Fitness

This Strength Workout for New Runners Takes Just 15 Minutes

You don’t need any equipment to get it done.
Image may contain Human Person Stretch Clothing Apparel Exercise Sport Sports and Working Out
Katie Thompson

If that’s the case, other areas of your body might step in to make up for that imbalance, which then puts those compensating muscles at risk of taking on too much work. For instance, if your glutes are weak, your low back and hamstrings may take on too much of that work.

“Overuse injuries are so common in running simply due to the repetitive nature of the movement that we really want to avoid any one area overworking,” explains Sifuentes. Doing unilateral strength training (for example, single-leg exercises) can help you identify and correct these imbalances.

What’s a good strength-training workout for runners?

So there are loads of reasons runners should strength-train. And the good news is you don’t need a gym—or any equipment—to get the job done. Sifuentes created the following 15-minute bodyweight strength-training routine for runners that can be done at home.

It’s an eight-move, full-body workout that emphasizes mobility, stability (get ready to fire up your core), and symmetry (thanks to single-leg work). Do this routine correctly and you’ll smoke your posterior chain—the backside of your body, including your glutes and hamstrings—as well as the deep core muscles that help stabilize your spine.

You can do this circuit workout before or after an easy run—just make sure you are practicing social distancing when you run outside and are wearing a mask anytime you're running where there's a chance you'll pass other people—or on a nonrunning day, says Sifuentes. Because the biggest focus is on good form, don’t do this right after a hard run when you’re already wiped. In general, Sifuentes recommends new runners do strength training twice per week.

You don’t need a dedicated warm-up before doing this routine since it actually has one built in: The first two moves are designed to wake up your core and the muscles on your backside.

Also important: This workout is not a high-rep, heart-pumping routine—you’ll get enough of that stimulus during your runs. Instead, you should focus on maintaining good form and working your mobility and coordination with each move. When you master this workout, Sifuentes recommends progressing the difficulty of the moves (suggestions for doing that listed below) rather than upping the number of reps or sets. Again, quality—not quantity or speed—is the goal here.

The workout:

What you’ll need: Just your bodyweight and an elevated platform for the step-ups and elevated push-ups. For the step-ups, you can use the bottom step on a staircase, a low box, or a sturdy step stool. For the elevated push-ups, you can use a low box, a chair, or a table.

Exercises:

  • Glutes Bridge
  • Dead Bug
  • Step-Up With Knee Raise
  • Lateral Lunge Shift
  • Elevated Push-Up
  • Forearm Side Plank Hip Dip
  • Forearm Plank Rock
  • Superman With Arm Extension

Directions:

  • Do 8 to 10 reps of each move, resting as much as you need in between each move to maintain good form.
  • Once you’ve completed all eight exercises, rest as needed. Then repeat the entire set one more time.

Demoing the moves are Crystal Williams (GIFs 1 and 6), a group fitness instructor and trainer who teaches at residential and commercial gyms across New York City; Cookie Janee (GIFs 2 and 7), a background investigator and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve; Nikki Pebbles (GIF 3), a New York City–based fitness instructor for over nine years and an AFAA- and NCCPT-certified personal trainer and group fitness trainer who regularly teaches cycling and dance cardio; Grace Pulliam (GIF 4), an aerial yoga and Vinyasa yoga teacher in New York City; Amanda Wheeler (GIF 5), a certified strength and conditioning specialist and cofounder of Formation Strength, an online women’s training group that serves the LGBTQ community and allies; and Sarah Taylor (GIF 8), a personal trainer and fitness blogger in Canada.