Often runners tell me they don’t have time to workout. With their running training, their family responsibilities, their job, and their social life (if they have one left after all of that), there simply isn’t the extra time in the day for strength training!

The good news is to reap the benefits of strength training for runners you don’t need to spend an hour in the gym five days a week. If you can find thirty minutes twice a week, 15 minutes four times a week, or even 8-10 minutes most days, you can work to get stronger, faster, and help avoid an injury.

This workout is excellent those days when you don’t have the time, but you know that staying consistent with strength training goes a long way to help you run stronger. When you have time to do more, do it, but for those days that life gets crazy, try this four-minute strength training for runners workout. Do it before your run as part of your warmup. Go crazy and do it twice. Can you find eight minutes today?

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EQUIPMENT NEEDED

You will need one dumbbell to complete this workout. Choose a moderate weight (not too light, not too heavy),

Tabata-timer. This workout uses the Tabata-timing protocol, which is 20 seconds exercise, 10 seconds rest, repeat for four minutes. Try an interval timer like this one or download a free Tabata-timer for your phone for timing.

THE NO-EXCUSES RUNNER’S STRENGTH TABATA-STYLE WORKOUT

You can structure this workout a few different ways depending on how much time you have available to workout.

The Four-Minute Workout

Do the first exercise on one side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the 2nd exercise on one side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the 3rd exercise on one side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the Last exercise for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 Seconds
Repeat all the exercises on the other side

The Eight-Minute Workout

Do the four minute workout twice, to get 2 sets of each exercise on each side. Recommended.

The Twenty-Minute Workout

Follow the 20-second exercise/20-second rest for each exercise for four minutes before moving on to the next exercise. Rest for one minute between exercises. Each exercise will take four minutes, and you can complete the whole workout including rest in 20 minutes.

Do the first exercise for 20 seconds on one side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the first exercise for 20 seconds on one side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the first exercise for 20 seconds on one side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the first exercise for 20 seconds on one side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the first exercise on the other side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the first exercise on the other side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the first exercise on the other side for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Do the first exercise on the other side for 20 seconds
Rest for one minute and repeat for the 2nd exercise.

Exercise One: Plank row to side plank

Exercise Two: Single leg lift and chop

Exercise Three: Single leg deadlift

Exercise Four: Mountain climber

Let me know how it goes! Have question? I’d love to help.

Coach Lea

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