Jeff Yannarell Credits Running With Bringing A Heightened Awareness
My guest on the show today is a runner who also does a bit of personal training.
Who knows where our conversation will go today, but I’m excited to find out.
Let’s get to it and go a few easy miles with Jeff Yannarell today fueled by some great conversation!
Jeff Yannarell
Slow Burn
Jeff Yannarell has been an athlete his whole life but not always a runner.
While in high school, he competed in baseball and only ran because it was mandatory.
It wasn’t until his twenties that he began to actually enjoy running.
He described his love for running as a slow burn because it took him a while before he began to enjoy the sport.
His ultimate turning point was during a local dog-friendly trail race about 8 years ago.
He loved everything about the trails along with the community itself.
From that point on he was officially hooked.
The Y Factor
Along with being a runner, Jeff is also a coach.
His business, “The Y Factor,” focuses on helping his clients develop an awareness and understanding of their own bodies.
A good warm-up is crucial regardless of the type of workout.
Runners typically track metrics such as pace, heart rate, and cadence to name a few.
Jeff is a firm believer that athletes should also track how they feel before, during, and after each workout as well.
Once his clients begin to hone in and heighten their awareness, then avoiding injury and making progress becomes easier.
Importance Of Mobility
Most runners know the importance of strength, but they may not realize how crucial mobility is as well.
Jeff has noticed that when runners strength train, they train as if they are working towards a body-building competition.
There is a benefit to breaking down the muscles, but there is a fine balance needed to see progress.
A good mobility routine will work through a range of motions that will not only help with running but with daily activities as well.
Mobility will provide a much-needed supplement to any runner’s training plan.
Jeff is also a big proponent of a strength routine in conjunction with running, mobility, and cross-training.
There’s Nothing Wrong With Success
When focusing on strength training, there is no need to overcomplicate it.
Jeff advises building on 4 main areas which are the hips, shoulders, girdle, and core.
Lateral stabilization exercises are great for any runners.
Some examples of lateral movements are squats, lunges (multi-plane), and single-leg movements.
There is no need for a lot of equipment to do a good routine.
Jeff recommends starting with a stability ball, bands, and dumbbells.
As a way to increase stabilization, he has his clients doing a lot of the strength work while standing up.
Plyometrics or explosive movements are other key components of a well-rounded routine.
Jeff Yannarell
You Never Know Until You Do
Jeff has found that there is confusion when it comes to when and how hard to push in workouts.
He recommends only pushing to max effort on race or competition days.
If an athlete truly reaches max effort in a training session, it will often take a few days to recover.
Anytime a runner experiments with workouts or nutrition they need to expect some time to adjust as needed.
Running has provided Jeff with a great deal of knowledge about himself and he wants others to experience the same as well.
He likened his fitness journey to a set of nesting dolls.
Unless we keep uncovering things and moving forward, we won’t know what the next part will hold.
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