At Home Strength Exercises for Runners!

Here is the next instalment of our Triathlon Workout Replacement Series. This time the focus is running.  

Running is a form of exercise that - unlike swimming and cycling - is primarily a cardio based affair, and doesn’t heavily recruit a lot of musculature, at least not to the same extent. Still, it is quite possible to perform a comprehensive home or outdoors workout that both mimics the steady-state cardio exertion of a moderate intensity daily run, and improves and strengthens those muscle groups that running does rely on - for stability, performance and correct running form and posture. 

The following circuit based workout can be done at home, down at your local park or wherever you have the time and space! As with the previous two installments of this series, feel free to chop and change these workouts as you see fit. If something doesn’t quite work or feel the way you need it to, switch an exercise or two out. You can also alter your rest periods and intensity to suit your specific needs, wants and requirements. 

The workout is simple - two circuits with five exercises each, one circuit designed to help strengthen your primary movers and stabiliser muscles most recruited when running long distances, and the other a cardio-specific circuit designed to get your heart racing and burn a tonne of calories! You perform your first set of exercises back to back with minimal rest, then you take a quick 60 to 90 second break, before jumping right into your second circuit (same deal, perform all exercises back to back with minimal rest). At the end of your second circuit, rest a further 60 to 90 seconds before starting back on your first circuit and doing it all again. Repeat a minimum of 4 times, up to and including a maximum of 10. 

Here is the workout (with some easier alternatives for beginners included).