Just because a runner uses his legs during all training sessions does not mean he should not train them. What’s more, training them will be the best way to improve your marks. This can be done in the gym or from your own home. This last type of training is the one I will discuss next.
The comfort and security that our own home gives us is unmatched, and many times it makes it an ideal place for certain types of workouts for those days that, although some are due to lack of time, fatigue and laziness mean that we do not Let’s go to the gym or don’t go for a run.
It is very easy to train at home, as well as cheap. Even so, it is always advisable to have a bench and a set of dumbbells to give more variety to our exercises at home, increasing our performance.
Why runners should train
There are already enough people who have told me that they do not go to the gym “so as not to get too big and lose agility.” Basketball and soccer players, runners, tennis players and even some paddle tennis player. As always happens in these cases, it is a problem of misinformation and forgetting the basics: ” The training of a runner in the gym is not the same as that of a bodybuilder “. What’s more, thinking that by training with weights you are going to get like this is absurd, your training is not the same.
The job of a runner at the gym or at home is physical conditioning, not bodybuilding. Your goals are to increase the strength of your core and the strength of your legs, so that they are prepared for greater efforts. How do you think to have a longer stride or more leg power without training specifically for it?
You will increase your performance , decrease the risk of injury and even improve your ability to recover from other training sessions.
If one day you have discomfort after a very hard running workout, it is an excellent idea to train from home or in the gym to improve your physical condition.
What do you need to train at home?
As I said before, it is advisable to have a set of dumbbells and a stable bench. A stable chair can give us play while we do not have a bench but it is important that it is not padded, this would be harmful to your ankles.
If you have a pull-up bar or parallel bars for dips, even if they don’t directly increase your running performance, they will always improve your overall fitness. Even so, they are expendable in this case.
Routine to improve your marks from home
- Calf raises . Stand on the edge of a step, leaving your heels in the air. Push yourself up, standing on your toes and then lower your heel back down. Strong calves will improve your running endurance, increasing the effectiveness of your steps.
You can complicate this exercise by performing it on one foot at a time or by gripping your dumbbells with your hands. - Squats Great for the whole leg and your core. Always keep your back straight during the execution of the exercise and your knees always pointing towards the tips as shown in the photo. When you go up, finish by doing toe to do work with the twins as well.
You can complicate this exercise by performing it on one leg or by gripping your dumbbells with your hands.
- Thrust for hamstrings. A difficult exercise to explain, really. To avoid confusion of terms and difficulties for the execution, I add a video where the exercise is carried out. A picture is worth a thousand words, therefore a video.
- Step-ups. I also add a video with the technique. It is truly amazing how effective this exercise can be for runners. It simulates the running animation so the muscles exercised are exactly the same, adding difficulty to improve performance. You can load the dumbbells in your hands to complicate this exercise.
- I work for the “Nucleus” or Core . Explained in the following article: The “Core” for runners.
Sets and reps
As you have seen, I do not subscribe any type of amount of series and repetitions . Why? This is a physical conditioning exercise, if you do it on a day when you still have discomfort from running, the training volume will be reduced. On the contrary, if you do it on a weekend because you don’t feel like going out, you can increase the number of repetitions and series without any problem.
Do a job that involves an effort, but do not kill yourself or leave your soul in it, those forces and spirit reserve them for your career days, even if they are bad.
With this simple routine done at home you can improve your marks and your physical condition . You will feel much better and you will tire less. And best of all, it can be done at home .
