has anyone seen/ heard of the POSE method of running

POSE METHOD® - by Dr.Nicholas Romanov

any thoughts on it?

im thinking of getting hold of the DVD to see if its any good.

All sounds a bit too good to be true doesn't it! Injuries disappearing without a trace, running with feather-like footplant... Can't really pick anything up about it except for lots of promises! If you do track down the DVD, let us know how revolutionary it is and whether or not we're missing out!

i'll try and explain running styles as i understand it:

- forefoot running: land on the front bit of the foot near the toes so on a flat surface would not land on your heel at all...

- midfoot running: landing on the side of the foot so on a flat surface you land with a flat foot...

- heel-to-toe running: on a flat surface you land on the heel and your roll onto the front of the foot...

the majority of people land on their heel-to-toe and most shoes are designed for this...

the 'pose method' is forefoot landing with a forward lean and it is as far as you can possibly get from the standard heel running... it is not a 'revolutionary' method of running at all - sprinters have run like this for hundreds of years and so it is argued that it is 'fastest' method of running... the problem is that it is practically impossible to maintain such a sprint with a forward lean for long distances which is why i would not recommend 'pose method' to anyone...

running fox is a forefoot runner and an accomplished marathon runner so it is possible to run forefoot long distance but i do not think that he is a follower of this pose method and i doubt that he runs long distance with a foward lean as this method dictated...

the method is a crazy if you asked me... for example, you have to practice 'falling exercises' to develop a forward lean... as for the actual method, it is laughable... they really make one foot in front of the other seem like rocket science... it is followed only by an elite group of evanglical followers who that seem to think that only they know how to run... please do not waste your money on this nonsense... it is a very contraversial method of running but it is marketed in an extremely biased way and you get a very one sided argument from all the info you're given on the website...

you do not need to make drastic changes to run better... i tend to run midfoot never with a lean forward so i normally land with my foot flat... if you are a heel striker you can make relatively minor changes in your technique, for example, by increasing leg turnover and taking shorter strides so you will run faster without overstriding...

hope that helps...

Interesting stuff, Revenged. I've been trying consciously not to heel strike too heavily recently. Generally, I think I'm succeeding unless over-tired. I'd agree with you in that, landing forefoot for long distances must be pretty tough! Extra strain on the calves, too?

it's definitely a lot harder on the calves...

there is no injury free way to run unfortunately...

hmm.. interesting post revenged.. thanks for that.. its given me something to think about

Sounds like a great American style marketing way of making hopefull runners part with their hard earned cash.

Stay injury free tips
Train sensibly, with a long term plan and not increase quantity of quality to drastic
Inprove core and general strength
Use ice bath after hard workouts
Take massage when possible
Take a month out every year
Incorporate strentching in your programme
Make sure you balance quantity with quality
Eat healthy and sufficiently
Stay away from "revolutionary" running style Inventions such as POSE

The shorter the distance the more towards the forefoot you will run and vice versa.
As a marathon runner you are looking at midfoot, heel strike should be avoided, unless you are trying to impersonate Rocky Balboas running style for fun

I can vouch for that. As a forefoot striker I've had calf problems all my running life. But then, my running life didn't start until I was 54. It might be different for you fitter stronger young 'uns; i.e. most of the Forum!
I've never had anything to do with the Pose method of running but my running action, particularly in short distance races on the Track, could be quite similar to the method they advocate. We all have our own running actions and it's very difficult to change. If you're a natural heel striker it's unlikely you'd become more efficient learning a forefoot technique. However, I do think heel striking produces the slowest style of running and the further forward you are, the faster you run. That's just my opinion.
Cheers!

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