Ten Weeks To Stronger Legs and Core

We don’t have to get into the weight room to build all the strength we need for effective running…it’s not that the weight room is not great, it can be!  However, for distance runners, body-weight resistance training can help us accomplish almost everything we need for a good cross-country season.

Here is a routine for a 10-week program that will give you stronger legs and core.  Do this routine once or twice per week after your hardest workout days.  (It is important to do this strengthening routine after your hardest days, not your easy days.  Why?  This is because your rest days or light workout days are just as important for your training as your hard days.  On your easy days, your body is recovering and adapting to the training stresses from hard workouts.  Don’t interfere with the recovery process on easier days by adding stress from resistance training!  Give your body a real rest!).

The table below gives you a workout plan for ten weeks.  The way to use this is to start down the column for the week and perform each exercise with the number of reps specified; then continue to repeat the cycle for the specified number of minutes.

In between each lower body exercise there is a ‘core’ exercise; pick a core exercise to give your legs a break.  There are examples below, however I’m guessing that you know a lot of core exercises.  Take turns picking a core exercise, and do 10-30 reps of each.

So for example, in week 1, you would look at the table and do the following:

8-12 Body Weight Squats – a front core of your choice, such as 20 V-ups – 8-12 Single Leg Dead Lifts (each leg) – side core, such as 15 leg lifts on each side – 8-12 Reverse Lunges (each leg) – back core, such as 10 Fire Hydrants on each side – 10-15 Calf Raises (each leg) – upper body, such as 15 push ups; and then start over and keep repeating the cycle continuously for 20 minutes, changing the core exercises each cycle if you can.

Ten Weeks To Stronger Legs and Core

Exercise Descriptions 

Body Weight Squats

Position your feet shoulder width apart, with your toes facing forward or only slightly splayed out.  Raise your arms (this will engage your lats and back) and look forward.  Sit back, as if there were a chair behind you, and don’t let your knees get in front of your toes.  You should feel your gluts, quads and hamstrings as your thighs get close to parallel to the ground.  Go down (eccentric) slowly, and go up faster.

Single Leg Dead Lift

Start on one leg with the other leg held in front of you, knee bent at 90 and the thigh parallel to the ground.  Bend the standing leg slightly, while slowly extending the free leg behind you; keep this leg active as if you were trying to push a door shut behind you.  At the same time, reach towards the toe on the ground with the opposite toe; don’t worry if you don’t get close at the start, keep working at this.

Reverse Lunge (see http://www.mvrunning.com/coachs/add-strength-training-to-your-running-routine/ for photo)

Start in the same position as single leg deadlifts, standing on one leg with the other leg held in front of you, knee bent at 90 and the thigh parallel to the ground.  Slowly, and in control, bring the hanging leg behind you and find a low lunge position.  Keep your front knee above your foot, and relax your front toes (your toes will tend to curl).  Raise your arms to engage your back and get a stretch.  Slowly return to the starting position.

Calf Raises:  Balancing on one foot, stand on your toes as high as you can, then lower down until your heel almost (but not quite) touches the ground.  Repeat.

Single Leg Hops:  Hop as high/far as you can on one leg for 10 steps, then switch sides.

Bridge:   Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet resting on the floor. Keep your knees and feet hip-width apart throughout the exercise. Keep your toes facing forward and your ankles directly below your knees. Stretch your arms straight beside your torso with palms facing downward. Press through your heels and lift your hips off the mat. Contract your hamstrings and squeeze your buttocks together. Pause at the top of the bridge position. Release your hips back to the floor.  Repeat.

Advanced/One Legged Bridge: This isolates the muscles of the supporting leg and produces a more intense workout. Enter the standard hamstring bridge position. At the top, lift one leg until the bottom of your foot is pointing toward the ceiling. Keep your raised leg straight in the air and immobile throughout the exercise. Lower your hips for two counts. Then raise your hips for two counts. Upon completing your set, lower your leg and then your hips back to the floor. Repeat this exercise on each leg five to 10 times per set.

Mule Kicks:  On all-fours with elbows on the ground, place one foot flat towards the sky and push straight up.  Bring that knee in to your chest then your heel again flat to the sky and push high.  Great glut activation!  Repeat.

Duck Walks:  Walk with short steps, on your heels pulling your toes up as far/hard as you can.   (This is the same as ‘heels’ during our warm up drills.) This is a great shin-splint preventer.

Step Ups:  On a step in the grandstands, step up one step with one leg, and then bring the other knee up so that your thigh is parallel to the ground, with your arms moving in good running form.  Step back down and repeat, alternating legs.

Core / Example Exercises (there are many more!)

• Front
  • Crunches
  • Bicycles
  • V-Ups
  • Rockets
  • Roll Ups
• Side
• • Side Raises
  • Laying-on-side Leg Raises
  • Banana Raises
  • Side Plank
  • Starfish
• Back
  • Superman
  • Swimming on Land
  • Fire Hydrant
  • Plank
• Upper Body
  • Push Ups
  • Pull Ups (there is a pull up bar in Linda Vista Park)
  • Down Dog
  • Down Dog-High Plank-Down Dog
  • High Plank; High Plank with alternate leg lifts
  • High Plank with rotation to alternate sides