Runner's world Core and Ab workout

THE ULTIMATE AB WORKOUT FOR RUNNERS
By John Hanc
Runners World
PUBLISHED 01/10/2008

Chances are you can't keep up with the mega talent on Team Running USA--but you can copy their core routine. Dennis Kline, the strength coach who designed the Mammoth Lakes group's program, adapted the routine on the following pages for everyday runners. The two workouts, Base Fitness and Dynamic Strength, work in concert. The base exercises develop muscular strength, endurance, and balance; the dynamic moves build power. Translation: You'll be able to run stronger and longer.

Like the elites, you'll alternate between these two routines. Follow the Base workout for four weeks, then the Dynamic routine for three. For phase two, return to the Base workout for a week, this time performing repetitions of each move instead of holding the positions. Then shift again to the Dynamic routine, continuing that three-week, one-week cycle. Do your core work three times a week. During peak training, drop to one or two days. Cut out the workouts entirely two weeks prior to a big race.

Base Fitness




Plank/Side Plank

Lie in a push-up position with your forearms on the ground, keeping your body in a straight line, your elbows directly below your shoulders, and your abdominals pulled in (top, right). Hold. Shift to your side, keeping the elbow directly under your shoulder and both feet on the floor, top foot in front. Lift your hips until your body is in a straight line. For all variations, start with 30 seconds, build to 2.5 minutes.

PHASE TWO
Hold plank as you have been, but lower and lift into a side plank for four sets of six reps, holding each rep for a count of four. The plank was originally used to test lower-back strength, says Kline, and if you can hold it for two-plus minutes, your likelihood of having lower-back problems is low.

PAYOFF
Develops abdominal and lower-back muscles that support and stabilize the middle of your body.





Bird Dog

Start on your hands and knees, back flat. Raise an opposite leg and arm to hip and torso height. Hold for 10 seconds, build to 30.

PHASE TWO
Perform four sets of six reps, with each side, holding each rep for a count of two.

PAYOFF
Strengthens the muscles along the spine, the upper back, and the glutes.






Back Extension

Start face down on a Roman chair with your legs hooked and lift your torso up until it's parallel to the ground; your back should be straight, not arched. Hold. Start with 45 seconds, build to three minutes. (The focus is on muscular endurance, not pure strength, so don't add additional weight.)

PHASE TWO
Do four sets of six reps.

PAYOFF
Improves strength and muscular endurance of the erector spinae and other back extensors.







Swiss Hip Extension

Start sitting upright on a stability ball, then walk your legs forward so the ball travels up your spine until it reaches your shoulder blades. With your arms extended out to the sides, lift your hips up until your torso is parallel to the floor. Then lift one knee about 45 degrees, lower it, then lower hips toward the floor, and repeat on the other side for one set. "Don't be frustrated if you can't do this well at first," says Kline. Do three sets of five to seven reps, with two minutes rest between sets.

PHASE TWO
Same as above.

PAYOFF
Mimics the running motion, but on an instable surface (the ball), engaging the hip flexors (psoas, iliacus) and extensors (the glutes) to work together with the abs and back to stabilize the body.






Dynamic Strength


Dumbbell Walkouts

Holding a pair of moderately heavy dumbbells (about 10 pounds more than you'd use for biceps curls), take small steps forward for 10 seconds and backward for 10 seconds. Breathe naturally. Do three sets, with one minute rest between them.

PAYOFF
The weights help activate the core to stabilize it as you walk, the same action you want to occur when you run.






Erect Lateral Bends

Place a pole or bar across your shoulders and hold with both hands. Keep your weight on your heels, your knees slightly bent, and tip your body to the side, taking the bar down toward your ankle without bending forward at the waist. Repeat on the other side. Try to keep a tempo of three seconds down (lowering the bar to the side), one second back up to a standing position. Do three sets of five reps on each side, with two minutes rest.

PAYOFF
Builds muscular strength and endurance in the obliques and the quadratus lumborum (a deep back muscle).







Turkish Get-up

Lie on your back, and raise a light dumbbell (about the weight you'd use for shoulder presses) with your right arm held above you. Then stand up, keeping your arm straight the entire time. Lower back down, finishing the move the way you started. "No matter how you stand up and get down, this recruits many of the core muscles," Kline says. Do three sets of five reps (with each arm), with two minutes rest between sets.

PAYOFF
Gets the core and legs working together, because holding a weight above your head activates your entire core while your leg muscles are busy getting you up and down.







Body Curls

Hang from a pull-up bar, palms facing away from you. Without using momentum, use your core to curl your body up until your knees are between your arms (you'll be almost upside down). Hold a second, then lower slowly. If these are tough, drive one knee up to initiate the move, says Kline. Start with one to two reps, build to four, then add a second set, with 90-second rests in between.

PAYOFF
Works total body flexion--the abdominals, hip flexors, latissimus dorsi (the back), and biceps.








Double Leg Hops

This is essentially a standing broad jump. From a standing position, jump as far as you can; use your arms to pull yourself up. When you land, jump again for a total of three without stopping. Do three sets, with two minutes rest in between.

PAYOFF
Forces the hips to work in concert with the core muscles to stabilize the trunk from push-off to landing.

LIfe keeps moving forward!

What a thought for today!!!!! I want to open a new door today - where will it take me! I urge you to do the same! Lets LIVE really LIVE today and see where it takes us!!

Hope everyone has a blessed and beautiful Friday!


Picture this. You're standing on conveyor belt. It's carrying you down a long, narrow hallway. Each side of the hallway is lined with closed doors, small signs hanging just above their frame.

The messages on those signs is something that you need to pay close attention to. Very close attention.

The speed of the conveyor belt isn't too fast - slow enough to let you comfortably open and step through one of the doors - but not much time to question your choice.

After a few moments, a door has passed you by forever.

Peering down the long hallway you see the belt is heading toward a larger door marked 'EXIT.'

You have a fair amount of time before you reach this door, but make no mistake, you are forever moving toward it.

What is written on Those Signs???

After a few minutes, your curiosity gets the best of you and you focus intently on the writing above each door.

After passing a few doors trying your best to make out the small writing, you realize that each sign contains a personal goal, a change you've always wanted to make or a dream you've always wanted to achieve.

This corridor is your life.

Each door is an opportunity for change, for happiness, for success. Everything you have ever wanted to be, do, and have is represented by each door along the corridor.

And just like life, the longer you wait to step through the doors, the greater the chance that they'll pass you by.

Eventually nearly every door will be behind you, impossible to enter. I say nearly because only one will remain - the one at the end of the corridor.

Before we move on, I have a question for you.

Do you know what would be written above each door? Do you know what you really want today, tomorrow, and ten years from now? If you don't know what you want, you'll never get anything more than you have right now.

But don't worry! If you only know that you are dissatisfied with what you have now, all hope is not lost. There is great power in dissatisfaction; it's the beginning of change and improvement.

A Fact You Must Realize
We aren't talking about a hypothetical situation. You don't have forever to do something about the things you want. But very few like to face this fact head on.

Deny it all you want - it's true.

A great deal of my work is in honesty and truth - these are the cornerstones of motivation. It's much more than getting excited and running out the door with a big grin on your face. It's about letting the facts of life hit you and drive you toward a better life.

Today I want you to let the facts hit you. I want you to think about that hallway, and what signs would hang above each door.

I want you to look to the end of the hallway, toward the exit. Think about that. Think about the fact that you do not have an eternity to experience all the things you want to experience.

Recognize the fact that you may actually never become the person you know you are fully capable of becoming - if you fail to act.

Most people live life as if they'll be around for the next thousand years.

'Yeah, I've got goals, but what's the rush?' they think.

But the real winners in life, the ones who illuminate every room they enter, attract success in everything they do, and simply love being alive, never hide from the truth.

The use it to motivate them toward the things they want.

What You Need to Do Today

I want you to take just a few minutes today to think about the corridor, the conveyor belt, and the doors lining your hallway.

Really think about it.

The point isn't to make you feel bad - it's to inspire you with a sense of urgency and excitement. It's to make you realize the truth and use it as motivation for the rest of your life.

Think about that hallway, my friend. Think about it.

If it scares you a little, that's a good thing. Fear is a powerful motivator. But what do you do next? For many people, they get the urge to do something different in their lives but don't know what to do with the feeling.

The drive soon dissipates and eventually disappears.

This doesn't have to happen to your goals.

You have a choice to make at this very moment. You can continue to travel down the corridor of your life without making a move toward any door, or you can break out of the routine and start living life at an entirely new level.

Regardless of your choice, you'll eventually reach the end of the line. I suggest you open as many doors as possible before that time arrives.

Jason M. Gracia

Anything is Possible!

I just love the feeling of knowing that if I set my mind to it - I can achieve anything! There really is no dream too big, no obstacle to large!! I reached another personal goal today and it felt great! The feeling that I really did live up to my potential today. I went past my comfort zone and reached - really reached and I made it!

I love the first line of this poem - if ever there was a time to dare - it is NOW!!! I have said this before but I believe it with everything in me - the time for change is NOW - today - this very moment decide what is your impossible dream and then do what it takes to reach it! Go out there and really LIVE today!!!


Anything is Possible
By Author Unknown


If there was ever a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
IT IS NOW.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily...
but for something that tugs at your heart,
something that's your inspiration,
something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.
HAVE FUN.
DIG DEEP.
STRETCH.
DREAM BIG.

Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy.
There will be good days.
And there will be bad days.
There will be times when you want to turn around,
pack it up, and call it quits.
Those times tell you
that you are pushing yourself, that you are not afraid
to learn by trying.

PERSIST.
Because with an idea,
determination, and the right tools,
you can do great things.
Let your instincts, your intellect,
and your heart, guide you.

TRUST.
Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.
Of doing something that makes a difference.
Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lazy afternoons.
Of lasting friends.
Of all the things that will cross your path this year.

The start of something new brings the hope of something great, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

Treasure in the challenge

The difficulty of the journey gives meaning and value to the destination. The more effort you put into achievement, the more that achievement is worth.
The problems and challenges are not there to stop you. Their purpose is to bring your commitment to the surface where it can come wholly and powerfully to life.

The tasks that are the most difficult are the ones that make the greatest positive difference. Situations with the most formidable problems are where you find the biggest opportunities.

See the problems for what they are. They provide a clear, compelling path to strength of purpose, creativity, effectiveness, commitment and achievement.

Working your way purposefully and persistently through the challenges will create great and lasting value in your world. With each difficulty you grow stronger and more capable.

See the opportunities that the challenges provide. And make their considerable, substantial value your own.

Ralph Marston

Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True

If you are fighting an uphill battle - then this is for you today! Just keep on climbing , don't look down and keep you eyes on the prize! I know that this really had an impact on me today as I am traveling on my own personal journey to a place that I only dreamed of. It is hard at times, in fact it sometimes feels impossible to reach, but I am going to keep on climbing! After all I am closer today to the top than I was yesterday!!

Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too.
But always remember,
The hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with Faith in your heart
Start upward
And climb 'til you reach your dream.
For nothing in life that is worthy
Is ever too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it,
And you have the faith to believe.
For faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill,
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will.
For faith is a mover of mountains,
There's nothing that God cannot do,
So, start out today with faith in your heart,
And climb 'til your dream comes true!

Helen Steiner Rice

Don't Quit!!!

My dear friend Nita posted this poem on a group that I am apart of on my weight loss site and I wanted to share it with all of you. Take the time to really read each line and let the magnitude of what it says soak in , then go out there and use it!! The meaning goes well beyond just facing an obstacle with your journey of weight loss. It is relevant for every aspect of our lives.

Push past any barrier that stands in your way of greatness today! A while back I posted a quote that is one of my all time favorites. I want to share it again with you as I think it goes well with the poem below.

"Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain."

Don"t Quit -

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
A every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Do not allow the small things in life to derail you from your journey. Stay focused, stay strong and above all, don't quit!!!!

Live up to your potential!!

As I was working out today it hit me just how in control of our destiny we are. Every day we have a choice as to what we will eat and how much we will move. I began running faster as I thought more about it. I became so energized at the thought that it is up to me how hard I will push it today - will I allow the day to pass only to realize that I could have gone farther, I could have watched my portions more ? - NO! I want to lay down each night and say to myself - I really did live up to my potential - I motivated someone to do the same - and I am another day closer to reaching the stars!!!

One of my favorite quotes really sums up how I feel right now.

"Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain."

There will always be situations or people in our lives that could hinder our progress - but these are just small "pebbles" in the road of life - I say you just need to kick that "pebble" out of the way and keep going!! If we stopped to look and stare at every detour or object that was placed in our way we would go nowhere!

Where ever your day will take you - make each moment count!!

Keep looking forward!!

She made it to the finals!!!

Today,Susie ran to quality for the finals...and she made it! Now she will run on September 14th.

Susie, we will continue to pray for strength and endurance for you. Just know that each of us is there with you, supporting you all the way!!

Congratulations on advancing to the finals!! I am so proud of you!!

She is my inspiration....

On September the 10th, my aunt, Dr. Susan Willard, and her coach, Steve Jennings, will compete in the World Masters Athletic Championship in Riccione, Italy. Susie will be running the 1500 meters and Steve the 10,000 meters. Each of them will be competing against former Olympians and runners from around the world.

My aunt, competing at the age of 54, is nothing short of amazing. Strong, yet graceful, her compassion for others goes beyond the care for her patients. She will do anything in her power to assist others with their own personal goals--always supportive, yet never judging.

While her professional life has centered on helping people realize their full potential through physical fitness, she has also sought to share the message of the Lord with everyone she can. She relies on her Heavenly Father for strength, and when most would quit, it is this strength that takes her through the next mile.

Anyone who knows Susie can speak as to how their lives have been positively changed. I know my life would not be the same without her support and encouragement for all that I have done. When I feel tired, or unable to complete a goal, I think of the determination that she has shown for so many years.

I remember once, long ago, we where sitting in her car before a triathlon in Dallas. She may not even remember this, but playing in the car was the song “The River” by Garth Brooks. She pointed out to me the lyrics.....

"There's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
But with the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all. "

I never forgot that moment because it showed me the source of her faith. She has always led by example, and I think each of us can learn much from her insistence to never let life pass by her. She lives in the moment, making the most of each one she is blessed with.

Susie, this journey you are about to embark on will not be an easy one. But you are well trained and, most of all, you have the Lord by your side with every step you take. We are all praying for you and support you in this amazing accomplishment. I am so proud that you are my Aunt, but most of all, I am proud of what you stand for.


Susie I want to leave you with this...

"But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, his greatest fulfillment of all he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious!" -Vince Lombardi

Way to go Jill

I wanted to post this in honor of a woman Jill who is apart of the My Food Diary, or MFD community along with myself. She has gone from 330 lbs to 195!! I have posted her site showing the amazing transformation.

Congratulations Jill...Way to go!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11482007@N02/sets/72157601492131856/