High Knee while sprint (Getting the Thigh Parallel to the Ground)

It is my belief that most people will flex the hip to the appropriate degree automatically without making any deliberate effort to do so. Slow people APPEAR to lack "knee lift," but what they really lack is the power to push their hips very high off the ground when they run. It's vertical displacement that creates the appearance of having high "knee lift."

The height of "knee lift" while sprinting is a product of force application. The more force applied the faster the body displaces and the higher the knee lifts automatically

Think of jogging. Knee doesn't come up much at all. Although you could artificially lift the knee higher while jogging if you wanted to.

Knee lift is a result and shouldn't be a goal unto itself.

This is a simplified answer. Othe postural factors apply.

Interesting feedbacks.......how come they say the quad has to be parallel to the ground.....what other postural factors may apply?

In my limited experience, hip flexor strength is a factor. I used a cable pulley with an ankle attachment and drove the knee up. http://www.fitclick.com/exercises_Cable_Knee_Drive?eqID=4946

WTH? wrote:

In my limited experience, hip flexor strength is a factor. I used a cable pulley with an ankle attachment and drove the knee up.

http://www.fitclick.com/exercises_Cable_Knee_Drive?eqID=4946

+1 for hip flexors.

Another vote for hip flexors. You don't consciously try to lift your knees higher but added strength will enable this to happen naturally.

Hardly sayin' wrote:

Another vote for hip flexors. You don't consciously try to lift your knees higher but added strength will enable this to happen naturally.

Whoever "they" are, are wrong.

Knee lift is a result, not a goal. Push off the ground correctly and knee lift will happen naturally. No active lifting. No cueing lifting. No driving knee up.

Here's a cue you can try:

In your recovery phase, consciously think of pulling your shin forward and see what happens. Just try it.

Recovery phase is the critical element.

You want full recovery--pull your heel to your butt BEFORE you bring the knee through, and you will see how high your knee goes.

If you force high knees, you will actually go slower, and you will risk hip flexor strain, which many people get who are lazy on their recovery.

Nice views folks

To Questioning?....how do one Push off the ground correctly please?

questioning? wrote:

Hardly sayin' wrote:

Another vote for hip flexors. You don't consciously try to lift your knees higher but added strength will enable this to happen naturally.

Whoever "they" are, are wrong.

Knee lift is a result, not a goal. Push off the ground correctly and knee lift will happen naturally. No active lifting. No cueing lifting. No driving knee up.

From the view of a sprint coach, you are partially correct, but also partially incorrect. Knee lift will happen naturally with correct mechanics and leg strength, but you say "they" are wrong when "they" recommend strengthening the hip flexors. Hip flexor strength is something that is often ignored. Bolt uses weighted cable drives in his workouts. Do not attempt to alter your mechanics by artificially lifting or driving the knee up during running. Add leg strength training to enable high knee lift to happen naturally. That include strengthening the hip flexors.

Foot contacts during acceleration should have long ground contact times and the direction of force should be primarily horizontal.

Foot contacts during top speed should have short ground contact times and the direction of force should be primarily vertical.

This is when sprinting only. Knee lift is a natural consequence of the above.

"Do not attempt to alter your mechanics by artificially lifting or driving the knee up during running."

This, but you can make sure you have knee drive during especially early acceleration.

questioning? wrote:

Whoever "they" are, are wrong.

Knee lift is a result, not a goal. Push off the ground correctly and knee lift will happen naturally. No active lifting. No cueing lifting. No driving knee up.

This person is exactly right.

I also agree that you can benefit from strengthening hip flexors, but the reason is that hip flexion contributes to pushoff power, not because "knee lift" is desirable as an end in itself.

Sprintgeezer wrote:

"Do not attempt to alter your mechanics by artificially lifting or driving the knee up during running."

This, but you can make sure you have knee drive during especially early acceleration.

I vote with Sprintgeezer on this one. Concentrate on knee drive during acceleration, but after that, leg strength (application of force against the ground) will make knee lift happen naturally. Having said that, hip flexor strength is often ignored in a total leg strength program so don't neglect them.

wow amazing contributions folks, much appreciated.

there are two things that are not very clear -

1. ankle over knee during recovery phase: some say that if your heel can touch your butt or there about, its better, what about those who may not have the full flexibility because that may affect their ability to have a good knee drive? perhaps how should they attempt to improve flexibility of calf to hamstring?

2. running motion like skipping? if so, how do one combine this into their drill perhaps in order to transfer it into a race action.