Yay! I did a guest post on Run To The Finish. This is the blog of Amanda Brooks, who is passionate about running, marathon training, and using that to explore the joys in the world around her. When she was going on vacay, I did this guest post for her, and figured that a workout specifically targeted for runners would be very appropriate for her devoted readers. Hence, I present my guest post “Circuit Training for Runners” 🙂
Hello Lovely Readers!
My name is Kristina, and I am a personal torture I mean personal TRAINER! I own my own business called Freestyle Fitness Addiction, and I specialize in fat loss and total body conditioning, with a proclivity toward functional training. That means that I tend to shy away from machines, and focus on using the best machine- YOUR BODY!!!!
Too many runners and endurance athletes don’t get in enough strength training, and/or only work in the sagittal plane (e.g. front and back, front and back, again, again, again, ad infinitum). This puts them at huge risk for overuse injuries. Runners need strong muscles to increase their speed, increase agility, and protect against injury! This means, runners, time to get down and dirty with some strength training, and Imma get you moving in all different directions! I know, crazy.
Try this circuit out 3 times a week on non consecutive days, for approximately a minute per exercise, 15-30 second transition to the next exercise, and rest for 1-2 minute at the end of each circuit, as needed. Repeat the circuit 3-4 times. Make sure you complete a thorough warm and cool down.
#1 Tube walking- use a mini-band or tie a Theraband around your ankles, and do lateral steps, with toes facing forward and knees over the toes (e.g. do not allow the knees to cave in, or bow out). This is an integrated exercise that focuses on the gluteus medius, which is HUGELY important in injury prevention for runners. If you don’t have a band, an adequate substitution would be a side-lying leg lift.
#2 Walking Lunge w/Med Ball Twist– Now that you have activated your gluteus medius, put it to work with a walking lunge with medicine ball twist. Go heel to toe with alternating legs, keeping your shoulders down, and holding the med best as far in front of you as you can. Make sure you are rotating your torso, not just moving your arms. This move is very challenging because you have to stabilize in the transverse (rotational) plane.
#3 TRX row– Using the TRX for a row is really cool because you are working not only your back, but also your core. It’s important for runners to work on strengthening their postural muscles, because too often runners tend to hunch over due to relative weakness of those postural muscles, coupled with tight pecs/lats, so getting the back strong will help diminish muscular imbalances that lead to injury. If you don’t have a TRX, you can do a row with dumbbells, bands, or other equipment. Just get it done! 
#4 Two-point Anterior Reach- This exercises challenges the stability of the ankle, knee, and hips. By reaching for two objects, you are moving beyond the sagittal plane. Yessss. And by developing comfort on a single leg, you are enhancing locomotion (which, if you think about it, occurs one leg at a time). Switch legs halfway through the minute.
#5 Plank-ups- this is my name for the exercise; you may have your own name for it. This is a fantastic exercise that not only works the core, but also works the chest and shoulders, as well. Fun, tough stuff! Make sure you alternate the arms that you come up and come down with. 
#6 Single leg ice skaters (lateral hops)- Runners need to have excellent deceleration and acceleration, and mulit-planar stability. This works on your ability to stabilize yourself in a plane many runners don’t train enough in- the frontal plane (side to side [confusing terminology, I know]). If you are jogging on a trail, and you trip on a rock, you want to be able to move laterally and decelerate with no problem, right? No twisted ankles? Single leg ice skaters help you effectively maneuver. You may try touching the ground with your ipsilateral hand (same arm, same leg, as demoed in the picture), or your contralateral hand. (opposite arm to leg)
#7 Stability Ball Hamstring Curl- This works the ever-neglected posterior chain. Work those hammies by digging your heels into the ball, with the toes facing toward the ceiling, raising the hips, and drawing your heels close to your bootie, then extending your heels out again. Keeping your hips up, repeat this movement.
JUL
