Upper-Body and Core Workout for Runners

Like yesterday's Lower-Body/Core HIIT, this Upper-Body/Core HIIT workout is perfect for runners. A HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout doesn't take much time, but gives a lot of bang for your bucks. The workout consists of 6 exercises-3 core and 3 upper-body. Complete each exercise for 20 secs moving from one exercise directly into the next exercise, taking no rest in between. After completing the 6th exercise, take a 1-minute rest break, then repeat the HIIT in the same fashion for a total of 5 rounds. The whole workout takes only 20 minutes. This format jacks up the heart rate ramping up your metabolism. The exercised selected in this workout target the core and upper-body muscle groups that help support and ensure good running form. The only equipment needed is a mat (or carpeted area) and some light dumbbells. Give it a try! Tomorrow I'll post some great lateral movement lower-body exercises that help prevent injury and increase stability and balance, all important to good running, so check that one out too! Check out my other workouts for runners on YouTube.

Lower-Body and Core Workout for Runners

This Lower-Body/Core HIIT workout is perfect for runners. A HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout doesn't take much time, but gives a lot of bang for your bucks. The workout consists of 6 exercises-3 core and 3 lower-body. Complete each exercise for 20 secs moving from one exercise directly into the next exercise, taking no rest in between. After completing the 6th exercise, take a 1-minute rest break, then repeat the HIIT in the same fashion for a total of 5 rounds. The whole workout takes only 20 minutes. This format jacks up the heart rate ramping up your metabolism. The exercised selected in this workout target the core and all the major muscle groups in the lower body. The only equipment needed is a mat (or carpeted area) and a medicine ball. Don't have a medicine ball? No problem, use a large detergent bottle or fill an empty 1-gallon milk jug with water to use as  your weight. Give it a try! Tomorrow I'll post an Upper-Body/Core HIIT for Runners, so check that one out too! Check out my other workouts for runners on YouTube.

Kettlebell Workout for Runners from Tommy Matthews!

One of the greatest things about working on RunnerDude's Blog is the hundreds of people I've gotten to know who are scattered all over the country and the world. The blog has a growing readership in Canada, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. There are people I stay in contact with on a regular basis that seem like they're right next door, when in reality they're an ocean away.

One such person that I've come to know is Tommy Matthews. I first discovered Tommy on Twitter and soon discovered his website and his workout videos at ExtremeKettlebellsTV.

Tommy is the Managing Director of The Optimal Life Fitness (OLF) Group, OLF run educational courses across Europe, Australia and South Africa. As well as running the OLF Group Tommy still has his passion for training people and can still be seen on many of OLF’s educational courses, working hands on with personal trainers to further their development.

Tommy Matthews

Tommy’s skills and knowledge in training have come from years of working with some of the world’s top fitness professionals, kettlebell athletes and strength coaches. He’s trained with arguably some of the greatest kettlebell lifters ever, master of sport Valery Fedorenko and the all time great Pantelai Filikidi, who is master of sport in four different sports. Tommy was one of the first two lifters in the UK to complete the AKC certification. Before his work with the AKC in Greece he spent some time with Steve Cotter, which is where he got his interest for kettlebell sport. He has now trained with Gregor Sobocan and was lucky enough to spend some time with Steve Maxwell. Tommy’s passion for learning from the best transfers to his own teaching where he expects only the best from his clients and students. His belief that the body is designed to move and lift translates to his style of presenting; fast, dynamic and exciting!

I asked Tommy if he'd create a Kettlebell Workout for Runners. Being a great sport, Tommy, did just that. He's created a simple but extremely effective workout for runners that's great for the novice to the elite. Thanks Tommy!

Dumbbell Core Workout for Runners

In many a post, I've lauded the benefits of a strong core for runners. A strong core and upper-body means prolonged strong running form. Prolonged strong running form means more time before fatigue sets-in on a long run. Next to improper fueling, fatigue is one of the main causes of runners hitting the wall.

Running is often thought of as a lower-body activity. It is, but it's just as much, if not more, an upper-body activity. A runner's power orignates from the core and moves down the legs. If a runner has a weak upper-body and begins to slouch on a run, that puts more stress on the core, making it work harder. If the core isn't strong, then it too will fatigue, leaving the legs to fend for themselves.

Below is an easy core circuit workout to help improve your core strength. It only takes a few minutes and all that's needed is a couple of dumbbells and an exercise mat. If you're new to working your core, start with light dumbbells, (5lbs or 8lbs). If you've been working your core, then a 10lb dumbbell may be more suitable for your starting weight. You don't need a ton of resistance to get a great workout with this circuit, so working your way to 15lbs for some of the workouts is probably the most you'll ever need. For some of the exercises (i.e., the Dumbbell Leg Lift) 5lbs or 8lbs is all you'll ever need.

Ease into the circuit. Begin with 8 to 10 repetitions of each exercise. Move from one exercise to the next without rest. That's one circuit. Take your rest at the end of the circuit. Make your initial goal to complete one circuit of the exercises. Once you've acclimated to doing one circuit of 8-10 reps for each exercise, you can up the ante by increasing the reps to 10-12 or 12-15, increase the weight of the dumbbells, or increase the number of times you do the circuit to 2 or 3.

Remember, before beginning any new exercise routine (especially if you're brand new to fitness), it's best to consult your doctor prior to doing the workout.



For a core workout using a med ball [click here].

Upper-Body Workout for Runners

Friday's post talked about the importance of a strong upper body for runners, especially as we age. The post gave a workout for the core and today I have a workout for the upper-body (arms, chest, and back).

As a runner, the focus of the upper-body workout should be to gain muscular endurance. So, go with lighter weights and higher repetitions. 10lbs to 15lbs dumbbells are sufficient for this workout. You can also use light or medium resistance bands or resistance tubes instead of dumbbells.

The workout consists of a 7-exercise circuit. Do each exercise (10-15 reps) one right after the other without taking a break. Once you've completed all 7 exercises, take a 1- to 2-minute rest; then repeat the circuit a second time. If you're new to upper-body exercises, then begin with 10 repetitions. Each day add an additional rep until you get to 15 repetitions. Also, if upper-body exercise is new to you, begin with one cycle of the circuit for the first week. During Week 2, complete two cycles of the circuit. If you're advanced, try three cycles of the circuit.

It's fine to pair the upper-body circuit with the core workout on the same day. Try doing the core workout in the morning and the upper-body circuit in the evening. You can also rotate days. For example you could do the upper-body workout on M,W,F and do the core workout on T,TH,S. The great thing about circuit workouts is that they're quick. You'll have a strong core and upper body before you know it and you'll start to see the benefits in your long runs too!

Running Strong As You Age

I hear it all the time...."I'm just not running like I used to." It's a given. We all age and as we age the activities we do may change and the ones we stick with doing may not have the same intensity as they once did, but there's a lot that one can do to keep that intensity alive as long as possible. Actually a lot longer than you might think.

I'm 45 and silly me thought that as I got older, the competition would begin to wane. Oh contraire! The exact opposite is happening. I used to place in the top three in my age group quite frequently at local races, but that's getting harder and harder to do. Once I moved into the 45-49-year-old bracket, the competition got a lot tougher. There are a lot of fast runners in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

What's the key? Well, the other day, a client of mine mentioned how surprised he was to learn how muscle-specific different sports can be. He's a runner in his 50s and he's a really good runner. He's coming to me to improve his upper body and core strength and endurance. He is right, different sports can be pretty muscle-specific. It's not until you try a different sport or do some general fitness training that your realize maybe you're not in as good a shape (overall) as you thought.

Soccer is probably one of the best sports for full-body conditioning. You're using just about every muscle in your body as well as moving your body through the three different planes of movement--frontal (lateral movements), sagittal (forward movment like running), and transverse (rotation and twisting). It also involves a great deal of cardio from the constant moving around and running involved in the sport.

Runners tend to think it's all about their lungs and their legs and while those are major aspects of running, that's not all there is to running. A strong core and upper body is also needed to ensure powerful movement in the legs and in maintaining good running form. Youngsters in their 20s and early 30s tend to be involved in multiple activities--golf, tennis, soccer, softball, Frisbee football, volleyball, working out at the gym, etc. Because of this variety of activity, the upper body gets a good workout without the individual realizing they're strengtheing their upper body and core. Then somewhere in our late 30s, 40s and 50s, due to work, family, just life in general, many of the activities fall by the wayside. Somehow many manage to hang-on to running. Maybe it's because we can fit it in whenever. Maybe it keeps us sane. Maybe it's because it's cheap. But, over the years, that core and upper body fitness begin to wane. Don't use it; you lose it. Probably wasn't that obvious because as runners we tend to be lean. But lean doesn't always mean fit.

A runner needs muscular endurance in the upper body and core just as much as in their legs. You're swinging your arms just as much as your legs are moving forward. There's no resistance to your arm movement other than some air, but they're still moving. If your upper body doesn't have muscular endurance then a domino effect can begin to happen. First the arms fatigue causing you to round your shoulders and slump. This puts more stress on your core. If your core is not strong, then it will begin to fatigue as well, causing even further decline of your running form. By now your legs are taking the full brunt of the domino effect. Not only has the core stopped providing a strong support and power system for the legs, now the legs are having to deal with poor running form and soon fatigue will consume the legs as well. What's that I see? Could it be? Yep! The dreaded WALL! You're about to smack right into it.

Not only can you hit that dreaded wall, you can begin to suffer from injuries like calf pulls or strains, issues with your Achilles heel, IT band problems, pulled hamstrings, muscle cramps...the list goes on. Sound familiar? Are you beginning to have issues in your legs that you never experienced when you were younger? Could be specific to your legs, but it could very well be related to something higher up--a weak core and/or upper body.

So, what's an older runner to do? Invest a little money in an exercise mat, a medicine ball (or a set of dumbbells or weight plates) and work that core! Whatever the resistance form you choose, it doesn't need to be very heavy. An 8lbs, 10lbs, or 12lbs medball will do fine. 10lb, 15lb, or 20lb dumbbells will work nicely too. Use the core workout and your new toys to work that core. If you don't have a medball most of the exercises can be done with just body weight, a dumbbell, or a weight plate). Do the workout 2 or 3 times a week and you'll be well on your way to a much stronger mid-section. Check back in with the blog on Sunday for an upper body workout for runners.

Note: Remember, if you have any upper-body health-related issue or this is the first time you've attempted an upper body workout, it's recommended that you check in with your doctor first to get his/her approval.