Running Workouts

During the last few years, I have been experimenting with a lot of fitness schools and programs, and I believe that the jump rope is one of the most under-used weapons that can help...

Want to know how to run like a pro runner? If your answer is yes, then keep on reading… Why should you consider training like a pro? The fact is, if you are serious about reaching your full potential, you’ll need to imitate the strategies of those on top—no need to reinvent the wheel. By training like a pro runner, you’ll be able, without a shadow of a doubt, to achieve your running best.

Whether you’re serious about increasing your speed so you can beat your record or to just feel comfortable on your next 6-miler, speed training is of utmost importance for improving your running performance. In today’s post, I’ll explain why speed work is important for runners and how to incorporate faster-paced training into your running program. I’ll also share with you the main speed work runs you need to add to your schedule to help take your running to the next level. The basic sessions include intervals, fartleks, tempo runs, and hill reps. Sure, these workouts are by no means the most exhaustive list of the speedwork sessions you can do, but they’ll definitely help you on your journey to get faster. So, are you excited? Then here we go.

High-Intensity Interval Training Defined When it comes to getting the most out of your workout program for fat loss and optimum fitness, high-intensity interval training is the way to go. Hailed by most fitness experts as the closest thing to a training shortcut that produces quick results, HIIT is backed by sound scientific study and countless personal testimonies. The exact defining parameters of HIIT are a bit vague, which is one of the reasons there is so much controversy surrounding the topic. Nonetheless, here is a basic definition to get you started on the right foot. High-intensity interval training involves alternating between intense bursts of anaerobic activity (running, rowing, jump roping, biking, etc.) with periods of moderate or low aerobic activity for recovery.

If you have been reading Runners Blueprint for a while, then you know that I’m a strong proponent of strength training for runners. Sure, this is a runners’ blog, and I mostly write stuff for the running crowd. That said, any regular reader (or after checking my cross training page) might be surprised by the number of strength training workouts I shared in the last couple of years. But this time, I’m not going to share with you another workout. Instead, in today’s post, I’ll cover the basics of weight lifting for runners. I’ll show you the exact steps required to design your strength training program, even if you have never touched a dumbbell before.

Truth be told, I believe that the deadlift is one of the greatest strength moves of all-time and ideal for runners (something I have already mentioned in some of my previous posts) looking to increase overall body strength and endurance. This exercise is a compound movement that targets all of the major muscles in your body, with the most emphasis on the back extensors, the glutes, and the hamstrings—key running muscles and the source of power of many an athletic activity, leading to body realignment and creating more stability in your entire body. These posterior chain muscles help propel us forward, and they are vital for reaching top speed and keeping stability while running.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to train like a sprinter, then you are in the right place. In today’s post, I’m going to share with you an awesome workout program routine inspired by real life Olympic sprint training. Don’t get me wrong. I’m no Olympic sprinter and have never trained to be one. This whole post is the result of my research and some serious digging into the current Olympic training programs available on the net. So please be careful here. The workout program I’m sharing with you below is quite intense, and if you are not ready for it, you might be setting yourself for injury and burnout. So you have been warned, buddy.

Today I’m going to share with you a workout routine that will not only help you burn mad calories and increase overall fitness level, but also help you improve your running and break through any pleateau: Enter Tabata training. In fact, according to plenty of research, if you do tabata workouts on a regular basis, then you will definitely increase your aerobic and anaerobic power with minimal training time. Therefore, I encourage you to try the workout I’m sharing with you below, or if it’s too much then try a version of it and see if you are up for the challenge. I do this as a part of my strength and endurance cross training regime.

30-Minute Indoor Circuit Workout for Runners If you are currently stuck inside, due to the weather, a baby, safety concerns, monetary reasons, you name it, the circuit I’m sharing with you today is the perfect solution. In fact, this indoor workout routine is ideal for the cold winter month and perfect if time crunched fitness nuts. Most of the exercises below require minimum equipment and can be done almost anywhere, as long as you have enough space. These exercises will boost your heart rate, sculpt your body and get you out of running rut and help you smash through a training plateau. For more challenge, use heavier dumbbells, medicine balls and push as hard as you can, or shoot for more rounds.

When it comes to running, one of the best off road things you can do to help improve your running and bulletproof your body against common injury is to strength train on a regular basis. In fact, strength training is one of the most vital tools you can use to increase performance and avoid injury, helping you run stronger and more efficiently. And one of the most important running muscles is the quadriceps—the muscles at the front of the thigh. Therefore, today I’m going to share with you a killer runner quadriceps workout routine so you can build strength in these vital muscles to run faster, further and with fewer pains and aches. So are you excited? Then here we goo… The Many Roles of the Quads