Cook's Ancillary Exercises and Recovery

great question. i would say the best day to do the harder exercises would be on workout days. it follows the stimulus-recovery pattern that works pretty well. easy days are def gonna help with recovery.

Thanks yohahaha. That's what I would figure off the top of my head also, but...

anyone want to challenge this or have anything to add to the mix? Assuming one is doing doubles at some point and shifting through various macrocycles of training, perhaps there are more optimum times to do these types of workouts? Like after your second easy run on your easy day or after your am run the morning of a hard day. The body seems to work in strange cycles sometimes and I'd like to figure out the when's and why's.

Maybe it is as simple as separating hard (including run and weights/strength work etc) from easy as yohahaha says, but maybe there's more to it than that?

All those who feel qualified please add to the discussion. I am really concerned most with figuring out the time frames/cycles as it apllies to the stimulus-recovery adaptations of the body and how to optimize those variables for effective training and racing.

Hey, can you post a link to Cook's ancillary exercises? I'd love to see/read them!

You can do them every day. Since they're ancillary, they don't stress your body much. I know Erin Donahue, for one, does them most days.

Man I bet Bob Kennedy would have run 7:25 and 12:45 if he would have done ancillary exercises. Just run and don't get all mental over all this extra stuff.

Here's a good link :

http://www.flotrack.org/videos/speaker/83-shalane-flanagan/64864-shalane-flanagan-workout-episode-7

ehhhh wrote:

Man I bet Bob Kennedy would have run 7:25 and 12:45 if he would have done ancillary exercises. Just run and don't get all mental over all this extra stuff.

That's what I thought (tried). No stretching, no warm up or cool down 99% of the time, no strength work. Didn't work at all, kept getting injured. I know believe that strengthening, dynamic stretching, and good warm up/cool down will lead to a lower rate of injury than doing none of this. Btw, kennedy probably did do this... if not, well guess what kennyB does. All the best do lots of exercises, supplementary routines.

Good point Ken Bob. I have seen footage over and over again of the world's best doing tons of calisthenics, drills and exercises that weren't just "running." The Ethiopians do it, the Kenyans do it, and now I see the best US runners doing them also.

I'm not saying don't stretch and do a few drills but don't let it take over everything.

and what is your running / coaching resume?

ehhhh wrote:

I'm not saying don't stretch and do a few drills but don't let it take over everything.

Who cares. I'm just someone whos against people who obsess over drills or wearing stupid compression sock because they think thats going to make them a great runner.

ehhhh wrote:

Who cares. I'm just someone whos against people who obsess over drills or wearing stupid compression sock because they think thats going to make them a great runner.

Well it's working pretty well for the Cook group. Watch the videos of him speaking. He is OBSESSED with drills.

He also coaches elite athletes who are pretty close to their max in running. Whatever can get them a few tenths of a second here and there is awesome. They have all the time in the world to do drills or whatever else they want because thats their job.

ehhhh -

Listen, I've tried to be positive and understanding, but I am no longer able. Go away please. Don't feel you have to respond to this post or any others. Goodbye.

You've given me a headache and I'd like to come back to this tomorrow. Nope...shut it.....quiet....please, not a word. Go away. Have a good one.

Homeless, we do this (generic):

M: core, hard workout

T: hips, barefoot drills/running, easy workout, weightroom

W: core, hard workout

TH: hips, barefoot drills/running, easy workout, weightroom

F: core, hard workout

S: hips, LONG

S: OFF

Plus, we do dynamic stretching before ALL hard workouts. And, we do static stretching (Wharton Stretching with straps) after ALL workouts.

I do wish I could get some plyos into your system, but I always have to remember that my student-athletes have a finite amount of energy & finite amount of time (before their parents pick them up from practice).

Personally, I think the hips & barefoot work have REALLY helped our program. I think people spend too much time with abs (for that cool six-pack look) & should focus more on the back (via, say, planks).

Hope this helps.

[quote]ehhhh wrote:

He also coaches elite athletes who are pretty close to their max in running. [quote]

During the past 3-4 years that I have been following Cook's athletes, I have watched them continue to make big improvements off their personal best times across a multitude of events/distances.

You clearly don't know what you are talking about.

Thanks random coach. I think that's smart to do the drills barefoot.

What is your hips routine?

Homeless Strong wrote:

Thanks random coach. I think that's smart to do the drills barefoot.

What is your hips routine?

I swing my hips to the left, then to the right.

I wave my hands in the air, and then I do it again.

Magness posted a list of Cook's drills a while back, if anyone's interested

http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2008/03/dan-pfaff-john-cook-general-strength.html