My favorite running exercises by Lawrence van Lingen
For me, and many others, Lawrence van Lingen first came into our field of vision when he was mentioned in the book “Run for your life” by Mark Cucuzzella.
The exercise that Mark recommends in the book is called “The Awesomizer”. Just the name of it makes you rather curious, right? And yes, this exercise is an amazing warmup and mobilization routine, but my love for Lawrence is really founded in a variety of his exercises. These exercises might not look so awesome, but with small steps they can improve running fundamentals, such as hip movement and posture, immensely.
“Some of Lawrence’s best videos are all about small and subtle movements that, from a running perspective, can make all the difference.”
How has Lawrence managed to stay under the radar?
Lawrence van Lingen has collaborated with other movement-masters, such as Jay Dicharry. Jay is the author of the runners’ bible ”Anatomy for runners” and has also appeared in many podcasts.
How Lawrence has managed to stay under the radar in such prominent company, however, is a mystery. His YouTube channel only has 2000 subscribers.
The other day, I simply asked Lawrence why he didn’t have more YouTube views? His answer:
“I think the main reason for why I don't have that many YouTube views, is that the sound and light are often bad. When I first started to upload the videos, the purpose was to help athletes that were injured. The files were to big to send so I uploaded them to YouTube and then sent a link to my then private and unlisted videos. I then started making generic videos and also made some of the older unlisted videos public. Also, I probably don’t upload frequently enough. But I really do need to make better quality videos…”
And yes, the fact that his videos have so few views is most certainly related to the fact that the video and sound quality isn’t ”always optimal”, to say the least. But the content is pure gold.
One of the main reasons why I love Lawrence’s videos is that he has a holistic approach to life and athleticism. His videos can be about breathing, walking on the beach, meditation or hierarchy in the society. Some of my favorites are about small and subtle movements that, from a running perspective, can make all the difference.
My favorite movements with Lawrence
Maybe one of the most fundamental skills Lawrence talks about is the ability to "tuck your tail under”. This exercise is all about rounding and arching.
Once there is movement in the core, you can progress further. The Happy Penguin is an exercise which — under the circumstances — is quite advanced, since it’s all about lateral movement. The Happy Penguin:
If you put these two exercises together you have metamorphosed to a Mermaid:
If everything now fits together, running should be a piece of cake. But to make sure that you manage to transfer these skills into running, you can start by using the only running drill you’ll ever need. This one is perfect as a warm up (prepare for bad video light):
Approaching the exercises with a relaxed mind
I would not hurry with these exercises, or try to get a progression as fast as possible. Once you’ve managed to somewhat master the exercises, you’ll find yourself in a spot where you suddenly understand that you need much more practice in order to be able to make full use of them. On the other hand, only doing a little will help you improve your running skills immensely!
Also, if you are injured, or in a position where you can’t run for some reason, you can start building this excellent foundation during your healing process.
“The changes that you notice are the changes you can keep.”
Training schedule for runners
Lawrence van Lingen’s exercises are great for any runner who is currently injured or focusing a lot on rehab. But don’t worry, if you’re injury-free, you can still benefit from incorporating these exercises and Lawrence’s way of thinking into your life.
Start with 1 minute of each exercise:
Sacroiliac Joint
Penguin
You should probably wait a week or two with the Mermaid, and only focus on these two exercises, which will help you build a solid foundation. If possible, do the exercises multiple times during the day, or at least as a part of your morning routine. Best is 1-3 times a day and when you’ve been at it for 1-2 weeks, you can add the Mermaid.
After 1-2 weeks you can also increase the time for each exercise to 2-3 minutes. After this progression, you should train your awareness and listen to your body. Maybe you need to increase the time, add something or maybe even do something completely different.
“You always want to do an exercise experience or notice the benefit before you add another exercise, if you are trying to get the body to sync up and work together. ”
Spread the love
Don’t forget to give Lawrence some love and like and share his content. And please try to ignore the technical quality of the videos. He’s aware of the fact that they’re not great, so don’t give him too much crap over this. Just be grateful and enjoy the content.
Follow Lawrence van Lingen on Youtube
/Johnny