Race Walking Tips
Read these 6 Race Walking Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Track And Field tips and hundreds of other topics.
Race Walkers Need Strong Arms, Too
Race walking involves the repetition of a very specific motion over a long period of time, longer than many running events. Race walkers who make the effort to strengthen their arms will find that their arm movements are more efficient, and they can rely on their arms to help propel them forward in the latter stages of a race when they get tired and need more energy. To build arm strength, try this: hold a 5-pound weight in each hand and pump your arms up and down. Swing your arm through a full range of motion so your hands brush past your hips. Pump your arms for about one minute, rest, and repeat. Try to do this exercise 2-3 times per week.
Race Walkers Need Strong Arms, Too
Race walking involves the repetition of a very specific motion over a long period of time, longer than many running events. Race walkers who make the effort to strengthen their arms will find that their arm movements are more efficient, and they can rely on their arms to help propel them forward in the latter stages of a race when they get tired and need more energy. To build arm strength, try this: hold a 5-pound weight in each hand and pump your arms up and down. Swing your arm through a full range of motion so your hands brush past your hips. Pump your arms for about one minute, rest, and repeat. Try to do this exercise 2-3 times per week.
Step On It
Two major areas of concern while race walking involve one's stride and posture. Having the correct stride while race walking is essential, since this is what mainly separates the sport from running. While running, there is a point every stride when the runner has both feet off the ground. In race walking, the racer is required to have one foot remain in contact with the ground at all times. Another one of the many race walking techniques to be mindlful of is posture. Leaning too far forward, or too far backward, can slow a racer down, and can lead to poor form, which, in turn, can lead to injury.
Three Strikes You're Out
What is race walking? Internationally contested racewalking events are the 20,000m and 50,000m. The rules governing these events are the same as for endurance running events, accept that the judges are required to watch for and warn walkers during the competition that one leg must always be in contact with the ground, and the knee of the front leg must be straight at the point of contact with the track. Walkers get two verbal warnings before they are disqualified with a third.
Is This a New Thing?
There are many race walking events around the country, but the biggest race walking events take place during the Summer Olympic Games. Race walking made its Olympic debut at the Atlanta games, and has since had much more exposure to mainstream America ever since. Still, it is difficult to find many venues or meets that host competitve walking. Search for race walking races on the internet, there's got to be one around you.
The Highest Form
Race walking events are endurance events. Therefore, many race walking tips are the same as endurance running training tips. Energy systems and fitness are both essential. To coach someone in race walking can be done one of two ways, by the imitation method or the template method. Imition involves showing films and having the walkers demonstrate and practice the technical model they have viewed. The template method allows the walkers to begin with their own familiar movement pattern that the coach modifies systematically until the athlete has good techical understanding.
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