You could be a road warrior or a trail Trojan. You can run for fun or run for glory, no matter your style, a strong core is the ticket to the show. It doesn’t matter how big your engine is, if your chassis is not solid, your body is never going to meet your need for speed. Take this core workout for runners right to the bank and cash it in this run season.
Warm-up Pyramid
- 1 minute each: run on the spot then jumping jacks
- 2 minutes each: run on the spot then jumping jacks
- 3 minutes each: run on the spot then jumping jacks
The Workout
1. Sit-up
Repeat X 10
- On your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hands on opposite shoulders, elbows pointing to the ceiling.
- Exhale and curve your spine up, crunching your abs until your elbows touch your knees.
- Return to the floor. Control is key.
2. Slow Push-up
- Repeat X 10
- Do the perfect push-up, just go slow.
- Three seconds lowering your chest to the floor, three seconds returning to start position.
- *The cleavage rule: If during any push-up you can see down your own cleavage or someone else’s, your head is not properly in line with your spine.
3. Sit-up Knee Lift
- Repeat X 10
- With perfect sit-up form, bend and lift your legs until your shins are parallel with the floor.
- Crunch abs until elbows touch knees. Return to the floor.
- Control the movement until you are flat on the floor.
4. Elbow Walk
- Repeat X 10
- From a high plank position, place right elbow on the floor, then left elbow; put right hand on the floor and then left hand, returning to the high plank position.
- Repeat the sequence, keep spine aligned.
- Draw an imaginary line from ankles to hips to shoulders to ears.
5. Night of the Living Dead Push-up
- Repeat X 10
- On your back, arms at sides each bent 90 degrees at the elbow.
- Exhale and push elbows hard into the floor, hinging at the hips and lifting torso as high as you can.
- Return to the floor.
6. Full Oblique Crunch
- Repeat X 10
- Start in seated crunch, hands on opposite shoulders, elbows pointing forward.
- Release and roll towards the floor, rotate so the right triceps touches the floor.
- Sit up, returning to the start position, then roll out rotating to the opposite side so the left triceps touches the floor.
7. Double Knee Lift Oblique
- Repeat X 10
- Start in seated crunch, hands on opposite shoulders, elbows pointing forward, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
- Lift both thighs towards chest until both shins are parallel with the floor.
- Twist left, then right with elbows reaching outside the opposite knees with each twist.
View video of these exercises and more on Pete’s app: http://www.thefitnessguy.me/apps/
