A lot of people have upped their running km’s throughout iso which is great to see however, we need to make sure that our bodies are strong enough to take the increase in mileage.
Variety is so important in keeping motivated as it keeps things fun and fresh not to mention the benefits you will experience with your running if you add in some strength sessions.
This one is for all our runners out there who are wondering how they might get their strength in. You can actually build strength and endurance in just 13 minutes, 3 times a week. Seems too good to be true? Well, a study by Schoenfeld et al. in 2018 shows just that.
The study found that low training volume was as effective as high training volume for increasing strength in trained men over an 8 week period. This is a great news for those of us who currently don’t have access to a gym or are short on time with the daily juggle between home schooling and home working.
Here’s a quick little body weight workout that you can smash out in 15 minutes that will have you on your way to improving your running in no time. Just remember one key point: the exercises must be completed to fatigue within 8 – 12 reps to get the benefits. This means altering each of the exercises until they are challenging enough for you.
Today’s circuit brought to you by CSSM podiatrist Alicia Schifferle includes:
Glutes: Single leg squats
• Stand on one foot.
Hold your other leg out straight and slightly in front of you.
Engage your core, push your hips back and lower into a squat position, squeeze glutes and push into your grounded foot to stand back up.
• If too hard, try double leg squats. If too easy, try holding a weight
Soleus (calf muscle): Single leg bent knee calf raises
• Keep your knee bent, rise onto the ball of your foot, focus on your ankle tracking in line through your first and second toe rather than flicking out towards your 5th toe.
• If this is too hard, try double leg. If too easy, try off a step and drop your heel below the line of the step.
Hamstrings: Supine leg curl
• Lying on your back, tuck your pelvis and lift your hips to the roof. With one leg in the air, push the slider slowly out long with your other leg. Drop your hips to the ground and pull the slider back towards your glutes. If you don’t have a slider try a towel on floorboards or tiles.
• If this is too hard, try with two legs. If this is too easy, try holding a weight. Repeat 3 times.
Note* If you are training for muscle bulk then higher training volumes may be needed in order to do that.
Thanks @therunningphysio for bringing this study to our attention.