By Mike Carville, NASM/RKC
Due to the repetitive demands of running and cycling, endurance athletes often experience muscle imbalances and joint pain. This can lead to “overuse” injuries as the body’s stabilization system is unable to maintain optimal joint alignment.
Weak core muscles and poor joint alignment “leak power” leading to suboptimal movement patterns and reduced performance. The 3 exercises below will strengthen your body from core to sleeve (core to arms/legs) forming an integrated and functional movement system to improve your performance and durability.
Add these 3 exercises to your current workout or use them as a standalone circuit of 3-4 rounds to prepare for your time on the road or trails. Rest 2 minutes between rounds.
South Yuba Club provides training plans for a variety of sports and activities on our website that you can download and use at the gym.
KETTLEBELL DEADLIFT
The drill strengthens the posterior chain muscles of the hamstring/glutes/hips/low back in one efficient movement to balance out the quad dominant movement of running and cycling. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps.
Description
Kettlebell positioned between feet. Push hips back while keeping spine in a braced neutral position. Once hamstrings (back of leg) begin to tighten, descend to kettlebell. Hips should bend more than knees. Firmly grab the kettlebell to keep the core engaged and imagine pushing the ground away while extending hips, finishing in a standing position. Spine stays neutral – not arched. Descend by pushing hips back before bending knees, to return kettlebell to ground.
REVERSE LUNGE TO SL PRESS
Integrated full body drill designed to strengthen the legs and hips while the core stabilizes against anterior pelvic tilt. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps.
Description
Facing away from the band anchor, walk forward with arms bent to load the band. Step back in a reverse lunge. Then come up to a single leg stance w/ chest press = 1 rep. Repeat on the opposite side for alternating reps.
DB RENEGADE ROW
This drill creates rotational strength though the core connecting the lower and upper body. In addition, the row strengthens the middle back to improve posture and breathing mechanics. Perform 3 sets of 6 reps.
Description
Start in a push-up position with a heavy dumbbell in each hand and feet 18’-24” apart for stability. With core engaged, complete one push up and then one row on each arm = 1 rep. Keep shoulders and hips square (anti-rotation) and pull the dumbbell toward the bottom of ribs as opposed to shoulder. The drill can be done in the full push-up position (on toes) or half position on knees to make it easier. If push-up is too hard then just complete the row portion of the exercise.
Click here to download our complete Strength Program for Runners & Cyclists.
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