Well, I woke up this morning ready to hit the gym for some strength training only to have a notification on my phone that LA Fitness (my gym) has closed all its gyms until at least April 1st to help manage the Coronavirus pandemic.
Luckily, I travel a bit and found you don't need heavy weights or even a gym membership to embark on an effective strength training program. In fact, there are ways to do so without any equipment and with a simple routine you can do at home two to three times per week.
If you’ve never incorporated strength training into your running routine, now is a great time given the “social distancing” recommendations in place to start.
These are best done on days you are not running, or are doing a short, easy run and I’ve broken them down into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels. These are broken down into Lower Body and Core exercises, and you should take a 30 second break between each.
Beginner
This set of exercises is best for someone who has not incorporated strength training into their routine or has lapsed but wants to take it back up. If you have any question on whether you should start here or the Intermediate level, I’d recommend starting with this level and progressing to the Intermediate level once you’re comfortably completing the Beginner level.
Lower Body
- 10 – 15 squats
- 10 – 15 lunges on each leg
- 2 sets of wall squat sit (for 20 – 30 seconds each)
- 2 sets of 10 heel and toe raises
- 5 – 10 one legged squats (this may be too much for a beginner, but give it a shot)
Core Body
- Front Plank (30 – 45 seconds)
- Side Plank (30 seconds for each side)
- 1 set of 10 Lying Superman exercise
- 1 set of Russian Twists (10 twists per side)
- 1 set of Fire Hydrant exercise (10 per side)
Intermediate
This set of exercises increases the number of sets and adds a few to increase your workout intensity; recommend starting these after you have done a few days of the Beginner level without soreness the following day.
Lower Body
- 2 sets of 15 squats
- 2 sets of 15 lunges on each leg
- 3 sets of wall squat sit (for 20 – 30 seconds each)
- 3 sets of 10 heel and toe raises
- 2 sets of 10 one legged squats (this may be too much for a beginner, but give it a shot)
Core Body
- 2 sets of Front Plank (45 seconds each)
- 2 sets of Side Plank (30 seconds for each side)
- 2 set of 10 Lying Superman exercise
- 2 set of Russian Twists (10 twists per side)
- 2 set of Fire Hydrant exercise (10 per side)
- Reverse Crunch (30 -45 seconds)
Advanced
Begin with these only after having completed the Intermediate for a period, without any resulting pain or significant soreness. The Advanced group adds sets and hold times, so be sure to focus on your form while doing each exercise to ensure your core is solid and avoid injury.
Lower Body
- 3 sets of 15 squats
- 3 sets of 15 lunges on each leg
- 3 sets of wall squat sit (for 30 - 45 seconds each)
- 3 sets of 15 heel and toe raises
- 3 sets of 15 one legged squats (this may be too much for a beginner, but give it a shot)
Core Body
- 3 sets of Front Plank (45 – 60 seconds each)
- 3 sets of Side Plank (30 - 45 seconds for each side)
- 3 set of 10 Lying Superman exercise
- 3 set of Russian Twists (10 twists per side)
- 3 set of Fire Hydrant exercise (10 per side)
- Reverse Crunch (60 seconds)
- Bicycle Crunch (60 seconds)
Below are links to videos showing the proper form for each of the exercises above; if you are unfamiliar with any, please look at the links for the proper form.
Rich Flaherty is a middle of the pack runner and triathlete, whose only real claim to fame is his daughter Bekah Brooks qualified for the Boston Marathon in her first marathon.