Jason Marcucilli is On The MARC When It Comes To Functional Strength
My guest today is someone that definitely believes in the value of strength training for runners.
Along with being a runner himself, he is also a personal trainer and a youth conditioning specialist.
I am looking forward to going a few easy miles today with Jason Marcucilli.
Jason Marcucilli
A Family Affair
Jason Marcucilli first began running as a way to connect with his daughter that played soccer.
They enjoyed running together so much that they signed up for their first 5k.
The race took place on an unusually hot and humid October day.
The conditions were miserable, to say the least, but that didn’t stop Jason and his daughter from having fun.
It didn’t take long for his daughter to begin winning her age group.
Jason was admittedly envious and wanted to begin getting more competitive as well.
Going the Distance
Jason soon set his sights on a new and challenging distance.
Soccer obligations prevented his daughter from racing longer distances, but Jason didn’t have an excuse.
Jason set a goal to run his first half marathon in under two hours.
His training went smoothly, but once again the race day weather didn’t cooperate.
A hot and humid day prevented Jason from running a sub 2 half, but he still finished close to his original goal.
It was four years ago that Jason ran his first half marathon.
Though Jason would love to continue running long, currently his schedule is more conducive for shorter distances.
New Challenges
Jason may not have the time to train for a half marathon anymore, but he is still training and competing.
His preferred distance is 3,000 meters, but admittedly it can be challenging to find races of that distance.
Jason mixes training up frequently, running 5k road races along with competing in track sessions.
The Connecticut Masters Games is one such event that Jason has enjoyed competing in.
The ages of athletes competing in events ranging from 30 to the oldest athlete being 94.
This particular event is a unique running experience that Jason strongly believes everyone should try once.
The Masters Games is a positive environment that focuses on staying active throughout one’s lifetime.
Jason Marcucilli at the Connecticut Masters’ Games
Building More Efficient Runners
As mentioned in the introduction, Jason is also a personal trainer and a youth conditioning specialist.
He is passionate about helping athletes become stronger and faster all while avoiding injury.
With each new client, Jason first begins by doing a complete assessment.
Jason has found that new runners often experience injury and/or pain in the early stages of running.
Injuries often result from weaknesses or imbalances found on the body.
Jason often encounters weak glutes in runners.
Finding the Time
Strength sessions for runners don’t have to take up a lot of time.
Jason recommends lifting heavy but keeping the total volume low.
Lifting close to failure is not optimal for runners.
Strengthing the upper body will help with running efficiency, but Jason recommends full-body exercises over arm isolation movements.
The core is another area that runners hear a lot about.
According to Jason, the best core strengthening movements are ones that are dynamic and work the whole body.
The best athletes train their bodies the way they need them to work.
Jason offers weekly Ask the Trainer posts to answer common (and not so common) strength training questions.
It’s All Connected
One tight area in the body quickly leads to another area not functioning as it should.
Stretching is often recommended for athletes to alleviate soreness, but it may not always be the answer.
Jason describes a knotted muscle as a rubber band and when you stretch the band the knot gets tighter.
The same goes for muscles which is why Jason recommends foam rolling and static release among other suggestions to loosen problem areas.
Complicated strength routines and a myriad of equipment are not needed to get strong and stay healthy.
Jason is offering a 6 week home exercise routine for runners that doesn’t require any extra equipment.
A progression of plyometric and stabilization movements is the key to building a more injury-resistant athlete.
Mentioned In This Episode:
Stay connected with Jason Marcucilli by checking out his website On Your Marc and/or following him on Facebook and Twitter.
Jason Marcucilli is a runner, personal trainer, and a youth conditioning specialist. He strongly believes in the value of strength training. Athletes should train their bodies the way they want them to work. Click To Tweet
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