don't have to carry your whole body weight on it. Light and progressive... Hope your recover fast!

[@alertbri]

Ridiculously few subscribers for the value of this channel! Awesome content, thank you.

[@SafeMotions]

Thank you back, for watching and for your comment! 🙏. Glad to know this brought value to you 👍

[@hangoctran0712]

Very good and professional video. Thanks Stephane!

[@SafeMotions]

Thanks for your kind comment Dorothy!!! Much appreciated.

[@TrailSage]

Fascinating stuff Steph. Soleus for the WIN! I think we need a knee drive video next.

[@SafeMotions]

Soleus! Thanks for watching Sage... Knee drive vid, let me work on that...

[@ThomasTanUltra]

Thanks for sharing, very informative. I learned so much! Look forward to the exercises to train my soleus!

[@SafeMotions]

Glad you found it informative! 👍 Still editing the exercise video. It's on the way...

[@dna1238]

Great breakdown 👌

[@SafeMotions]

Thank you 🙏

[@GillFisherRunningMySpace]

Great info Stephane! The part of my legs that feel the most worn out after a long run is sometimes my calf. They get very tight and I roll them and stretch after.

[@SafeMotions]

Yeah, humans should really have bigger calves. Who designed these legs!?!

[@GillFisherRunningMySpace]

@@SafeMotions lol 😆

[@MihaiGoRunning]

Another awesome, well done, and so useful clip dear Stephane! I can say that I watched it with great interest and appreciation! Can't wait for the exercises! I really don't train that muscle 😦Best wishes mate!

[@SafeMotions]

Thanks again for watching Mihai!! It's such a tiny muscle we tend to ignore it. But it's the key to even walking properly.

[@ed7268]

Cheers Stephane! I do train my soleus, but probably not enough. Some tips on how to massage the sucker when it gets stiff would also be good. Its a bit hard to get at.....

[@SafeMotions]

Thanks for tuning in Ed. Massaging the soleus, good idea. I'll get right on it.

[@runningwithstelvio]

I thought it was the gluteus... that's surprising and really interesting as always! I train soleus muscles once or twice per week usually! Thanks for the video, very well edited and super interesting!

[@SafeMotions]

Thanks Stelvio! Yeah the gluteus is super important too, but the real worker is lower. Thanks for watching, and we'll done for training the soleus, not many people do!!!

[@DevRunner]

Really interesting stuff here Stephane! I'm really looking forward to part two to see your recommended exercises! Great stuff!

[@SafeMotions]

Thanks Paul 🙏

[@louissatt8497]

Brilliant found out about this muscle when I was 69 seated heel raises did the trick after 30 years of getting injuries just as I was getting fit got quite a few local parkrun age bests at 70 yo and the 75 one still stands 23.04 if they had kept them on.

[@SafeMotions]

@@louissatt8497 Well done! You're an inspiration. Thanks for sharing!

[@louissatt8497]

@@SafeMotions re my last post "the soleus muscle gets long and weak in runners" from a scientific paper. So you need to strengthen them 20 reps x 6 sets of seated heel raises 1 to 1/2 block under the front of your foot maybe try adding a bit of weight resistance on top of your knees. Keep on rockin

[@SafeMotions]

@@louissatt8497 Thanks for the details. Sounds like a huge volume, will look it up! Would you mind sending me a link to the paper?

[@michaelchrisborn]

That was a very fantastic video. I just want to know how you did you presentation, the creativity in presenting the vedios with models. Please I want to if you can help please.

[@SafeMotions]

Thanks for your comments. For the models I just use stock videos that you can download on the internet. Then I use DaVinci Resolve to edit and put into the final video.

[@michaelchrisborn]

@@SafeMotions Thank you so much for your passion, I really appreciate it.

[@SprintTri57]

I am 57 and have strained my soleus three times in the last 7-8 years. It’s incredibly difficult to treat because in my situation the injury was high and deep. Also, the actual strain usually cannot be felt during running. It seems to be more of a gradual on set where you are out on a short slow recovery run and Bam out of no where. I now religiously do a lot of calf strengthening to help avoid the issue

[@SafeMotions]

Sorry to hear about the repetitive injury! Keep up the progressive load on your calves! But don't forget about foot strength, proper mechanics and asymmetries that can sneak in during the years of running. Hope you make a full long term recovery!

[@antimatter2417]

Bonne vidéo ! ❤

[@SafeMotions]

@@antimatter2417 Merci!!

[@RunSensible]

Very interesting I would have thought the quads did the most?

[@SafeMotions]

Yeah, some surprises there. According to Dorn et al 2012, the hip flexors do engage at speeds higher than 24kmh, but the iliopsoas, not so much the quads. Push off is done by glutes and calves, but initial contact is where eccentric quad contraction is starts... But according to them not so much reaction force. I def feel my quads when I run 😂 Maybe the eccentric nature of the movement makes the peak forces more "impactful" on those quads. Thanks for watching!

[@Naolo1608]

So I should train calves for running as well as soleus?

[@SafeMotions]

@@Naolo1608 yes! Well calves are made of soleus and gastrocnemius. So train the gastrocnemius, the soleus, and train the Achilles tendon for that recoil effect. You can do that with rope skipping for example. I do have a few videos for this.

[@benbwaite9858]

Paused to comment! I think its the soleus, let see!

[@benbwaite9858]

Sheet i was right

[@SafeMotions]

Hahaha, you were right indeed! Well done, few people know about that muscle...

[@benbwaite9858]

@@SafeMotions Was getting pain in the lower leg while while running so looked at some anatomy charts and figured out it was the soleus! Been stretching and strengthening it heaps which has almost resolved the issue 👌 Interesting muscle

[@SafeMotions]

@@benbwaite9858 Super important. Remember that it's a stabilizer, so you also need to do some single leg hops and other balance exercises. Wish you a fast recovery!

[@Sixstshy]

*hip flexors

[@SafeMotions]

Almost! But not always 😊. Thanks for commenting!!

[@husienjuhari7459]

You forgot the arms.

[@SafeMotions]

@@husienjuhari7459 Thanks for opening the conversation! While arms are indeed used in running, but I wanted to focus on the running engine. I think in sprinting, the arms provide about 2% of the total running energy, even less for distance running. So I decided to ignore them for the sake of this video. Again, thanks for pointing that out!