I googled "Woodway Force" just now to find a photo to use for this blog and the first link that popped up was a thread on the Slowtwitch Forum discussing it. It's a very unique piece of equipment. Think: the treadmill that doesn't move, you have to move it. It was obvious from the thread that people had heard about Woodway Treadmills (and agree that they are the absolute best out there) but had a lesser understanding of the awesomeness of The Force.
There were no photos of it in action (that i liked) - but here's info and a great VIDEO introducing it. The photo above is a regular Woodway treadmill.
I responded to the thread with my $.02:
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THE FORCE: I LOVE IT and
incorporate it whenever i can into my workouts, which right now is 1 x
per week in preparation for the NYC Marathon.
I was talking with Mark Verstegen about it 2 weeks ago and he concurs
that it is the absolute best tool available to enhance ones running
efficiency...
From what i've studied and experienced, here's how I have come to understand and implement it:
In
the most efficient running, we are actually PULLING our foot along the
ground directly beneath our body every stride. The Woodway Force forces
you to have run tall, lift your knees and pull the ground along under
you with strength through your glutes and hamstrings or it wont go
anywhere. Like Meb Keflezighi said, he thinks about 2 things when
running - being tall and imagining he's riding a bike. Often runners
don't maximize this circular motion underneath the body which ideally
originates from the power in the hips and transfers through to the foot
pulling the ground along. No matter what your speed - the only thing
that changes is the amplitude of this motion, not the mechanics
themselves.
The Force uses a harness which is actually not at all invasive
(believe me the workout is HARD and the harness is the least of your
worries!) What it allows for especially, much like the snorkel
in swimming, is focusing in on a few key elements while quieting down
the rest of the body, for example: upper body posture, lifting knees,
keeping toes up, and pulling through with your posterior chain (glutes
/ hamstrings) with the ultimate goal of creating great force production
on the belt below.
Another great thing about The Force is the
immediate quantitative feedback you get on how efficient / strong you
are running. Since you are creating the speed, you can see your speed
(mph) at any given moment. The stronger more efficient you are, the
faster the treadmill will turn, and it will change second by second.
When
i'm unfit i can barely go through 10 seconds on it - at any load/speed.
When i'm fit, i'm able to go for 4 minutes @ 190+HR and maintaining
great running form. (Right now i'm at about 2 minutes :) but i also use
it for 10-15 second intervals with a little extra load @ higher speed, to over emphasize my pull on the ground - which shows up
immediately in my running on the road - i barely feel the ground. :)
I
use it either for a cardio response workout to help increase my
anaerobic threshold (less load, longer intervals, max HR sustained) or
leg strength workout (more load, shorter intervals). My workout today
on it was a bit of both.
3 x (2min on :30 off) @ 0 load + 5-6mph
rest
8 x (:15 on / :15 off) @ 10lbs load + >6mph
rest
6 x (:10 on / :20 off) @ 10 lbs load + >7mph
Certainly
if you could have only one treadmill - the regular Woodway is the way
to go - but to have access to a Force in addition - even better!!
Best!!
