Category: Fitness

This summer, before marathon training took over all my workouts, I was {trying to} strength train regularly. It got to the point where I was consistently lifting at least 2 times every week. I know this may not seem like much at all to people who train with weights as their main form of working out, but it was a huge improvement for this runner. And after just a few months, I realized that doing some sort of core strengthening workout 2 – 3 times a week was enough to make a difference – a difference visible enough to keep me motivated.

….for a little while, at least. Sometime before Hood to Coast, I sort of lost my thunder. When it’s so much simpler (and preferable!) to just go out for a run, it’s easy to start skipping the weights more and more frequently. As marathon training continued, it only got worse. By the time I ran MCM, strength training had become a distant memory yet again.

I’ve never been great about sticking to my routine during the entire marathon training cycle. The increased mileage and need for my legs to be fresh for workouts make it easy to give it up a few months in. But since I’m now technically in the off season, I no longer have any excuse not to strength train several times per week (the fact that I don’t really love doing it doesn’t count).

Since my mileage has now gone way (way) down, I’ve been dragging my butt to the gym several times per week to focus on cross training and strengthening my core. I know that continuing to focus on building up other muscles (and not just my quads that appear to do all the work when I’m runing) will make me a better runner in the end. But since I’ve already admitted that the vanity reasons are more motivating than the running improvement reasons, I can also say that I figured December –  a month typically filled with too many cookies and cocktails – is the perfect time to focus on toning up instead of filling out.

Plus – after a year of training, I was in major need of a new non-running related challenge to keep me motivated.

So with that in mind, I have instituted the December “HOTR Abs*” Challenge. So far I am the only participant and the prizes are nonexistent, but I figure if I formally challenge myself, I’m more likely to stick with it. Right??

*yes, that play on words was intended. And no, I don’t  really think that highly of myself.

HOTR Abs Challenge

To stay motivated to lift regularly this month, and get into the habit now so that I can sustain it during marathon training, I am challenging myself to 2 – 3 days of strength training/core workouts per week. What follows is my routine.

[But before I proceed - please remember that I am not a personal trainer. Just a runner whose naturally curvy body needs regular strength training to keep it {somewhat} reigned in.]

The workout below is the one that I have found works best for me. I’ve tried other routines, but have always come back to this because:

1. I can get it done quickly (30 minutes or less is all the time I want to devote to strength training)
2. The quick movements get my heart rate up while I’m lifting, so I feel like I’m getting more of a workout
3. Results are fast. And I mean fast. I’ve only been back into lifting for a few weeks and can already notice a difference. I haven’t yet found another routine that seems to do the job so well.

1.) The Core

Yes, I’ve been touting the benefits of this workout since I started the blog. I have a love/hate relationship with it, but I can’t deny that it works. So at least two days per week before running or doing any sort of cardio, I’m going to do “The Core” with a couple of modifications (yeah I know those pictures of me in my parents’ basement aren’t the best. But hopefully you get the idea).

1. I no longer do the stiff-legged deadlifts. I have issues with my lower back and found that this exercise was only exasperating them.
2. I use lighter weights for the initial “pre-core” warm up exercises and focus on keeping my arms straight for each one. This works out my back and shoulders much better.
3. I do one armed dumbbell swings on each side after the HOTR-Dad dubbed “Here Comes the Bride” move (which is really just a dumbell swing with two hands). Apparently you can also do these with kettle bells, but since I’m not trained on them I stick to the old school hand weights.

(Source)

2.) Super-Powered Ab Moves

The Core is good because it focuses on movements that work multiple muscles at once (legs, arms, shoulders, core) but I also like to do a couple of exercises that focus just on my abdominal muscles. So at least two days per week, after The Core, I’m going to add on these two additional moves:

a.) Standing side bend (with dumbbells). Similar to the exercise described here, but I do it with one weight and just focus on one side at a time.

(Source)

 b.) Dumbbell Pullovers. This one never fails to leave my abs screaming. I do them lying sideways on the bench, as demonstrated here. To make it a little easier, you can also lie lengthwise on the bench, letting your head hang off.

Disclaimer: My abs do not look like this

(Source)

Some people have asked why I lift before I run. Although lifting first makes running more difficult, I find it’s really the only way to make sure I do it. If I go through The Core first, I look at it as my primary workout instead of something that I’m just trying to squeeze in after a run. That way if I’m tired and need to cut back on something, it’s the cardio that gets cut, not the weights.

3.) Pilates or Yoga

One day a week, my goal is to get in some sort of cross training that focuses on building strength through increasing flexibilitiy and lengthening my muscles. I’m pretty tight normally, so when I throw weight training into the mix it gets even worse. I know once per week isn’t a lot of time spent doing these activities, but it’s better than nothing. Plus, I’m hoping that if I make it a habit now, I’ll actually stick with it during marathon training this winter. But we’ll see…

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My sucess with this super official challenge is only going to be determined by how well I stick with it. I haven’t taken any sort of pre-measurements to track my progress. I suppose that would’ve been interesting to know, but for now, we’re just going to go with how my clothes fit. And as long as my decreased running and increased cookie intake doesn’t lead to holiday weight gain, I think we can dub the HOTR Abs challenge as a success.