It is fall and that means it’s time for BOUNDING. This can be one of the most enjoyable and ski-specific workouts there is, but it can also be purely the toughest type of workout there is. Nothing makes you feel fit for winter like some hard bounding intervals ending with sweat-caked eyelids while hunched over your poles.
A key with bounding is utilizing the “glide” with each footfall. I often like to say that bounding is like running with “more air-time”. In order to get more air, you need to come down with a bit more force on each foot, setting the wax and pushing into the next stroke. For a blast-from-the-past, here is a video I made half a decade ago (!) describing some bounding mechanics and techniques:
Maybe you can also pick out some familiar MNC faces on this video from 2016! The slow-motion shows good bounding mechanics for longer (2+ min) intervals: not so explosive that you run out of power after a few strides, but enough explosive motion in the lower body to be distinctly different than running, with that extra effort being used to “set the wax” in your imaginary kick zone…
The workout itself?
For this first bounding session prescribed in the Masters Workout of the Week, we will keep it short and work on the technique of bounding itself, without enough time or repetitions to get so tired that things fall apart. In fact, we will be interspersing running with bounding to feel the difference.
Warmup: 15-20 minutes easy jogging, with some harder pushes on any uphills
Workout: 4-6 times 2 minutes up a gradual hill. Alternate each interval between bounding (with poles) and running (without poles). Recovery time is an easy walk or light jog back down the hill.
Take note of the time for each interval. With bounding, it’s likely that the effort will feel harder but the distance you cover in 2 minutes is less distance covered than running. That’s probably a good thing, as it means you are putting more emphasis on power, setting the wax, and using good from than just simple running as far as you can!
Cooldown 15-20 minutes easy running
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