RunnerDude's Weekly Exercise: Resistance Tube Front Raise Lat Raise

Often overlooked, the upper-body plays an important part in helping maintain good running posture. This is particularly true on longer runs. The more muscular endurance a runner has in the upper body, the longer he/she will maintain good posture delaying the onset of fatigue.

To do the exercise, grasp the handles of a resistance tube. Step on the center of the tube with both feet. Begin with your hands down by your thighs (1). Keeping the arms fully extended (no bend at the elbow), raise both arms straight in front of you until they are parallel with the floor (2). With controlled movement, lower your arms back to your thighs. Keeping your arms fully extended, raise both arms out to the side until they are both parallel to the floor (3). That's one rep. Shoot for 10-12 or 12-15 reps.

  

Tip: For more resistance, stand on the tube with your feet wider apart. For less resistance, stand with your feet closer together or just stand on the tube with one foot.

For more exercises for runners check out RunnerDude's new book Full-Body Fitness for Runners.

RunnerDude's Weekly Exercise: Med Ball Hamstring Leg Lifts

Hamstrings and Quads should be the "yin yang" of the body working together in harmony. The quads a little stronger than their posterior friend then hamstring. Hammies, however, give many a runner trouble, particularly on long runs.  Hamstrings aren't supposed to be as strong as quads, but many times runners, especially distance runners, have overy dominant quads. This is often the case in runners who heel strike. They're constantly loading the quad ready to pull their bodies forward due to the wider stride. This constant activation strengthens the quad but weakens the hamstrings. Sometimes the quad can get so out of balance that it can pull on the hamstrings causing them to become tight setting the runner up for injury. Or the hamstrings become weak, so when they are needed on a run, the may pull or cramp.

The best recommendation I have is to reign in the stride so the foot lands more under your center of mass. This decreases the quad activation, keeping everything in better alignment and letting the body work more like a shock absorber. You can also work to strengthen the hamstrings. The exercise below is a great one to do just that. This take on a simple hamstring leg lift uses a med ball as the base for the working leg. The med ball adds a balance element causing you to focus more on using the hamstring to lift the torso into a bridge. It's also a great core exercise.

To do the exercise, lie on a mat. Place your left foot on top of a medicine ball. Raise your right leg while keeping the left foot on the ball. Use the left leg to raise your body off the mat until your body is a straight line from your left knee to your shoulder, then lower your body until it almost touches the floor. That's one rep. Do 8-10 or 12-15 reps. Repeat the process with the right foot on the step and the left leg in the air.

RunnerDude's Weekly Exercise: Three-Position Calf Raises

Runners are notorious for having issues with their calves. Weak or tight calves can cause a host of other problems related to the Achilles tendon, plantar fascia, and even the shins. Strengthening the calves will help alleviate many of these problems. Pre- and post-run stretching and rolling of the calves will also help.

To to the exercise, hold dumbbells by your sides, stand on a step so that just the ball of each foot is on the step. (You can also do this standing on the floor.)  Both feet should be in a neutral position (facing forward). Slowly lift up on your toes as high as you can, and then slowly lower your feet back to the level starting position.
That's one rep. Do 10-12 reps. Repeat with the feet facing inward for 10-12 reps. This works the outer calf.  Next, repeat with feet facing outward for 10-12 reps. This works the inner calf.
Note: To get a good stretch before each lift, let your heels dip slightly below the horizon of the step before lifting up on your toes.

For more exercises for runners check out RunnerDude's new book Full-Body Fitness for Runners.