Join Mapule Ndhlovu for this fit and fierce bums and tums workout!
Get your body moving with this #MedshieldMovement session.
________
Join Mapule Ndhlovu for this fit and fierce bums and tums workout!
Get your body moving with this #MedshieldMovement session.
________
Weight training has been shown to have so many benefits – not only for health and weight-loss, but also to improve other sports. So, if you’re a runner looking to improve performance and reduce injury, try these weight training exercises at your next gym session.
What exactly is weight training? Weight training or strength training – also sometimes called resistance training – is a form of physical exercise that involves using resistance to stimulate muscle growth, strength and endurance.
This resistance can come from various sources, including dumbbells and barbells, machines, resistance bands or even your own body weight. The primary goal of weight training is to progressively overload the muscles, challenging them to adapt and become stronger over time.
As runners know, strength and endurance both improve running performance. But which exercises specifically can help runners?
Here we provide the top exercises to support runners with both a beginner and advanced level (or how to build up over time).
1. Squats
Squats are a fundamental lower-body exercise that targets your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Stronger leg muscles can improve your running speed and endurance while reducing your risk of injury.
Beginner: 3 x 10 bodyweight squats
Advanced: 3 x 10 bodyweight squats with weights (barbells or dumbbells)
Advanced: 3 x 10 squat jumps (this makes the exercise higher in intensity)
2. Deadlifts
Deadlifts are another essential compound exercise that engages your hamstrings (primarily), glutes, lower back and core. Strengthening these muscles can enhance your running posture, stability and power output.
Beginner: Start with light weights and focus on your form.
Advanced: Add heavier weights over time, ensuring you track your progress and maintain correct form.
3. Lunges
Lunges target your quads, hamstrings and glutes, while improving balance and coordination, which can help prevent muscle imbalances common among runners.
Beginner: 3 x 10 forward lunges, reverse lunges or lateral lunges using only bodyweight (alternating each side).Advanced: Increase difficulty by holding dumbbells or incorporating walking lunges into your routine.
4. Hip Thrusts
Hip thrusts target your glutes, which play a crucial role in running mechanics, including stride length and propulsion.
Beginner: Start with bodyweight hip thrusts and focus on proper form.
Advanced: Gradually add resistance using a barbell or resistance bands to increase intensity.
5. Calf Raises
Calf raises strengthen the calf muscles, which are essential for shock absorption and preventing injuries like shin splints.
Beginner: 3 x 10 calf raises on a flat surface using only bodyweight.
Advanced: Increase intensity by performing calf raises on an elevated surface or adding weights for resistance.
6. Planks
Planks engage the entire core, including your abs, obliques and lower back, supporting proper running form and stability.
Beginner: Hold a plank position for 30 seconds, focusing on maintaining a neutral spine and engaging your core muscles. Repeat 3 times with rests in between.
Advanced: Increase duration – work towards 3 x 60-second planks – or incorporate variations such as side planks or plank leg lifts for added challenge.
7. Single-Leg Exercises
Single-leg exercises like single-leg squats and Bulgarian split squats improve balance, stability, and proprioception, addressing potential weaknesses or imbalances between the left and right sides of the body.
Beginner: Focus on mastering proper form and balance with bodyweight exercises. Start with 5 x single leg squats on each side and do 3 sets. Build this up to 10 on each side.
Advanced: Increase difficulty by adding weights or performing exercises on unstable surfaces like a Bosu ball.
If you are recovering from an injury or are unsure about how to perform any of the above exercises correctly, we recommend speaking to your medical professional and to reach out to a coach or professional trainer to help you get your form right in the beginning. Watching videos and using a mirror can also help you to check your form.
Sometimes all we have is 15 minutes! And this workout will target your whole body in those 15 minutes. No equipment needed.
Squeeze this 15-minute workout into your holiday routine each day before you jump in the shower and you’ll keep your fitness levels up this holiday. Plus, we all need a little time for ourselves. Make a deal with your family that this is a daily non-negotiable for you.
Because this is such a short workout, it incorporates very few rest breaks. Instead, try to recover from the high-intensity workouts with the low-intensity workouts. If needed, take a 30 second rest after each section.
15-Minute Summer Lawn Workout
3-Minute Warm-Up:
60-Seconds x Alternating Side Reach
60-Seconds x Alternating Lateral Lunge with Reach
60-Seconds x Star Jumps
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10-Minute Push:
45-Seconds x Plank
60-Seconds x Alternating Backwards Lunges
60-Seconds x Bear Crawl
60-Seconds x Air Squats
45-Seconds x Plank
60-Seconds x Alternating Forwards Lunges
*Optional 30-second to 1-minute rest*
60-Seconds x Bridge Dips
45-Seconds Plank
30-Seconds Fire Hydrant Left Side
30-Seconds Fire Hydrant Right Side
60-seconds Triceps Dips (using a chair or bench)
45-Seconds Plank
2-Minute Cool-Down:
60-Seconds Downward Facing Dog
60-Seconds Cat-Cow Stretches
Bored of basic sit-ups? Want to add more core workouts to your exercise routines? Here are 10 epic ab workout moves to strengthen your core and tone your muscles.
Remember to perform these exercises with proper form and gradually increase the intensity as you progress. Include a variety of these exercises in your routine to work different parts of your core and to prevent “plateauing” (which is when you stop seeing results).
While these exercises will certainly strengthen your core region, getting visibly toned abdominal muscles – aka: a six-pack – requires following a healthy diet and achieving a lower overall body-fat percentage. Consult your medical doctor before starting a new exercise routine and a trainer professional for advice and a tailor-made programme.
10 Amazing Ab Workouts
1. Crunches:
How: Lie on your back with your knees bent and hands behind your head. Lift your upper body off the ground, engaging your core muscles and then lower it back down.
The Workout: Do as many as you can with good form in one minute. Take a 30-second rest and repeat for another minute. Build this up gradually over time.
2. Planks:
How: Start in a push-up position with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core. Hold this position for as long as you can, aiming to increase your time with each workout.
The Workout: Start with 20-30 second holds (depending on your fitness level) and aim to build up gradually to a minute. Rather than holding longer than that each time, repeat multiples of 1-minute holds with short rests in between.
3. Side Planks:
How: Lie on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder. Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from head to feet. Hold and then release back down.
The Workout: Hold the side plank position for 3 to 5 seconds and then release back down. Repeat this 10 times and then change sides. This is one set. Over time build up your sets from 3 to 5, taking short rests in between.
4. Leg Raises:
How: Lie on your back with your legs straight. Lift your legs off the ground, keeping them straight and then lower them back down without letting them touch the floor.
The Workout: Repeat this move as many times as you can with good form in one minute. Take a 30 second rest and then repeat. Gradually build the duration of your set and number of sets over time (with rests in between).
5. Russian Twists:
How: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet off the ground. Hold a weight or medicine ball and twist your torso to touch the weight to the floor on each side.
The Workout: Repeat this move as many times as you can with good form in one minute. Take a 30 second rest and then repeat. Gradually build the duration of your set and number of sets over time (with rests in between).
6. Bicycle Crunches:
How: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head. Bring one knee toward your chest while simultaneously twisting your torso to bring your opposite elbow toward that knee. Alternate sides in a pedaling motion.
The Workout: Begin with 10 on each side, working with good form, and then take a short rest. Repeat this set three times. Gradually build the duration of your set (up to 50 per side) and number of sets over time (with rests in between).
7. Mountain Climbers:
How: Start in a push-up position. Bring one knee toward your chest, then switch legs in a running motion while keeping your core engaged.
The Workout: Begin with 10 on each side, working with good form, and then take a short rest. Repeat this set three times. Gradually build the duration of your set (up to 30 per side) and number of sets over time (with rests in between).
8. Flutter Kicks:
How: Lie on your back with your hands under your glutes. Lift your legs slightly off the ground and alternate kicking them up and down, engaging your lower abs.
The Workout: Repeat this move as many times as you can with good form in one minute. Take a 30 second rest and then repeat. Gradually build the duration of your set and number of sets over time (with rests in between).
9. Reverse Crunches:
How: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet off the ground. Bring your knees toward your chest, lifting your hips off the ground and then lower them back down.
The Workout: Repeat this move as many times as you can with good form in one minute. Take a 30 second rest and then repeat. Gradually build the duration of your set and number of sets over time (with rests in between).
How: Lie on your back with your arms out to the sides for support. Lift your legs straight up in the air. Lower your legs to one side as far as you can without letting them touch the ground. Lift your legs back up and lower them to the other side.
The Workout: Repeat this move as many times as you can with good form in one minute. Take a 30 second rest and then repeat. Gradually build the duration of your set and number of sets over time (with rests in between).
How to incorporate these workouts into your daily life?
Add one to three of these core workouts into your weekly strength training sessions and mix them up over time. Some may feel easier than others. Track your progress by logging how many you do in the beginning and what you can do after three months of consistent exercise.
Visit our “ClickFit” page, exclusively for Medshield Members, to get a variety of exercise routines and a healthy eating plan today.