Hurrahhhh! It’s the Friday before race weekend for me, and for many of you as well. Are ya excited?!
This week I’ve been scaling back my running mileage in effort to let my legs rest up a bit before the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon on Sunday. Training has gone well for the most part, and while I know I’m nowhere near PR shape right now, I’m excited to return to the race atmosphere again.
Tomorrow I’ll be heading to the expo to pick up my race kit, generally taking it easy for the day, not trying anything new, eating easy to digest foods, and all that good stuff. One thing I won’t be doing is the workout I’ve got for you today because it leaves a fierce burn, but if you’re not racing this weekend and want a seriously awesome strength building session, this is for you!
Work It Out
As I’ve talked about recently, I’ve become obsessed with barre classes as a way of developing strength – especially in those lower body/core stabilizer muscles that need to be strong in order to make me a better runner. A lot of what we’ve done in the barre classes I’ve attended is very small movements, but with lots of reps. There are also lots of isometric holds. If that sounds like a fancy word, it’s really not. It basically just means that the angle at your joints doesn’t change, and the working muscles don’t change in length while they’re being contracted. A great example is a plank, where you’re holding still, joints aren’t moving, and muscles aren’t elongating/shortening continuously. Make sense?
Today’s workout is a little bit barre-inspired, and I’ve created it to target primarily glutes, thighs, quads and hamstrings. You’ll have to engage your core in order to keep good form though, so you might wake up feeling a burn there too!
The Crazy Eights Lower Body Workout
This workout gets its name from the 8 reps that you’ll do of each exercise. Don’t be fooled – 8 isn’t a big number but it will definitely feel like enough by the time you’re done. You’ll do 4 basic moves – reverse lunges, squats, side lunges and donkey kicks – full range reps, lower-half reps, and tiny pulses or holds. (See below for examples.)
You won’t need any equipment for this one, but you’ll want to wear a pair of socks and find a space on a wood or tile floor for maximum slide-a-bility in the two lunge variations.
Example:
Reverse lunges:
- Full-range: Slide left toes back and lower into a lunge, then return to standing.
- Lower half: Slide left toes back and lower half way down into a lunge, then all the way down. Return to half way up, then all the way down. Repeat!
- Hold: Slide left toes back and lower down into a lunge, then hold for 8 counts. Return to standing.
Not sure what a donkey kick is? Here’s a video demo.
[Tweet “Get working on those summer stems! The Crazy 8s Lower Body #Workout”]
Turn It Up
Let’s have a little girl power this week, shall we? Ellie Goulding is someone whose music I could (and do) listen to daily without getting tired of it, and right now I’m into the Danny Dove remix of her song Army. The original is amazing, but this remix speeds things up a bit, making it perfect for a workout.
Can’t see the video? Watch it here.
Have A Read
- 10 ways to use a foam roller {video} – via Shape
- 40 squat variations you need to try – via Greatist
- 3 must-do marathon workouts – via Competitor.com
Alrighty, that’s it for this week. I’m sending the speediest speedy vibes to those of you who are racing in the next couple of days, and for all of you, racing or not, have a great weekend!
Tell me…
- Do you have a workout request? Feel free to leave it below and I’ll do my best to accommodate in the coming weeks.
Thanks for sharing the song! I’m doing a half marathon this weekend and my playlist is a little short, so this is a great addition!