Its officially March and things are starting to cool down. Which means we are officially heading into the beginning of outdoor running season, and it’s time to jump on the bandwagon and increase your kilometres, one step at a time.
Read below for the ultimate workout designed to improve and strengthen your running performance.
Image Via Pinterest
This workout, put together by fitness expert Laura Hannaford will help you improve your running, but also will help you build up your strength in the specific muscles that are relevant to running. At the end of the day, you need to make sure that you legs, core and posture are up to the task, because if you have any imbalances or soreness, it can make your run very uncomfortable!
Choose one exercise under each category and go from one to the next exercise in each subset with minimal to no rest
Rest: Rest for 1 minute after each sub set
Part 1- Warm Up/ Cardio
- 4 Minutes on the Elliptical Trainer or Aerobic Bike to Warm up.
Part 2- The Workout
Image via Pinterest
Sub Set 1
Exercise 1- Cardio
- 400-metre moderate jog.
The idea is to get your heart rate up and your body ready to burn fat before even starting on the strength component of the workout.
Exercise 2- Legs
Select from one of the following items of equipment and do 10 reps with minimal rest before moving onto the next exercise
These exercises are to strength up your glutes and your hamstrings. When you run a lot of pressure gets put on them so you need to make sure they are strong enough to do the work
- Leg Press
- Step Ups
- Bodyweight Squats
Exercise 3- Legs
Select from one of the following items of equipment and do 10 reps with minimal rest before moving onto the next exercise
- Calf raises (Leg Press)
- Body weight ‘bottom half’ squat pulses
Exercise 4- Upper Body- Chest and Front of Shoulders
Select from one of the following items of equipment and do 10 reps with minimal rest before moving onto the next exercise
Working on your upper body strength is still important even if your goal is to do a running event. You need to strengthen your upper body to help ensure good posture for the duration of the run. If your upper body and core is weak, then your posture is more likely to slip, making for an uncomfortable journey
- Chest Press
- Push Ups (using Body Pulls and Push Ups Unit)
- Push Ups (using Multi Bench)
Exercise 5- Legs and Cardio
This is a great exercise to not only strengthen your glutes, but also to get your heart rate up
- 20 squat jumps
Sub Set 2
Exercise 1- Cardio
- 300-metre moderate jog
Exercise 2- Upper Body- Back of Shoulders and Upper Back
Select from one of the following items of equipment and do 10 reps with minimal rest before moving onto the next exercise
- Pull Downs
- Body Pulls (using Body Pulls and Push Ups Unit)
- Roman Rings
- Chin Ups (Pull Ups and Leg Raises)
Exercise 3+4- Core
Select from one of the following items of equipment and do 10 reps with minimal rest before moving onto the next exercise
- Sit Ups
- Leg Raises (Pull-Up and Leg Raises)
Exercise 5- Upper Body- Chest and Front of Shoulders
Select from one of the following items of equipment and do 10 reps with minimal rest before moving onto the next exercise
- Chest Press
- Push Ups (using Body Pulls and Push Ups Unit)
- Push Ups (using Multi Bench)
Sub Set 3
Exercise 1- Cardio
- 200-metre 70% effort run
Exercise 2- Upper Body- Back of Shoulders and Upper Back
Select from one of the following items of equipment and do 10 reps with minimal rest before moving onto the next exercise
- Pull Downs
- Body Pulls (using Body Pulls and Push Ups Unit)
- Roman Rings
- Chin Ups (Pull Ups and Leg Raises)
- Gorilla Bars
Exercise 3- Legs
Select from one of the following items of equipment and do 10 reps with minimal rest before moving onto the next exercise
- 15 step walking lunges
Exercise 4- Cardio
- 100-metre sprint
Sets- Do 2 sets or 3 if you are advanced
Part 3- Warm Down
- STRETCH STATION: Follow the directions on the stretch station and hold each stretch for 30 seconds each
- 50 x Body Twists
Note: To get the most out of your running training, you need to incorporate sprint/ interval training (such as what has been prescribed above) to help improve your VO2 max up. An improved VO2 Max will help assist you in completing longer distances.
To maximise results you should also complete at least 1 long run per week as well as hill sprints.
