Good morning Challengers and happy Monday!

Everyone pretty much killed week 1…but if you know you didn’t give it your all…time to regroup, recommit, and get to it! Will you struggle to make time for you or will you be strong and power through?

What do they say about Monday? NEVER SKIP A MONDAY WORKOUT! 🙂

I’m going to start adding bonus workouts and running drills this week. These extra workouts and drills are meant to get you moving more and improve your running efficiency…but don’t stress if you don’t get each one in today. I will refer to them all week so just do your best and keep being active!

Day 7 exercises: Legs – 3 sets of 10

• Plank – :30
• Wall Sit – :30 (3X)
• Calf Raises
• Sumo Squats
• Plank – :30
• Side Planks – :30 each side
• Pigeon Pose 
• Calf Stretches
• Quad Stretch

Week 2 Bonus Workout:

All Cardio Challenge: This bonus workout can be done any day this week…or everyday this week…so fit it in when you can to get your heart rate up and burn some calories!

When you do fit it in make sure you post using #AllCardioChallenge so we know you went the extra mile! 🙂  One last thing ere…DON’T SKIP THE BURPEES! They are good for you…just try them! Keep your core tight and go slow until you have the form correct. Remember to watch the “how to” videos again if you need reminders on form for any of our exercises.

Running Drills:

We’ve talked about some running drills before, but this week we are going to start introducing two drills per week to get you familiar with them.  Going forward I will ask you to incorporate them into your routine 3-4 times a week. They can be done as warm ups or after your run to reinforce good running form when you’re fatigued.

These drills are for everyone! It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner runner or a veteran …we can all benefit from adding running drills into our weekly routine.

According to RunningCompetitor.com,

“If you want to improve as a runner, you’ve got to do more than just run. You’ve got to make time to do the extra stuff, too. Taking 20 minutes to do a handful of drills…can dramatically improve your running form and economy (or the ability to run fast efficiently) and increase your stride cadence and racing speed.

Each of the drills highlights one or more aspects of good running form and accentuates them through repetitive motion, which trains the body to become comfortable with that movement so it can be inserted into your typical running mechanics.”

Butt Kicks:

Why: Butt kicks engage the hamstrings and accentuate the recovery portion of the running gait and improve leg turnover cadence.

How: Run in place with your thighs more or less locked in a neutral position and try to kick yourself in the glute with your heel on each stride. Focus on keeping he rest of your body still and simply flicking your lower leg backward. If you’re not making contact, you need to improve your dynamic range of motion. Do two or four reps of 15 kicks with each leg.

Bounding:

Why: Bounding increases foot, calf and hamstring muscle power and develops single-leg stance stability necessary to maintain fluid running form while fatigued.

How: On a flat or very slightly downhill slope, alternate thrusting into the air off one leg in an exaggerated skipping motion. The focus should be on a powerful leap into the air and a quick (but not super fast) cadence. Your arm motion should be synced to the opposite leg’s action, holding steady for the brief moment while you’re off the ground. Do three to four reps of 10 leaps on each leg.

Lots going on here…but don’t let it overwhelm you. The bonus workout and running drills can be incorporated throughout the week when you have time but I wanted to get them out early so you can plan ahead to fit them in.

As always…never miss a Monday workout! Let’s get the week started right and make it a great day Challengers! 🙂