You love it or you hate it.
BASE BUILDING SEASON!
*air horns for emphasis*
Personally, I like it.
Yes, racing is fun and exciting!
But base building is where the unsexy work is done.
Where champions are made.
Dramatic? Yes. True? Also, yes.
Instead of conveniently side-stepping your base building time, right now, let me ask you this:
Do you struggle with weak hips or weak glutes?
Do tight hips tend to hold you back when you're in-season?
Do you feel that your non-stellar glutes keep you from going harder during training, either with pushing the pace or increasing mileage?
If any of those are your sticking point, then lets make your base building time MEAN something.
Let's do something productive with it.
Because now is the opportunity to experiment risk free.
Let me give you a 4 exercise circuit that will help warm up and activate your glutes and hip muscles and then proceed to strengthen them.
Because I know how confusing it can be to try to put something together yourself.
Let's take care of that and hop in.
HOW TO BUILD STRONG HIPS for RUNNERS IN BASE BUILDING
Circuit:
3-4 sets each // LIGHT & medium weights
Single Leg Runner's Stance Knee Push into Wall (runner arms optional)
1x to fatigue ea side
Elongated Runner's Lunge Halo
x3-6 CW/ 3-6 CCW reps X medium-heavy weight
Single Leg Hip Thrust
8 Reps X heavy weight
Backwards Lunges
12 Reps ea leg X heavy weight
STRONGER HIPS for RUNNING DURING BASE BUILDING
Single Leg Runner's Stance Knee Push into WallÂ
This is one of my new favorites and here's why....
THE SECRET: I LOVE to use this exercise when my ankles are cranky. (you read that right.) Our ankles and glutes have a unique connection: when one isn't stable, neither is the other. Example: the front of my left was positively cranky and painful. But I was able to use this exercise to heal it up in the matter of a week.
Can you see how this exercise looks like running? The fun part is that the further back you place your knee, the more different glutes muscles you engage. and you can FEEL IT!
This exercise also helps you know when hip is weaker. A humbling, but good thing. Confused about how this exercise works? It's all in my youtube video :)
Elongated Runner's Lunge Halo
This exercise is nothing new for the OG runners around here...but it's my other favorite.
PRO TIP: yes, this exercise involves your upper body and your core. But here's the trick: keep 90% of your body weight on the front leg. AT ALL TIMES.
as you get tired, your body will cheat and put more than 10% body weight on the back leg. But I promise you, if you keep your body weight shifted forward, you will feel your quad, hamstring, and glute get spicy.
I've had many patients tell me that the next day their butt was sore and they couldn't figure out why. Until they remembered this exercise. It's a slow burn, but it'll get you because as the weight circles your head, your glute acts as an anchor. It has to keep your body upright as your center of mass changes (in both a clockwise and counter clockwise position). This is another great glute-activator and stabilizer.
Single Leg Hip Thrust
It's time you up grade from bridges (glute lifts, butt lifts, whatever you call them)
THE KEY: no, bridges aren't bad. You can even do this single leg hip thrust with just body weight if you need to!
But to build genuinely strong hips that hold up to your toughest running workout, you've got add weight.
I like this particular exercise because it puts you in a single position that looks like you're running stride. And then, it targets not only your glutes, but you're entire hip, making it stronger and more stable.
The best part: you'll find out real fast if you have a stronger side...and a weaker one ;)
Backwards Lunges
Hmmhmm, don't skip these.
MY SECRET: I hate lunges. So I find a way to keep them interesting. Because if I could find another other exercises to make my hips and legs stronger for running without lunging, I would. But dang it, these look like running. And they do the job.
WHY BACKWARDS? a couple reasons. As adults, we forget how to move backwards. This becomes a problem later in life as we age. So by building strength now, in a way that looks like running, pre-programs your brain and body to be stable moving in a backwards direction, you're actually keeping yourself healthy to run well into your 80's without a fear of falling. Because falls suck and can end running careers. So let's not.
Another reason? Lunge backwards asks more stability out of your hip girdle because you can't rely on your eyes (moving forward). We also place more stretch on your glutes, therefore putting more load and tension on those muscles fibers. Ta-da! Stronger hips :)
WRAPPING UP
Can I tell you one of the biggest running mistakes I made when I first started running?
I was terrified that weight lifting would make me too slow and more importantly...
too tired
to finish my running workouts strong during cross country season.
I could only imagine slogging up a mile-hill repeat with dead legs after squatting a billion pounds.
But the exact opposite happened.
Sure, there were some cross country practices where my legs were more tired. But that's par for the course when you're running 50-55 miles weeks.
So I couldn't say I was more sore than usual.
No, instead I found I had better endurance.
I wasn't the fastest person on the team, but that year, I could eat hills for breakfast.
Building strong hips during my season (and off season) made me unstoppable.
Hills felt more effortless.
Speed work was still hard, but I could find that next gear.
And I didn't get bulky or slow ;)
So the next time you're tempted to believe the lies, don't.
Dare to Train Differently now.
Lift heavy.
Get strong like a runner.
And have your best season yet.
If you want even more hip strengthening exercises made for runners, I've got you covered. Check out my 2 Week STRONGER RUNNER Challenge.
2 Weeks of strength exercises done and ready for you that can be done at home or in the gym in 20 minutes
Start your challenge HERE!
Dare to Train Differently,
Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit
Brilliant!