This is one that I’ll be doing this month 🙂
The advanced side plank
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Lie on your side, with your feet on top of each other, knees together and elbow under your shoulder. Lift your hip off the ground; make a straight line from your shoulder to your hip and feet. Do not rotate your body, keep your hips facing forwards. Gently pull in your abdominals (30%), without moving your trunk |
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Hold this position whilst you lift your top leg up and down 30 times. Repeat on the other side.
NB: you must keep a good posture throughout. Do less leg reps if you start losing your position and build up slowly. (Note: Going to Lands End is optional!) |
The stretch – soleus (lower calf)
The calf muscle is made up of two muscles:
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The large more superficial muscle called gastrocnemius, which consists of a medial and lateral belly, well defined in many cyclists. This inserts into the large thick tendon called the Achilles, which inserts into the calcaneum (heel bone).
The deeper muscle called soleus; a flat, broad muscle of the calf of the leg lying just beneath the gastrocnemius muscle. It arises from the upper portions of the tibia and fibula, and joins with the gastrocnemius to attach via the Achilles tendon at the heel
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Stand tall, facing a kerb or wall. Keeping your heel on the ground, place your forefoot against the kerb/wall, with pressure on the ball of your foot (not just bending your toes). You may feel a stretch in your upper calf.
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Stand tall, facing a kerb or wall. Keeping your heel on the ground, place your forefoot against the kerb/wall, with pressure on the ball of your foot (not just bending your toes). You may feel a stretch in your upper calf. |
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Keep your pelvis facing square on to your foot and gently bend your knee, pushing your knee cap forward, in line with your second toe. (No knock knees please!) You should now feel a stretch in your lower calf. Hold for 30 seconds. Then repeat with the other leg.
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Problem areas – Hold a stretch for up to 90 seconds if you have a particularly tight area. Ease into a stretch gradually, it should never be painful.