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Every fitness magazine has an article promising the best abdominal (also popularly known as abs) or leg strengthening workouts. The amount of advice can be overwhelming. The problem with most of these workouts is that they focus on just one aspect of a runner's body. That is why we have designed the following whole body workout that we recommend for our athletes. It takes just 20 minutes, but it will work your flexibility, strength, and core muscles. (Core muscles include the muscles in your abdomen, back, pelvic floor, and glutes.) The 14 video clips below review each exercise and stretching technique. Each takes about 1 minute to perform. We recommend that you do the workout 2 times per week. If any of the exercises are too challenging at first, please shorten the duration. Over time, you will get stronger and be able to increase the duration. Left and Right Side Planks - Targets the lateral abs Hamstring Bridge - Targets the hamstrings (back of the thighs) and gluteus maximus (buttocks) Cobra - Abdominal Stretch Close Hand Push Ups - Also known as Narrow Grip Push Ups Glute Stretch - Stretches the buttocks muscles Single Leg Squat - Challenges balance, quadriceps (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), and glutes (buttocks muscles) Quad Stretch - Stretches the front of the thighs Partner Punishment - Targets abdominal muscles Pointers - Core Body Stabilization Hamstring Stretch - 3 different stretches that target the back of the thighs Pretzel Stretch - Stretches the muscles of the back Calf Stretch - Stretches the calves (back of lower leg) and achilles (back of feet) Leg Swings - 3 different exercises that target the core muslces and stretch the pelvis, hips, and hamstrings Foam Roller - "Self Massaging" routine
Left and Right Side PlanksMay 20, 2010
Many of you probably worry about having "love handles." This exercise works your lateral ab muscles (which includes your external and internal obliques) and systematically eliminates "love handles." CobraMay 18, 2010Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 7.0.14!
Don't neglect the stretching part of the routine! You're going to be working your abs in later exercises. It's important to loosen those muscles up before you start challenging them. Close Hand Push UpsMay 17, 2010
Regular push ups target your chest and shoulder muscles. This version targets those muscles too, but also works your triceps (back of upper arms). The triceps muscles are easy to overlook because we don't see them when we look in the mirror, but strengthening them will help you maintain an upright running posture. Glute StretchMay 16, 2010We rely on on our glutes constantly throughout the running motion! Treat them right and give them a good stretch. Single Leg SquatMay 14, 2010We cannot overemphasize the importance of this exercise. It strengthens the hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps. Being on just one leg also challenges your balance. Maintain good posture and remain as steady as possible throughout the motion. Quad StretchMay 13, 2010
You might notice that the front of your thigh gets sore after a hilly run or after a week of increased mileage. That soreness you feel is the 4 quadriceps muscles that make up the front of the thigh. Stretching them out will help in the recovery process. Partner PunishmentMay 12, 2010This exercise will strengthen your lower abdominals. It's sometimes easy to forget how important the abdominals are to runners. We just don't use our legs and arms when we runs. We also rely heavily on our abs. Without them, we wouldn't be able to lift our knees high off the ground. |