If we want to keep our metabolism roaring, it is essential to switch things up in our workout. We do a lot of different moves throughout the month, and while our staple moves like squats and lunges should be a part of our regular routine, after a while they get boring. To keep things fresh and to keep our metabolism from flat-lining, we need to create a little variety and change up the intensity.

By adding a pulse (slower repetition) to our squats and lunges we can activate the fast-twitch muscle fibers of our body. For example, instead of doing 10 regular squats, today we will do 10 squats with 3-5 pulses each time we hit the squat position. Adding this small move to the exercise will add the variety we need and give us a serious muscle burn.

When it comes to exercising, many people are quick to rush through it. However, doing the reps slowly will engage our muscles better than rushing through it. Holding the position of an exercise can also make a big difference in the results we see. Today, try holding your squat or lunge for a few seconds longer for each repetition.

Day 20 exercises: 2-3 sets of 10

• Squat with Pulse
• Reverse Lunge with Pulse
•  Lateral Speed Runners
• Wall Sit – minimum of :60 (If you can’t hold your wall sit for a full :60 yet, break it up into smaller pieces that equal :60. But don’t quit till you get it all done!)

Bonus: Metabolic Up-Downs – This is an exercise you can do right now, which or without weights. It’s called an up-down, and you just go from kneeling to standing to kneeling again. The exercise is very simple, but it comes with a long list of benefits.

1. It works your entire body. And the better your musculoskeletal fitness, the better your health.
2. It elevates your heart rate. Any time you go from the floor to standing and back down again, you’ll raise your pulse. Sounds kinda like a burpee, and we know how good they are for us!
3. Since the movement pattern is so simple, you can do it for long periods, which burns a massive amount of calories and improves your conditioning.
4. It stretches your hip flexors. These muscles are notoriously tight on most men and women because of the long periods of time we spend sitting—in cars, at desks, on couches.

How to Do It: Perform 10 to 20 reps with just your body weight to groove the pattern and warm up. Then kick up the intensity and rev your metabolism by adding weight.

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Extra Credit: End your workout with a nice long pigeon pose stretch. After this workout, your legs and glutes will be screaming for a good stretch!

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Day 20 “how to” videos:

Squat with Pulse: Perform this move doing 3-5 “pulses” for each repetition. Repeat 10 times for each set.

Reverse Lunge with Pulse: Make sure you stand tall and step back with your knee directly over your foot. Pulse 3-5 times per repetition.

Lateral Speed Runners: Leg and core stability exercise

Wall Sit: You know how to do this one…and you know it’s a great exercise to target the entire thigh area, your quad, your inner thigh, the back of the leg, the hamstring, and your glutes!

Let’s get that booty burning today y’all! You know what that means….donkey kicks, fire hydrants and bridges OH BOY! 😉

Fun little bonus today too. Brooke Burke and her booty burn class! The video is 3 minutes long, but it only shows the workout on one leg. So you need to do the video twice, once for each leg. Run through the quick warm up twice too!

When you’re done with today’s exercises, please drop into that awesome pigeon pose to stretch out that burning booty!

Day 18 exercises: 2-3 sets of 10

• Donkey Kicks (each side)
• Fire Hydrants (each side)
• Marching Bridge – both legs is 1 rep!
• Wall Sit – :60

Bonus: Brooke’s Booty Burn – Remember to do this short video twice to even out those legs!

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Speed Work: Click here to read more about this weeks speed work…or if you already read it (and understand the how and why), your speed options are below!

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Day 18 “how to” videos:

Donkey Kicks: The donkey kick exercise targets your Glutes and Lower Back, while also isometrically strengthening your hamstrings and your core!

Fire Hydrants: Great for hips strength!

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Marching Bridge: As a way to make this more difficult and get a better burn in your glutes as opposed to your quads, pick up those toes!

Wall Sit: This exercise targets the entire thigh area, your quad, your inner thigh, the back of the leg, the hamstring, and your gluts. You’re just going to find a wall. You’re going to come into a squat position.

It’s Monday again…time to put the weekend behind us (the good and the bad) and get back to work on strength!

We’re a little over halfway through the month (crazy right? goes by way too fast), but that just means it’s time to turn it up and bring on the fire! No time to waste…make every day count!

Today is full body cardio & abs. Let’s get our heart rate up and our abs working hard!

Quick Morning Workout: Knock this out first thing in the morning!

Day 17 exercises: 2-3 sets of 10

• Table Top Abs
• Flutter Kicks
• 100 Jump Rope or Jumping Jacks
• :60 Side Plank with Hip Dips (or regular :60 plank – work up to more advanced planks)

Bonus: Abs & Cardio Circuit – Don’t wimp out, push hard and only take a rest in between sets. Do as many sets as you can!

Not sure about an exercise? Most of these should be familiar but if you’re not sure, reach out to me and let me know which one you need help with. I will find you a how to video.

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Extras:

• Negative Pull Up Challenge
• Quick Morning Workout (see above)
• July Miles check in – are you working towards your goal?

Great job getting in the Global 5K Challenge this past weekend. Keep logging those miles Crew!

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Speed Work: We have options this week. If you don’t have access to a track, that’s’ no excuse not to turn up the speed! The white box is your speed work if you have access to a track. Even better if you take your best running friends with you!

The black box shows your speed workout for the road. It’s timed intervals so you can set your watch for the workout times or use a separate interval timer like a gym boss or any free interval app.

This is the day of the week where you will push yourself harder than you do during your normal week day runs. Again, don’t wimp out. As with anything else, speed work is better with friends. You will push yourself more if you have someone to battle with, someone to chase, or someone chasing you. If you don’t have a friend to run with, think about those race goals you are working towards. Remember that speed work will help you reach those goals. Yes, it hurts. It’s not supposed to be easy. But it feels amazing when it’s done!

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Day 17 “how to” videos:

Table Top Abs: The Pilates Table Top exercise tones lower abs, upper abs, hip flexors and the front of thighs.

Flutter Kicks: Pay attention to how he counts the reps!

Jump Rope without Rope: You can do this exercise without a jump rope and still get a great cardio workout with jumping alone. Or you can switch it up and do 100 jumping jacks. Up to you! 🙂

Side Planks with Hip Dip: This is a tough exercise but if you’ve been doing planks for a while now, you need to try them. Start with :15-:30 on each side and do 2-4 reps using those shorter time intervals till you reach :60 on each side. If you’re new to planks, stick with the regular forearm plank until you are strong enough to hold it for :60 without dropping.

The side plank is an advanced plank position incorporating your abs, lower back, and waist muscles, along with your arms, legs, and shoulder girdle all coming together to perform a tough “hip dip.” A definite movement to add to your well rounded abdominal workout plan.

We are almost halfway through the month and it’s a Friday…

It’s easy to let Friday pass by without getting our strength done because we know we will be burning calories during our long runs…but remember…

Fitness is a lifestyle. We do a little work each day to stay strong and healthy and Friday is no exception!

It’s late Thursday night (10:30 pm and y’all know that’s past my bedtime. 🙂 ) so here’s a quick post with tomorrow’s arm workout. No bonus, except for Quick Morning Workout and our 7 Key Stretches for Runners to get us loose and limber for our long runs.

Dang…the weekend is almost here again…time flies!

Let’s get this arm/core work done and out of the way and move on to going long!

Day 14 exercises: 2-3 sets of 10 

• Inch Worm Push Ups
• Negative Chest Presses
• Crocodile Rows
• Plank Hip Dips – :60

Bonus: Quick Morning Workout + 7 Key Stretches for Runners

Day 14 “how to” videos:

Inch Worm Push Ups: Inchworm pushups are a total body movement that strengthens the muscles of the shoulders, arms, chest, and core while actively stretching your hamstrings, calves and back.

Negative Chess Press: A “negative” exercise means you are slowing down on the negative portion and holding that position before going back up quickly again. Very similar to our negative pull ups but laying down. You do not need a bench…you can work from the floor. Watch how to do it here.

Crocodile Rows: I love this move! Crocodile rows work our back, shoulders, biceps, and abs. Use your core to pull that weight high into your armpit and remember to look up and extend that elbow high.

Plank with Hip Dips: Planks are already a powerful exercise for our core. Make them even more effective by adding oblique-strengthening moves with hip dips.

Hard work and will power…get through it! Stay strong Crew…almost halfway through the month!

Jump up right now and get your Quick Morning Workout done! Do it now…before you think any more about it. Five minutes….GO!

Can you kick it?

YES YOU CAN! 

Day 13: 2-3 sets of 10

• Squat Jacks
• Lunge Series – Multi-directional Lunges – 2-3  times per direction per leg
• One legged Bridge Lift
• :60 Wall Sit

 

Bonus: Can’t go too long without a killer glute workout…who’s up for some Donkey Kicks and Fire Hydrants?

You with me? 🙂

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Speed Work: If you are going long on Sunday, you still have time to get in some speed work this week. Come on…what are you waiting for? Nervous? Anxious? That’s ok…you WILL get through it. Reach out to me with questions!

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Day 13 “how to” videos:

Squat Jacks: Squat Jacks burn a high number of calories and and strengthen and tone our lower body!

Lunge Series – Multidirectional Lunges – 2-3x per direction per leg

One Legged Bridge Lift: Lie flat on the floor on your back. Bring your feet close to your glutes. Raise your hips as high as you can. Keep core drawn in as well as your glutes contracted. Make sure you keep your back straight during the entire exercise.

Wall Sit: How long can you hold your wall sit? If you can go past :60 hold it longer!

A mechanical structure is only as good as its weakest link, and weak core muscles can lead to injuries and disappointing race times.

While a ripped six-pack may not be main goal for runners, building up core strength does result in many positive benefits when it comes to running. A strong core can improve your running posture & speed. Because your arms and legs all stem from the core, the strength in your limbs are intimately tied to the strength in your torso. Having a strong core sets a solid foundation for strength in the rest of the body.

Let’s talk hips and pelvis….Mark Fidel, the director of Sports Medicine Institute International says,

“When your pelvis is not aligned properly while you run, you become prone to injury. You can get hamstring pulls, Achilles problems, and lower-back pain.”

This is why you need strong core muscles to keep your hips and pelvis right where it’s supposed to be. A well-balanced core also improves your running economy. Result: faster times.

Jack Daniels, Ph.D., exercise physiologist for the Nike Farm Team explains,

“The stronger your core, the more solid you are as you hit the ground. That reduces your need for unnecessary stabilization, and allows you to be a more economical runner.”

A huge benefit of core strength for runners is increased stabilization in the torso. Your core muscles – the chest, back, abs, and obliques – are what keep your torso upright when you run, and reduce “wobbling” when moving your arms & legs. Our core strength allows our pelvis, hips, and lower back to work together more smoothly, with less rocking, expending less energy. Core strength also significantly improves balance, meaning that you recover quickly from missteps small & large.

Core strength for distance runners is even more important. Towards the end of our long runs or races, when we are extremely fatigued, our form begins to suffer. Poor form not only slows us down, it also opens us up to potential injuries.

For distance runners who are familiar with that lower back ache, building up core strength will help to maintain good posture, and reduces the pains that result from poor posture after long periods on our feet.

Lucy Young, a certified personal trainer with a background in competitive track and field who trains clients internationally in England, Canada and Australia, says,

“The more core strength you garner, the more stable your hips, pelvis, and knees become. This means less strain on your connective tissues and muscles.”

If you’ve never done strength training before, it may sound confusing how a strong core would help prevent a number of debilitating running injuries – including those of the hip and knee – but this is the case. It is important to understand that your ‘core’ comprises more than simply your abdominal muscles. It also includes your back, pelvis, and components of your lower trunk – such as your hip flexors, abductors and adductors.

We work our core several times a week for a reason….because our core is often our weakest link. A few minutes a day, a few times a week, will help us form a strong, stable core that will help us stay on the road doing what we love most…running!

Day 12 exercises: 2-3 sets of 10 

• Bent Over Rows
• Rope Climbers with weight
• Ab-Fab Press
• X or Y Plank – :60

Bonus: Sprinter Abs – This core move will work your running coordination by practicing knee drive, and opposite arm-leg timing. Furthermore, it will activate your hip flexors, pelvic floor and your lower/upper abdominals.

• Aim for 3 sets of 5–10 repetitions (3×5–10). There is greater leniency in the number of repetitions possible here because the second your form is compromised during this exercise, you should rest. Ensure your back remains straight at all times and that your lower and upper trunks lift off the floor at the same time.

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Speed Work: Once again, speed work should be done once per week, unless you are running 6-7 days per week, then you can add a 2nd day of speed work. But for most of us, once a week is the most we need to add to avoid pushing too hard and causing injuries. I usually do my speed work on Wednesday since it gives me enough time to recover from my weekend long run, and enough time after to get ready to go long again. Those easier recovery days in between are crucial for allowing our muscles to rebuild.

For this week’s speed workout, click here and scroll down.

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Day 12 “how to” videos:

Bent Over Rows: Bent-over dumbbell rows are compound free-weight exercises that use many of your upper-body muscles. Similar to the bent-over barbell row, the supported position commonly used in the dumbbell version places less stress on your lower back and may be a safer option for anyone with lower back issues.

Rope Climbers with weights: Rope Climb Crunches makes crunching more fun, more exciting and more effective. This ab exercise works not only your upper abs but your obliques as well thanks to the torso twisting motion. As a result it is an incredible abdominal burner. Start without weights but if this feels to easy add small weights (I have a small pair of 2 lb weights that are perfect for this exercise). This will add an arm workout as well as working our core.

Ab-Fab Press: Again, core and arms. Keep your body nice, long and strong.

X or Y Plank: The X and Y plank are similar except for the X plank our legs are in a wide stance and for the Y plank our legs are closer together in a more closed stance. In each plank, our arms/hands are farther out to the sides. Try it both ways for :30 – :60 each or hold it for as long as you can.

It’s difficult to exaggerate the importance of hip flexibility and strength for every athletic activity….especially running!

The hips provide most of the incredible power and force that our lower body can generate for running and jumping, and deficiencies in strength and flexibility in this area of the body can mean the difference between a great performance or a painful end to the game.

Beyond athletic activities, issues with your hips can also negatively impact your daily life. Possible issues include pain, decreased mobility for activities such as stooping and squatting, and even difficulty with simple daily encounters such as jumping over a puddle in the street.

Today we’re focusing on hip mobility and strength. If you have tight, weak hips…they will not lie…you’ll feel it lower in your body too. Tight weak hips lead to all kinds of problems in the legs for runners. Hopefully you’re already thinking about those pesky modern hips ladies….you know we have to throw that in today!

Day 11 exercises: 2-3 sets of 10 – relatively easy day, hope to see many rounds of 3!

• Hip Hurdles
• Hip Hikes on step
•  Lateral Walk with resistance band
• Wall Sit – :60

Extras:

• Quick Morning Workout
• Negative Pull Up Challenge
• July Miles Challenge – check in anytime with your monthly miles to help you stay on track!

Bonus: Modern Mom/Dad Hips

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Speed Work: I post speed work each Monday,  but that doesn’t mean you should do it on Monday’s. I just try to post it at the beginning of the week so you can plan ahead to fit in in your schedule. Speed work should be done 2-3 days after your long run, and 2-3 days before your next long run. So if you go long on Saturday or Sunday, speed work should be on Tuesday or Wednesday. This gives your legs enough time to recover from the tough weekend workout, and enough time to recover from speed work and ready to go long again the next weekend. If you are doing speed work on Monday and struggling…you’re probably doing it too close to your weekend workout. Recovery from “effort” workouts is essential to getting the most out of your next workout!

If you have questions about how to plan your runs, reach out to me and let’s chat about it.

This week’s speed work can be found by clicking here for Monday’s post and scrolling down.

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Day 11 “how to” videos:

Hip Hurdles: The video below uses a hurdle as a prop to swing you leg over, but it’s not necessary. You can use a chair, the side of your bed, anything that you can reach up and around, or you can just “pretend” there is a hurdle there. Just don’t go super easy…pull your leg up to the side as high as you can!

Hip Hike on Step: This exercise is designed to strengthen our glutes and shape your derriere. The hip hike gives us a great stretch and opens up our hips….and helps us get closer to the coveted “runner’s butt”.

Lateral Walk with Resistance Band: Get low on this move and walk side to side. If you don’t have a resistance band, that’s ok. You can still get in a low squat position and do the lateral walk without the band. Focus on good form and keeping those hips moving.

Wall Sit: The wall sit is a really great exercise to target the entire thigh area, your quad, your inner thigh, the back of the leg, the hamstring, and your gluts.

What a fun weekend full of best running friends and lots and lots of awesome miles! I love seeing all the love and friendship born from running! I can’t wait to get all the photos together for our slideshow. 

Back to work for a great week of strength so we can keep going long and strong on the weekend!

Today’s full body exercises are great intense cardio moves…and will work our hips, glutes, hamstrings, arms and core! I’m excited to try the Dumbbell Skier Swings…make those hips pop Crew!

Remember to start your day with our Quick Morning Workout!

Day 10 exercises: 2-3 sets of 10

• Dumbbell Skier Swings – This is a quick swing move that you can do more than 10 times per set once you get going. Swing to exhaustion but swing with good form!
• Burning Bridge
• Jump Rope or Jumping Jacks – 100 minimum
• :60 Plank Reach

Extras:

• Quick Morning Workout
• Negative Pull Ups – already missing my pull up bar! 😦
• Global 5K is this weekend! Make sure you are planning ahead to get in your 5K on Saturday or Sunday. This is the official “Runkeeper Global 5K” but you don’t need to use Runkeeper to join in the fun!

Bonus: Pop Sugar 10 Minute Full Body Burn – No equipment, quick, effective and a great full body burn!

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Speed Work: Tempo Miles Workout: Interval workouts build speed, but this workout will improve your stamina to run faster more efficiently. The key is to run at the right effort (your “red line”) so you can raise your threshold—the point at which your body shifts to using more glycogen for energy.

***This is not a full tempo workout which would be ran straight through instead of stopping. This is similar to a “mile repeat” workout”. We will do a tempo workout one day soon though and this workout will get you ready for it!

1. Walk two to three minutes to pre-warm your body.
2. Run 10 minutes at an easy effort to warm up.
3. Repeat the following 2-3 times:
4. Run one mile at just outside your comfort zone, or a place where you can no longer talk in sentences (at the upper edge of the orange and red zone, A.K.A. your red line).
5. Follow with jogging or walking two minutes to catch your breath and recover.
6. Cool down by running five minutes at an easy effort and walking three minutes.

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Day 10 “how to” videos:

Dumbbell Skier Swings:  Skier swings are an AWESOME exercise (when done right) for your entire posterior chain (backside, especially your hamstrings and butt), and can also be used for some really intense cardio training… Done wrong, skier swings can be a menace to your low back! The key to remember is that all swing exercise variations are HIP DOMINANT movements. There’s little movement at the knee; there’s no squatting in a proper swing.

Burning Bridge: The Burning Bridge exercise works our chest, triceps, butt, and hamstrings.

Jump Rope (without rope): If you don’t have a jump rope you can still get a great cardio workout from this exercise. In the Runner’s World podcast The Runner’s World Show Bart Yasso, says that jumping rope is a great workout for runners! Good calf workout….and Bart is the MAN! 🙂

Plank Reach: Don’t rush this move. Make it slow and controlled. No swinging around!