endurance athletes workouts

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Presses and dips
To complete squat & dumbbell presses, do the body-weight squats (as described above), but hold dumbbells in your hands - directly in front of your shoulders. Your hands should be turned inward, so that the palm sides of your hands are facing each other (the grip on each dumbbell will make a straight line directly forward from your shoulder). Once you've returned to the standing position from the squat, 'press' the dumbbells directly overhead, straightening your arms in the process. After you return the dumbbells to shoulder position, you have completed one rep.

Feet-elevated press-ups are normal press-ups, except that your feet are elevated (on a bench, chair, or wall). To perform bench dips, seat yourself on a bench or chair, with your hands at your sides. Your hands should be gripping the front edge of the bench or seat. While keeping your hands in the same position, slide forward off the chair and put your feet as far forward as possible, so that all your body weight is supported only by your hands and the heels of your extended feet. Then, simply lower your bum to the floor (or almost to the floor), and bring yourself back up again to complete one rep.

To do low-back extensions, lie on your stomach, with your arms by your sides and your hands extended toward your feet, with palms touching the floor. Contract the muscles at the back of your neck, so that you are gazing forward and upward. That's the basic starting position! A rep is simply a contraction of your low-back muscles, lifting your trunk well off the ground, followed by a slow easing of your torso back to the floor.

Of course, lunges are just exaggerated steps. You start with erect posture and feet under your shoulders and simply step forward with one foot. After this forward foot makes contact with the ground, you go into a squatting position, so that the thigh of the forward foot becomes almost parallel with the ground (it's okay to let your upper body incline forward slightly as you do so). Return to the starting position (feet back under shoulders, erect posture), and you've completed one rep with one leg.

Moving up
The way to progress with this circuit workout is to gradually increase the number of reps of the exercises, expand the number of circuits, and/or augment the distance of the running, cycling, or swimming intervals within the circuits. For example, I often have runners I am coaching start with two circuits with 400-metre intervals (they do two such workouts spaced a few days apart), move up to two workouts with 600-metre intervals, two with 800-metre reps, two with 1200s, and then two with one-mile intervals (all of these workouts contain two circuits, except for the one-mile interval session, which contains just one circuit). They then double back, and use the 400s and 600s in workouts which contain three circuits. All of this occurs over about a six-week period which is designed to increase general strength (while simultaneously advancing lactate threshold and VO2max). During this time frame, the number of reps of the various exercises increases by about 5 to 10 percent from week to week. Following the six weeks, a week of lighter training is carried out before moving on to a different type of strength work.

These circuit workouts are great for the beginning of the training year, when endurance athletes are attempting to improve general strength. They can also be used as 'tests' throughout the training cycle. If you struggle with the exercises, then you know your strength needs shoring up; if you have trouble with the running (or cycling or swimming) segments, then you know that your running (cycling or swimming) fitness is sub-par. The circuits also work particularly well during tapering periods prior to races, because they tend to 'put a cap' on both running capacity and overall strength. They are particularly effective before a marathon, because they give marathon runners confidence that they can run well in the face of fatigue.

Okay, now try this one
Once your fitness and strength have increased so much that the above circuit sessions are no longer challenging, you can then move on to a more challenging circuit workout, as follows (it is written for runners but can be adapted easily for swimming and cycling)

Warm up with two miles of easy running, and then perform the following exercises in order. Move quickly from exercise to exercise, but don't perform the exercises themselves overly quickly (don't sacrifice good form just to get them done in a hurry). The idea is to do each exercise methodically and efficiently - and then almost immediately start on the next one.

1. Run 400 metres at 5-K race pace
2. Complete 8 high-bench step-ups with jumps
3. Do 6 plyometric press-ups
4. Perform 3 series of the 6-way lunge with arm drop
5. Complete 8 + 8 reps of the hanging scissors plus double-knee raise
6. Do 12 one-leg squats with hops
7. Perform 8 prone trunk extensions with arm raises
8. Run 400 metres at 5-K race pace
9. Repeat steps 2-8 once more (for two circuits in all), and then cool down with 2 miles of easy ambling.

How to do them
Here are the explanations of the exercises: To complete the high-bench step-ups with jumps, begin from a standing position on top of a bench which is approximately knee high, with your body weight on your left foot and your weight shifted toward the left heel. The right foot should be free and held slightly behind the body. Lower your body in a controlled manner until the heel of the right foot touches the ground, but support all of your weight on your left foot. Return to (and through) the starting position by driving down with the left heel and straightening your left leg as quickly as possible, so that you actually jump vertically and leave the surface of the bench. Upon landing from the jump (hopefully in the same spot from which you took off), lower your body again in a controlled manner until your right foot touches the ground. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions, and then switch over to the right leg. Maintain absolutely upright body posture with your trunk throughout the entire movement, with your hands held at your sides (with or without dumbbells). Please note that the bench used for this exercise must be very sturdy, with no wobble or instability. Failure to perform this exercise on a stable surface could result in disaster!

The high-bench step up with jump helps to develop muscular power, primarily in the hips, quadriceps, and hamstrings. These muscles are largely responsible for the propulsive force needed for running fast - particularly on hilly terrain. To carry out the plyometric (aka 'clapping') press-ups, assume the standard press-up position on the floor. Your upper body should be supported with your hands on the floor - shoulder-width apart. Your arms are fully extended, and your legs and feet are supported by your toes, which are hip-width apart. To begin the exercise, lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows while keeping your trunk and hips extended and 'rigid.' When your chest is one to two inches from the floor, rapidly straighten your arms and push your body upward as fast as possible. As your arms reach full extension, release your hand contact with the floor and clap your hands together very quickly, before returning your hands to the floor in the same position that they were in before the clap. Repeat this action (lowering, rapid extension, clap, land on hands) for the prescribed number of repetitions.

The plyometric push-up helps to develop upper-body power as well as stabilizing strength in the core muscles (abs, obliques, and low-backs). These muscles work together to stabilize the upper body during running, improving running economy.

Lunges
To do the 6-way lunges with arm drops, stand with your feet parallel and hip-width apart. Your arms should be bent at the elbows with your hands in front of your shoulders. Step forward with your right foot into a long-lunge position and lean your upper body forward approximately 45 degrees at the waist. Drop your hands on either side of your right knee as your right foot makes contact with the ground. Quickly extend your right knee and return your body to the original, full-standing position. Repeat with your left leg.

From the full standing position, step directly to your right with your right foot into a lateral-lunge position. Your upper body should face to the right and lean forward over your right leg at approximately a 45-degree angle. Again, drop your hands on either side of your right knee as your right foot makes contact with the ground. Your left foot should remain pointing straight ahead. Quickly extend your right knee and return your body to the original, full-standing position. Repeat with your left leg moving to the left.

Then, from the original standing position, step diagonally and to the rear with your right leg into a backward-lateral lunge position. Your upper body should face to the right-rear (about '4-o'clock') position, and it should lean forward over your right leg at about 45 degrees. Again, drop your hands on either side of your right knee as your right foot makes contact with the ground. Your left foot should remain pointing straight ahead. Quickly extend your right knee and return your body to the original position. Repeat with your left leg, moving it to the left-rear ('8-o'clock') position.

Repeat the entire series of movements (forward right leg, forward left leg, right-side right leg, left-side left leg, back-and-right right leg, back-and-left left leg) the prescribed number of times. The 6-way lunge stretches and strengthens the hamstring muscles in all three key planes of motion (sagittal, frontal, and transverse). Strong and flexible hamstrings stabilize the knee during running and help provide the propulsive force required for powerful strides.

Scissors and raises
To carry out the hanging scissors + double-knee raises, begin by hanging from a bar or overhead support. The height of the bar should allow you to hang with your body fully extended, without your feet touching the ground. Raise your right knee vertically (with the knee bent as in a running stride) as high as you can while simultaneously pushing your left foot and leg behind you (with the left leg almost completely straight). Next, quickly reverse your legs so that your left knee swings forward and upward (with the knee bent as in a running stride) and your right foot and leg move downward and backward behind you (with the right leg nearly straight). Repeat this 'scissor' action for the prescribed number of repetitions before moving onto the second part of the exercise - the double-knee raise:

To perform the double-knee raises, return to a straight, hanging position. Simultaneously raise both legs up as high as you can towards your chest - with both knees bent. Then, lower both legs together slowly to the starting position, before repeating the raising and lowering action for the prescribed number of repetitions. The hanging scissors and double-knee raises strengthen the hip-flexor, abdominal, and oblique muscles. These muscles function together to stabilize the trunk during running.

Squats
To do the one-leg squats with hops, stand with your left foot forward and your right foot back, with your feet about one shin-length apart (your feet should be hip-width apart from side to side). Place the toes of your right foot on a step or block which is about six to eight inches high. Most of your body weight should be directed through the heel of your left, forward foot. Bend your left leg and lower your body until the left knee reaches an angle of about 90 degrees between the thigh and lower part of the leg. Hop upward with your left foot while maintaining contact with the step or block with your right foot. Upon landing, immediately descend into another squat and again hop upward while maintaining contact with the step or block with your right foot. Be sure to maintain upright posture with your upper body and hold your hands at your sides throughout the squatting and hopping movement. Complete the prescribed total number of hops with your left leg before switching to the right. Note: make certain you perform these one-leg hops only on an aerobics floor, wooden gym floor, grass surface, soft dirt, rubberized track, or any other resilient surface which offers some 'give'. Hopping repeatedly on concrete or asphalt may increase your risk of overuse injuries to the lower part of your leg. The one-leg squats with hops develop both coordination and muscular power, particularly in the muscles of the shin, calf, and foot. These are the muscles that undergo significant strain during fast-paced running.

Extensions
To complete the prone trunk extensions with overhead arm raises, begin by lying face down on the floor with your legs straight and your arms extended straight forward (they would be 'overhead' if you were standing up). Slowly raise your chest, shoulders, and arms up toward the ceiling as high as you can, keeping your toes in contact with the floor at all times. Then, slowly lower your chest, shoulders, and arms down to the floor, but do not rest on the floor - maintain some muscle tension throughout your back for the entire exercise. Slowly repeat this up-and-down action for the prescribed number of repetitions. The prone trunk extensions strengthen the muscles of the upper and lower back. These muscles coordinate with the abdominals and obliques to stabilize the trunk during all running activities.

If you plan your training on a yearly cycle, a great time for this advanced circuit workout would be mid-year, after you have already completed 'blocks' of general, special, and specific strength training (general strength includes whole-body exercises similar to those in the basic circuit; special strengthening focuses on exertions which mimic the biomechanics of running, cycling, or swimming; specific training incorporates hill work and running or cycling with a weighted vest for runners or cyclists; it involves swimming against resistance for swimmers). It is also a great general-strengthening routine for those who have mastered - or need a break from - the basic circuit workout. As was the case with the basic session, the advanced circuit efforts can be made more difficult over time by increasing the reps of the exercises, the lengths of the running, cycling, or swimming intervals, and the number of circuits per workout.

Owen Anderson

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