Workout Wednesday - Glutes and Core

Time for some core! Abs and glutes to be specific. Your running form will benefit from some added strength around the middle. Strength workouts don’t have to take all day, or necessary involve a gym. Take 15-20-minutes a couple of times a week and you will feel the benefits of a stronger core in your running.

Side Lying Hip Abduction
3 sets, 10-15 reps, 2-3 times/week
Lie on your side and lift your top leg to ~45° angle. 

​Notes on form

• Start against a wall. Heels, glutes, shoulders and head should all touch the wall while you lie on your side. 
• Let your head rest on your arm, your hand, or grab a pillow.
• Roll your hips away from the wall so you can put your fist between your upper glute and the wall. Your bottom glute should still be touching.
• Keep both heels against the wall.
• Lift your top leg up as high as you can but do not crunch through your side or move your spine ~45°. 
• Maintain contact between your heel and the wall. The idea is to have your foot/leg behind you to really target the gluteus medius. Careful not to rotate back during the lift. That’s cheating and using the hip abductors.

Reverse Slide Lunge
3 sets, 10-15 reps, 2-3 times/week
Smooth/hard wood floor and a towel/sock/piece of paper is all you need for this. On carpet? Try a furniture slider/paper plate/cardboard.
One foot on the towel, one foot off.
With as little weight on the towel as possible, slide the towel straight back and bend/lunge with the front knee.
Return to standing by driving through your heal and big toe and squeezing your standing leg glutes on the way up. ​

Notes on form

• Ankle, knee, hip all in line as you lunge. 
• Torso upright
• Avoid your knee collapsing to the inside, leaning to the side, or popping your hip out to compensate. I recommend doing this with a mirror to check your form.

Single Leg Straight Leg Dead Lift
3 sets, 10-15 reps, 2-3 times/week
Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee. With a neutral spine, hinge forward at the hip until reaching 90 degree. Return to upright without setting your foot down. This is a slow and controlled movement. Start without weight and progress to weight as your strength and coordination improves.

Notes on form

• Stay nice a square, not leaning to one side or the other.
• Keep an eye on your knee. It should stay straight inline and not fall to the inside.
• There is no need to go past 90° at the hip.

Front Plank
3 sets - starting at 30 seconds, but progressing to be able to hold perfect form for 3 whole minutes!
We all know and love the plank, as we should because it is a great core strengthening exercise! This one is a plank on the forearms.

Notes on form

• Make sure your shoulders, hips and heels are all in line. Don’t stick your butt up, or get too low and arch your back. Also, be conscious of rounding through your upper back. Our TT bikes tend to put us in a hunched position. Not during our planks!
• Give a little push away from the ground through your shoulders and shoulder blades. You don’t want them to retract together.
• Also make sure your head is in a nice neutral position with a little chin tuck.
• Draw your belly button toward your spine and settle in.

Modification - you can start with your knees down, but be sure to get that tush in line so you have great form.

Side Plank
3 sets - same as front plank.

Notes on form

• Start on your knees for this one. Really work on getting your body in a nice line. 
• Shoulder should be stacked, body straight, bottom hip lifts so your shoulder, hip and knee are all in line.

Progression - once you are able to hold this side plank on your knees for 3 minutes, combine this with your leg raises. Focus on getting your leg back to really target the gluteus medius while holding your plank. Eventually, you can progress to side plank on your feet, but that will come with time.

Thanks for working out with me! -Staci

Staci Bronson is the co-owner of Best in the West Events, a PhD candidate in Kinesiology, a coach of the Oregon State Triathlon Club, and an ultra-runner/triathlete/mountain biker/SUP lover!