If you’ve been following these workouts for the last three weeks, you’ll be now appreciate that running isn’t just about your legs. Your core, for example, is crucial. By preventing excessive rotation of your torso, you’re able to be more economical with your movement, maintain form for longer and convert energy to power more efficiently. So your ability to control rotational forces is a must – here we’ll strengthen the core with rotational exercises that mimics running movements on the road or track and finish off with some old school crunches for abs.
Perform the below exercises through with little to no break, enjoy 1-2 mins for water, then repeat twice more for 24 minutes core workout.
ROTATIONAL PLANK
Get on your forearms and the balls of your feet, trying to keep your body in straight alignment. Rotate your right hand and arm towards the ceiling, allowing your shoulders to turn, before returning to the start. Now go with your left hand and arm. Repeat for 60 seconds.
ABDOMINAL CROSSES
Stay in your plank position, but rather than rest on your forearms, come up onto your hands and toes as if about to perform a push up. Make sure your hands, elbows and shoulders are aligned, then slowly bring your right knee in to your chest and across towards your left elbow. Return to the start then repeat with your left knee. Repeat for 60 seconds.
WOOD CHOPPER to RAINBOW CHOPPERS
Holding a medicine ball, dumbbell, bag of flour, anything, above your head, slowly lunge forward with your right foot, your left knee almost grazing the floor. Once holding a lunge, “chop” your ball/weight diagonally down so it finishes outside your right knee (arms stay straight throughout.) Push off your right foot to return to standing, pulling the ball back over your head as you go. Repeat for 60 seconds.
After the 60 seconds, hold forward in your lunge position with the ball outside your right knee. Keeping your arms straight, pull the ball up to the right and then over your head and down to the left, as if drawing a rainbow, finishing with the ball on the inside of your right knee. Continue to move the ball from outside to inside and back for another 60 seconds. Now repeat the two exercises with a left leg forward lunge.
BASIC CRUNCH
Lie on your back, hands behind your ears as though you have glue on your fingertips (not behind head). Raise your knees towards the ceiling, knees bent so someone could theoretically sit on your shins. Inhale and exhale, tightening your abs as you do so. Having contracted your abs, slowly crunch up, lifting your upper back off the floor so your elbows come towards your knees. Return to start and repeat for 60 seconds.
BICYCLE CRUNCHES
Still lying on your back, hands cradled behind ears, legs extended and raised off the ground a few inches. Twist right elbow towards left knee, extend the right leg, then switch, left elbow to right knee. Keep shoulders off the ground as long as possible. Repeat for 60 seconds.
Sandy Macaskill is an instructor and co-owner of Barry’s Bootcamp in the UK
