Running Anatomy

by Joe Puleo, Patrick Milroy

See how to improve your running strength, speed, and endurance with Running Anatomy, Second Edition. This new edition of the best-selling running guide delivers more exercises, more insight, and more illustrations to show you how to increase your muscle strength, optimize the efficiency of your running motion, and minimize your risk of injury.

Running Anatomy features 48 of the most effective strength exercises for runners, each with clear step-by-step descriptions and full-color anatomical illustrations highlighting the muscles in action. Each illustration helps you better understand how muscles, ligaments, and tendons all work together as your body moves.

Running Anatomy clearly links each exercise to running performance. You'll see how to strengthen specific muscles and improve gait efficiency for faster times and more fluid runs. Plus you'll learn how to eliminate anatomical imbalances that can lead to the most common injuries that runners face, including plantar fasciitis, lower-back pain, knee aches and strains, and torn muscles and tendons.

Feel prepared for any challenge that comes your way. You'll find variations to train for every condition and competition--for various terrains, speeds, elevations, and distances, from sprint to marathon. You'll also learn how new gear and technology-enhanced equipment can maximize your training and performance.

Whether you're a fitness runner looking to conquer hills with more speed and strength or a competitive runner looking for that extra edge in performance and a finishing kick, Running Anatomy will ensure that you're ready to achieve your personal best.

CE exam available! For certified professionals, a companion continuing education exam can be completed after reading this book. The Running Anatomy, Second Edition, Online CE Exam may be purchased separately or as part of the Running Anatomy, Second Edition With CE Exam, package that includes both the book and the exam.

Genres: Fitness, Sports, Nonfiction, Reference, Health

200 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Running anatomy : Your illustrated guide to running strength, speed, and endurance / Joe Puleo and Dr. Patrick Milroy. Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, c2010

Disclosure: I got a copy of this book for free via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

My qualifications to review this book: Back in the day I was an Army Master Fitness Trainer and was also certified by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as a fitness trainer. I have been an on again, off again distance runner for over 35 years.

Review: Simply stated, this is an excellent book. Back when I was actively engaged in fitness training and acquiring resources I would have paid really good money for this book, assuming I had been able to peruse it beforehand.

The authors claim 3 goals:

1. "[T:]he illustrations … are meant to aid the runner in understanding the anatomy impacted when the runner is in motion" and "to further the runner's understanding of how" the anatomy "work[s:] to move the body." (vii)
2. Show the significance of strengthening the body via strength training. (vii)
3. Provide exercises that "will improve running performance and help to keep the runner injury-free by eliminating anatomical imbalances …." (vii).

The book does exactly what it claims and does it in a clear, comprehensive, and understandable way. The illustrations are excellent and support the text.

The opening chapters discuss "The Evolution of the Human Runner," "Cardiovascular and Cardiorespiratory Components," "The Runner in Motion," and "Adaptations for Speed and Terrain." Some resources spend more time on these topics but the presentation by the authors of this book are fully detailed, while being concise enough to leave more room for the heart of the work, which follows.

The next 5 chapters cover the "Upper Torso," "Arms and Shoulders," "Core," "Upper Legs," and "Lower Legs and Feet." Each chapter begins with a discussion of the appropriate anatomy, to include illustrations, moves into a discussion of why this area is important to a runner and what can go wrong, and then focuses on specific training recommendations. The core of each chapter is then comprised of recommended strength training exercises for the area. Each exercise includes discussion of proper execution, the primary and secondary muscles involved, the running focus, any safety tips, and any exercise variations.

The authors have done an amazing job of bringing together all of the important and relevant knowledge about a specific exercise via their accompanying descriptions and illustrations, and they have done so clearly and concisely. Back when I was actively pursuing this field I had to synthesize this sort of knowledge from many sources and could never find it all in one source, unless it was one that was poorly arranged and inconvenient to use.

The remaining chapters cover "Common Running Injuries," "Anatomy of Running Footwear," and "Full-Body Conditioning." These chapters, while also short, adequately serve as an introduction to the topics.

The one thing that I feel is seriously missing from the text are recommended sources, especially for the opening and closing chapters which are only able to serve as introductions to their topics. The authors must be familiar with quality sources to address these areas in more detail. Human Kinetics certainly publishes many fine books which should serve the purpose adequately.

I see that this book is one of many in Human Kinetics Anatomy Series. Other books include Yoga, Stretching, Dance, Cycling, Swimming, and so on. If these books are of the same quality as this one then they ought to serve as excellent introductions to the anatomy of, and strength training for, these endeavors.

Overall I highly recommend this book to any runner interested in the anatomy of their sport and a clear and concise description of how to incorporate strength training to improve their performance.

[Anna Ustinova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pay attention to the year of publication of the book. And of course read the latest edition :)

[Raluca-Patricia Ionete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cartea este bună, ilustrată, cu explicații, însă părerea mea este că mai degrabă vorbește despre antrenamentele de forță și face prea puțin trimitere la creșterea vitezei și a rezistenței. Nu vorbește despre regimuri alimentare despre VO2, despre curse. Punctează pe alocuri aspecte precum accidentările si încălțămintea potrivită. Aș recomanda cartea mai degrabă unor oameni care doresc să se apuce de sală sau să își îmbunătățească performanța în sală, nu unor alergători.

[Blake Fraina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was super excited to get this one. I’ve been a somewhat serious runner since 1994, running moderate distances (anywhere from three to seven miles at a clip) and have recently returned to a regular running schedule after a six month hiatus. I figured a more technical text would give me the edge to improve my speed and distances.

Unfortunately, this one is a bit too technical for my taste.

While it does include a lot of weight training routines designed to build the muscles needed for strength, speed and general good running form, I feel as if I’ve seen all this information elsewhere - like Runner’s World or Women’s Fitness magazines. It’s nice to have it all in one place, I suppose, but it feels a bit redundant to me. As far as the opening chapters of the book, this was where I kind of zoned out. I imagine a coach or seriously competitive runner might find a lot of really great stuff here, but I was having a difficult time concentrating on sections with titles like, "Results of the Training Progression Model," and "Event Specific Body Characteristics."

I think this is a great resource for dedicated athletes interested in serious training, but I’m not really qualified to review it from that perspective. For a casual runner like myself, I’d recommend skipping the first third of the book, which is a bit intimidating, and focusing on the weight training information in the back, particularly the butt-kicking core and lower body workouts, which I’ve begun to incorporate into my new, tougher, regimen. Hopefully, this will be just the thing to get me back in top form.

[KR · Rating 3 out of 5]

The strengths of Running Anatomy are in its illustrations, not in its text. The book is full of gorgeous, detailed, realistic diagrams of human anatomy that offer runners deeper insights into the biomechanics of the sport of running. What Dorling Kindersley (DK) does for general illustrated references, the publisher Human Kinetics does for the human anatomy of sport.[return][return]While there are many types of runners, it is worth noting the book emphasizes:[return] [return] The muscular system more than other systems, [return] Strength training for running more than actual running itself, [return] Competitiveness of running more than longevity of runner, and [return] The needs of sprinters more than the needs of distance runners.[return] [return]The book is a great coach's illustrated reference, supplementing other sources of information. And while not targeted to the lifestyle runner, Running Anatomy is also a valuable resource to those wanting to be life-long runners and needing to be in better touch with details of the inner workings of their own bodies.[return][return](This book review was done in participation of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program: http://www.librarything.com/er/list)

[Ginny Burge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strength training keys
* resistance
* Repetition
* Breathing
* Schedule

We are suggesting that the strength you gain from proper strength training will aid your running performance. Specifically, it will aid in respiration and eliminate muscle imbalances that can impede the gait cycle and contribute to injury.

One systematic approach using a three-week training cycle incorporates four to six days of running training with a weekly increase in volume of 10 percent although this percent seems to be wholly random and not scientifically verified, it is not a bad rule to follow) from week 1 to week 2; week 3 repeats the volume of the first week. For injury prevention, the weekly long run should not account for more than 25 percent of the week's total volume… recommend doing two longer runs during a single week. Two or three strength-training sessions emphasizing proper form and movement, not volume of weight, would complement this running training.

[Carmen Albisteanu · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anatomical approach on running. The authors explain how training different muscle groups helps runners improve performance and prevent injuries. They offer workout examples with great illustrations and details about proper technique&progression.

Weaker points: If you've been running and exercising for a while you might feel that you already know much of the information. But how much of it do you really apply? It's worthwhile remembering what you should consider in your training plan, the importance of cross training, flexibility, bodyweight training and more.

Overall, it's an interesting and useful read, especially for beginner runners and for those who haven't had the experience of working with a running coach.

[Anh Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sách giải thích rất kỹ vai trò của từng nhóm cơ hoạt động khi chạy. Mình không nghĩ là core và cơ mông đóng vai trò quan trọng để ổn định hông trong lúc chạy. Hóa ra, lần đau đầu gối khi chạy của mình là do mình không hề khởi động phần cơ mông, dẫn tới hông không hề được ổn định và đầu gối phải chịu quá nhiều sức ép. Bên cạnh đó, sách còn hướng dẫn thực hiện các bài tập phát triển cơ bắp cho các nhóm cơ cần thiết. Mình nghĩ sách hữu ích cho người mới bắt đầu chạy. Chạy không chỉ đơn giản là dùng chân, mà là phối hợp của nhiều nhóm cơ trên cơ thể. Cuốn này không có các chương trình tập mẫu hay phương pháp tập nên mình nghĩ sẽ không phù hợp với những người ở trình độ cao hơn.

[Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

In essence a collection of strength (and injury prevention) exercises for various body parts, with an explanation of how it helps your running as well as detailed drawings of the muscles involved. Also some detailed notes on how to do aqua jogging (i.e., deep water running). Interesting enough read-through, though I'll actually have to take exercises and add them to my routine for it to have had a use in the end...

A bit hard on technical terms. Pro: very clearly defined. Con: I dont know their definition of the top of my head.

[Claudia V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book about the anatomy of running but it felt overly technical with a lot of focus on strength training exercises and not much else. I would have liked some explanations of aerobic/anaerobic training, why sprints and vo2 runs are incorporated into training, how much time to do cardio vs strength, stuff like that, actual useful information for a runner and not a doctor. I would propose skipping this book and looking up strength exercises for a runner on YouTube, you would get the same experience as this book.

[Hv2go · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intresting and informative. Illustrations are great. Great to have background information on which muscles you use during running. What they are for and how to train/strengthen them so you can run injury free. Why 3 stars max? The excercises given use machines only to be found in a gym. That would not be bad if also excercises had been given using bodyweight and maybe some weights. None of that. I hate the gym. So max 3 stars. Sorry

[Carlos Eduardo Madureira Trufen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book focused on exercises to strengthen muscles for runners. The author shows rationale/motivation for every exercise and is not afraid to use technical (anatomical) terms. The book has drawings to make the exercises clearer to the reader.

[Michael Thorley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect book for runners who want to understand form and functio to both improve and rehabilitate

[Stevon Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting better

Book has a lot of great knowledge and I learned a lot about the on to the next to keep my knowledge flowing

[Jakob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pictures and descriptions, but miss a strength training schedule

[Catalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book because it focuses on many other aspects that impact a runner’s life. Probably, the most important thing for runners is that they need to incorporate strength training and stretching in their weekly routine alongside the usual cardio training in order to improve running performance and prevent injuries and muscle imbalances. I remember my IT band syndrome that I had several years ago and I was very frustrated about it and I couldn’t get rid of it until I incorporated stretching into my weekly schedule. That pain never returned. So, all types of training are important for a runner.

“At what point, if any, does the flood of data paralyze rather than inform one’s training? For example, does a simple 50-minute run on a favorite trail need to be GPS-mapped and uploaded to an app (e.g., Strava) when it is a staple of weekly training?”

I’ve always wondered about this and, in my case, I do not track all my runs. I do not want to know all the ups and downs in the data that occur from one day to the next. It can be very frustrating and time-consuming. I prefer to focus on the habit itself and check myself with data once in a while. Actually, I don’t even have a smartwatch. For me, data means my phone connected to Strava. At least, for now. I don’t think we need too much data to reach a sub 20min 5k, which was my long-term goal since I started running several years ago. I’m still on my way to get there, but I am confident that I can achieve it in the near future. For me, the habit is more important than gathering all these unnecessary data especially for recreational runners. I see out there a lot of people with tracking devices, but their results are average or even below average. They are spending precious time gathering, talking and sharing these unuseful data too often instead of running and building the habit.

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores anatomy (and to a lesser degree physiology) as it pertains to running, and shows how one can strengthen anatomy to increase one’s performance as a runner.

I will divide the book up into three parts, though that division is not explicitly made by the authors. The first three chapters discuss running fundamentals. Chapter 1 explores the nature of movement in running. The reader learns about the phases of the running gait and the muscle activation relative to said phases. The second chapter focuses heavily on the anatomy and physiology of the cardio-vascular system and the impact it has on muscle performance. Chapter 3 discusses external factors that can influence running performance such as air temperature, humidity, terrain, and altitude.

The second part of the book consists of the middle five chapters, and gets to the heart of the subject. These chapters investigate the role of musculature in running and show numerous exercises that can be used to strengthen said muscles as well as describing the activation of muscles in those exercises. Starting from the ground up, these chapters proceed as such: feet and ankles, legs, core, shoulders and arms, and chest and back. One might not think that the upper body is critical to running, but the authors demonstrate otherwise.The exercises selected assume the availability of a full range of fitness equipment: machines, free weights, as well as elastic bands and BOSU – though some bodyweight exercises are included.

The third part of the book explores some odds and ends that are crucial, but not covered in earlier chapters. Chapter nine explains how to avoid injuries. Running is an activity that offers plenty of opportunity for repetitive stress injuries because it’s an endurance activity involving iterated actions. Chapter ten explores alternative training programs (e.g. training in the swimming pool or on treadmills), and the pros and cons of such activities. The last chapter is about gear, and – not unexpectedly – much of it is devoted to shoes and questions such as whether one needs orthotics. It should be noted that the authors are firmly in the camp that favor footwear. (There are many advocates of barefoot running in recent years.)

There are many color drawings that show which muscles are activated by movements. The drawings are clear and effective. There is an index of exercises at the end that makes it easy to find various exercises.

I’d recommend this book for runners and trainers who are interested in how muscles can be strengthened and stretched to increase performance and minimize the risk of injury.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for understanding the mechanics behind each step a runner takes. What's even better, is this text contains detailed weight/resistance training to benefit the specific muscle groups used by runners.

After an overview of the runner's body and the proper approach to any training program, the text divides the body into muscle groups (upper torso, core, upper legs, lower legs, ankles, arms) and shows many exercises that can be used to strengthen and condition those areas. There are also a plethora of alternate exercises to do so as to avoid a quick adaptation to a specific exercise (or to combat boredom.) With each exercise comes information on how to properly execute the "lift" followed by at least two variations and then a section called "Runner's focus" which demonstrates how that particular muscle (or group of muscles) functions while running.

There's also a chapter on injury prevention (a HUGE plus for me) as well as suggestions for alternate workouts to running (cycling, pool running) AND a section on plyometric exercises.

If I were to complain (which I'm not), I would say that there are so many exercises in here that it can be a bit overwhelming. And while resistance training needs to be a component of any distance running program, choosing which exercise to be done in a 30-minute session is difficult especially for those not educated in human physiology.

The basic premise behind the text, however, has given me food for thought in regards to my training: Puleo states that too often runners think of themselves only as RUNNERS, not as athletes. In reality, however, in order to be a successful distance runner, it's important not only to run (obviously) but also train other, secondary systems of the body.

In short, five big stars from this reader who continues to reference this text for my tri-weekly weight session.

[Raphael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not qualified to judge the validity of the content, but to me it seemed alright. Lots of great information, very nice (and easy to understand) drawings of the body. There are definitely moments where it's all gibberish, but all in all the content is easy enough to digest.

The highlight of the book is the different exercises it proposes. It separates the exercises for different sections of the body (upper torso, arms and shoulders, core, upper legs, lower legs and feet.) Each exercise has a blurb explaining its "Running Focus", and the best moment in the training cycle when to do this exercise, which is really neat.

I only wish the authors gave more guidance towards building a strength training regime. I would have loved if they provided some sequence of exercises as examples...because for the uninformed (like me), mixing and matching is kind of hard. Which exercise should I do today? What about Wednesday? I needed more guidance. I realize that what I need is a trainer.

All in all, a great book full of great information for anyone wanting to start learning about the body, and how to maximize your running potential.

[Andreas Michaelides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands on practical guide of how the body works and what muscles are utilised by running. I found this book amazing and helped me understand the importance of the upper body muscles, learned how to strengthen those muscles and now I am injury free for a lot of time now.
A must have and must read for anyone that runs either professionally or as a hobby.
It is a life saver for me I always has it next to me when I am scheduling or creating my running training programs.

[Jen Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many things I liked about this book: drawings of the muscles, bones, and ligaments; explanations of which muscles are used in the exercise and their importance for running; discussion of common running injuries.

Since the book covers all types of running (sprinting, endurance, trail), and not all exercises benefit each type of running, it would have been nice to have a chart (or at least a few lists) breaking down the exercises by type of running.

[David Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book keeps things simple (if you already know a bit about kinesiology) and does a good job of illustrating different aspects of running and lifting. The illustration of the information made for some easy to follow visuals and there were a great variety of lifts that were shown too. Being able to modify some of the lifts to get more out of them was one of the items that was great to see, since so few other books hit on how to "lift better".

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good descent read on running workouts. I really like the anatomy illustrations and breakdown for each exercise. These exercises and illustrations aren't as good as those in the strength anatomy books, but it does have a specific focus for each exercise on training for sprint/5k/or distance. The evolution of the human runner was speculative hogwash.

[Electric-guitar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I am not a runner (I prefer to walk/run style), I really enjoyed this style of writing. Very clear and explained well. The technical writing made "Running Anatomy" more engaging to read.

These exercises are not just for runners, they can be used by anyone to keep the body fit.
I borrowed this book from the library, though I think I might just purchase my own copy :)

[Roger Jimenez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excelente complemento para los corredores. Claramente explica bases anatómicas y fisiológicas de las diferentes partes del cuerpo involucradas en en la actividad física de correr y los ejercicios complementarios para mejorar en técnica, velocidad y resistencia.

[Cara Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would have read this book years ago. Very straightforwad. Great images and descriptions and workouts targeting specific muscles very important for runners. All the info is right there in the pages of this book, all you have to do, is do it!!

[May Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a part of learning more about running, I have been educating my mind on the muscles and how to think about them. This was a good overview. I wish they just had a book on each muscle grouping though. There is just so much one can learn about physiology, I think.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

It re-hashed the other anatomy book. Artwork felt second rate compared to the others. Not as detailed as others. Didn't seem as thorough or as comprehensive as others. Would have liked more training program info. More training tips and explanation. Seemed to General and uninspired.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for my running certification. Easy digestible. Had some issues with some exercises in the book and some language seems a bit outdated.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

excellent go-to resource. good, detailed pictures and easy-to-understand (but not dumbed down) descriptions.