Our hectic work schedules, weather extremes, a long season of racing, or even boredom with your training routine can throw off your nutrition and fitness. Any of the above factors can leave our bodies a little worn down and not feeling quite as strong as normal. Don’t cave into your excuses! Instead, stick to your goals with this 30 Strength Challenge for Runners. The best part; you don’t need to be super-fit or belong to a gym to commit to this challenge.
I know as runners that finding time to run seems to always be the easy part of our schedules. It’s the strength and cross-training work that far too often gets neglected or found to be too difficult to fit into our running routines. Rather than spend hours each week in the gym, this 30 Day Strength Challenge features a total of 9 strength exercises split up into small groups, incorporating a few of them each day. This structure will require you to spend just 10 to 20 minutes each day dedicated to full body strength building. With such a short time commitment, you will find it easy to add these exercises in after your run or at almost any point throughout your daily routine.
The overall goal of this 30 Day Strength Challenge for Runners is to build motivation and consistency during your off-season. Forming this new habit will help you to more easily handle higher running mileage and help prevent common injuries.
The 9 strength exercises are illustrated and described below. Each exercise focuses on often neglected and injury prone areas of the body for running. All the strength training moves can be done at home, on the road, or anywhere you see fit, with no additional equipment. As the challenge progresses, the exercises remain the same, but the total number of repetitions increase. If the repetitions get to be to high that you cannot complete them all in one set, that is okay! Feel free to break the total number of repetitions up into 2 to 4 sets. Stay focused on the daily routine and become a stronger runner!
Checkout the 9 Strength Exercise Videos Below!
Then, when you are ready Download the Challenge and get started on a new routine.
Iron Chair
- Begin by standing with your feet about shoulder width apart and pointed slightly outwards.
- Squeeze your glutes and abs, squatting down while raising both of your arms out in front of you until they are parallel to the floor.
- Continue squatting until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as close as you can get to parallel.
- Maintain this position for the duration of your set.
Muscles Involved
Deltoids, Glutes, Quadriceps
Push-Ups
- Begin by lying flat on the floor, stomach down, with your knees extended, and hands positioned wider than shoulder width and at the level of the middle of your chest.
- Squeezing your abs and glutes while maintaining a flat back, begin to push through the palms of your hands until your arms are fully extended. Do not allow your legs to bend or hips to drop down.
- Bend your arms, lowering your body until your chest is about 1 inch from the ground.
- Without your chest touching the ground and still maintaining tension in your glutes and abs, complete subsequent reps starting from step 2.
Muscles Involved
Deltoids, Pectorals, Triceps Brachii
Plank
- Begin by lying flat on the floor, stomach down, with your knees fully extended.
- Bend your arms and position your elbows directly beneath your shoulders, supporting yourself with your forearms.
- Raise yourself up until your only points of contact with the ground are your toes, elbows, forearms, and hands.
- Maintaining a flat back, squeeze your abs and glutes as tightly as possible.
- Remain in this position for the duration of your set.
Muscles Involved
Abdominals, Glutes, Spinal Erectors
Forward Lunges
- Begin with your feet shoulder width apart and hands resting on your hips.
- Pick one leg up off the ground and bring it directly in front of you as far as you comfortably can.
- While bringing your leg forward, bend at the knee with both legs to lower your torso.
- Pushing through your forward leg, return to a standing position with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Complete subsequent reps starting from step 2, alternating legs.
Muscles Involved
Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Squats
- Begin by standing upright with feet positioned wider than shoulder width apart, toes pointed outward, and arms behind your head.
- Bend at both your knees and hips, while maintaining a flat back and squeezing your butt and abs.
- Continue to lower yourself without pulling on your neck with your arms. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Stand back upright.
- Complete subsequent reps starting from step 2.
Muscles Involved
Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Squat Jumps
- Begin by standing upright with feet positioned wider than shoulder width apart, toes pointed outward, and arms behind your head.
- Bend at both your knees and hips, while maintaining a flat back and squeezing your butt and abs.
- Continue to lower yourself without pulling on your neck with your arms. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Generate as much power as possible, pushing through your feet until you enter mid-air.
- Maintain straight legs until the apex of your jump.
- During the descent, begin to bend at your knees to land in a partial squatting position.
- Complete subsequent reps starting from step 2.
Muscles Involved
Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Side Plank
- Begin by lying sideways on the floor, with your legs fully extended.
- Position your elbow beneath your shoulder, and point your forearm in front of you.
- Raise yourself up so that your only points of contact with the ground are your feet, elbow, forearm, and hand.
- Raise your hip upwards to straighten out your body.
- Maintain this position for the duration of your set.
Muscles Involved
Abdominals, Glutes
Single Leg Bridge
- Begin by lying on you the floor, stomach up. Place your hands on the ground on either side of your for stability. Bend both legs at the knee and rest your feet on the ground.
- Straighten one leg at the knee and lift it up toward the ceiling.
- With the foot still in contact with ground, push through your heel and lift your pelvis up toward the ceiling. Maintain a flat back, keeping your body in a stiff bridge position.
- Slowly lower your pelvis back to the ground.
- Complete subsequent reps starting from step 3.
Muscles Involved
Abdominals, Glutes, Spinal Erectors, Hamstrings
Bicycles
- Begin by lying on the ground facing upwards with your legs bent and hands on your head for support.
- Raise both of your legs while maintaining bent knees so that your thighs are roughly perpendicular to the ground.
- Bring your chest up, rotating your torso in one direction while bringing the opposite leg into your abs.
- Continue until your knee makes contact with the opposite elbow.
- Bring your leg back to a position perpendicular to the ground, and lower your upper back until it is almost in contact with the ground.
- Complete subsequent reps starting from step 3, alternating the direction of rotation and leg used.
Muscles Involved
Abdominals, Glutes, Spinal Erectors, Hamstrings
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