Adding regular body weight exercises to your weekly training programme will unlock another level of running performance.
Calisthenics is an ideal way of improving core strength and stability – increasing running efficiency – and a bonus feature of reducing likelihood of injury.
Better still, you don’t need a fully decked-out gym or expensive equipment, just a pull up bar and a floor and savage determination to push your limits.
The perfect routine will take you close to – or past – your breaking point.
Five calisthenic exercises you should do ever week
In running, it’s usually better to train smarter than harder. If you’ve reached a plateau in running performance, think about adding these five calisthenic exercises.
1 – Chin ups / Pull ups:
Don’t underestimate how hard strict pull ups are – if you can manage 10 without cracking, you’re doing brilliantly. Start from a dead-hang, pull until your chin is above your hands, pause for a send, lower yourself slow and controlled back to a dead-hang. Repeat.
No kipping or trying to use momentum, pause at the top and bottom of each movement. Keep these strict and honest. You’ll develop strength at the full range of motion. Long muscles are strong muscles. Pull ups also activate your core chain of muscles – including abdominals, lats,
2. Push ups
There’s a huge array of different push ups to work different parts of your upper body – from super wide, working the pectorals, to close grip which isolate the triceps. All are difficult and have the added benefit of forcing you to activate stabilising muscles which help you maintain a smooth running style.
3. Squats
A must for any runner, squats will pay dividends especially any time the road points upward. Mix things up by trying Bulgarian split squats, weighted or free.
When you’re comfortable, add some dynamic movements, going from a deep squat to a jump. This develops explosive power.
4. Glute bridge
Great for building stability and control as well as strength in one of the biggest muscles in the body. If this feels easy, try raising one leg so you’re using just the other to do this movement. Isolating single legs is a good way to work on imbalances.
5. Hamstring curls with sliders or resistance band
Not only is this an awesome way of improving strength, helping you cycle through the running motion, but will help prevent hamstring injuries.
When’s best? Before or after a run?
Try these workouts after running – ideally, after you’ve got back and had time to recover. You’ll get maximum benefits if you’ve had a relatively light running session. You don’t want to try these after a flat out speed session when walking is difficult enough.
As this routine is body weight, it shouldn’t be overly taxing, you should be able to work it in alongside your normal running training programme.
Calisthenics routine for runners.
Set aside 30 minutes, three times a week to do these exercises. Short but regular doses are the best way to gain the benefits.
Create a circuit of exercises, rotating from upper body to lower as you alternate. Do it right, and you’ll be breathing hard.
Try four sets of the below routine, with one minute between sets, for starters (add or subtract, depending on your condition).
- 10 pull ups.
- 20 squats.
- 20 push ups.
- 10 hamstring curls.
- 10 glute bridges.
Great content! Keep up the good work!