If you’re like me, you tend to neglect strength training. Once you increase your swim/bike/run volume and add in stretching and eating and sleeping, and you know, LIFE, who has time for extra strength training? Unfortunately, we all know that it’s kind of important. Study after study after study show that strength training brings benefits to athletes of all levels and disciplines. And any strength training is better than no strength training.
Since I’m still in the offseason, I’ve been doing a lot of strength training in the gym. My goal for the training season, however, is to maintain some sort of strength training. Over the past few weeks I’ve picked out my favorite, body-weight-only strength moves that you do can do in your home, right after a run. The entire workout will take less than 10 minutes and doesn’t need any extra equipment. I’m getting in the habit of doing this three times a week right after my run and while coffee is brewing. Hopefully this habit will stick and it will become routine!
(Note: for the straight arm crunches, begin lying down on the floor, legs straight and arms at your sides. Keeping your back flat, crunch up while also crunching your knees into your chest. Your hands should slide past your knees and come in line with your toes. Do this slowly and smoothly, then slowly lower back to the starting position)
You can play around with the order of the exercises and the number of reps you do in each set. The most important thing is that you’re doing something. So after your next run, give this workout a spin and let me know what you think!
Oscar Yeager
Good advice Frayed, the only thing I would like to add is that to those of us who enjoy incorporating weights into our strength training, I find that most people I know agree it is better to do your strength training BEFORE your run, otherwise you will be too tired to lift those dang heavy weights! But yeah, for the lighter-duty stuff I totally agree with you.