With the cold & wet weather well and truly setting in, it is the perfect time to take your training indoors and start to focus on correcting some of those nagging little issues that have been holding you back throughout the running season.
Taking the time to strengthen your body will pay off big time in the long run, with not only proven benefits to increasing your resilience to injury, but studies have also frequently shown improvement to running efficiency through the implementation of a structured strength training plan.
Over the next few weeks, we have teamed up with the legends at The Running Company in Albert Park to bring you a series of videos to help you dial in your strength training for the winter. We are going to run you through some great exercises you can add to your gym program to help keep you running stronger & running longer.
Glute Bridge / Hip Thrust Progressions
The Glute Bridge/Hip Thrust is a great exercise to build strength through the glutes & hamstrings encouraging a stronger hip extension in your running stride, it can also help provide extra stability for runners whose hips tend to collapse due to fatigue, or weakness through the posterior chain.
Bodyweight Glute Bridge
The focus in the first 4 weeks is to establish the movement pattern, learn to create tension and stability through your hips. Encouraging full extension at the top of the movement, a similar position to the end of your running stride.
Week 1: 3 x 8
Week 2: 3 x 10
Week 3: 3 x 12
Week 4: 3 x 15
Barbell / Dumbbell Hip Thrust
The next 4 weeks we are looking to introduce a slightly greater range of motion, as well as adding some additional load to challenge the glutes and hamstrings to further build strength.
Week 5: 3 x 10
Week 6: 3 x 10 (Increase weight x 2-5%)
Week 7: 3 x 10 (Increase weight x 2-5%)
Week 8: 3 x 10 (Increase weight x 2-5%)
Staggered Stance Barbell Hip Thrust
The final 4 weeks we are challenging the stability through your hips a little more, you will need to reduce the load from previous weeks, but we will still drive through both legs ensuring your hips stay square to the ceiling, avoiding letting one side drop lower than the other.
Week 9: 3 x 8 each side
Week 10: 3 x 8 each side (Increase weight x 2-5%)
Week 11: 3 x 6 each side (Increase weight x 2-5%)
Week 12: 3 x 6 each side (Increase weight x 2-5%)