At Home Strength Workout

Happy Wednesday! This week is flying by, I can’t believe it’s already halfway over. I’m not complaining though, those summer months are just calling my name.

I have completed my 20th day in a row working out this morning with a run, and am so close to my goal of 21! Now I’ve probably jinxed it and will end up sleeping through my alarm tomorrow or something 😉

As our wedding approaches I am starting to realize how little time there is left to get in the best shape possible. I’ve added some strength exercises to the ends of my workouts which I plan on doing Monday through Thursday each week. Since my primary exercise is running and cross training on the spin bike, I find that I am really great at burning calories but not so great at building muscle.

I am hoping that these strength exercises will help those muscles that I neglect on a regular basis by only running or biking. I completed this strength circuit two times a week when training for my first marathon and finished the 20 week cycle injury free, so I’m hoping it will help my body get stronger to prevent injury when training starts for NYC.

I thought I’d share the workout on this post. When done with no breaks it only takes about 20-30 minutes. I use 8 pound weights but any weight will work! A lot of the moves are ones that I learned in physical therapy when I was there for a hip/hamstring weakness.

My strength workout:

• 8 minute abs – YouTube video
• 20 squats
• 20 forward lunges, alternating legs (10 each)
• 20 side lunges, alternating sides (10 each)
• 20 jump squats
• 20 jump lunges, alternating legs (10 each)
• 20 side lunges, alternating sides (10 each)
• Lying on back: 40 leg lifts, alternating legs (20 each)
• Lying on left side: 40 leg lifts, alternating legs (20 top leg, 20 bottom)
• Lying on stomach: 40 leg lifts, alternating legs (20 each)
• Lying on right side: 40 leg lifts, alternating legs (20 top leg, 20 bottom)
• 60 second plank
• 20 bridges
• 30 second bridge plank
• 10 right leg bridges (left leg in air)
• 10 left leg bridges (right leg in air)
• 10 supermans
• 20 second superman “plank” (hold both legs and both arms up from ground)
• 10 supermans
• 20 single leg squats (10 on each side)
• 10 left hip raises (done with your right foot on a step-lower your left hip so your left foot falls below the stair and then raise your hip until your left foot is level with the stair, repeat x 10)
• 10 right hip raises (same thing on opposite side)
• Dumbbells: 30 alternating arm curls (15 on each arm)
• Dumbbells: 20 upright rows (stand straight and hold weights down in front of your hips; lift both arms straight out in front of your body so the are parallel to the floor)
• Dumbbells: 20 shoulder press (hold both weights at the tops of your shoulders and then straighten arms in the air so you are holding the weights above your head)

That’s it! I’ve tweaked this workout a lot over the past few years depending on where I am fitness wise. Sometimes I add more repetitions or do less, and sometimes I add more jump moves or take them all out. Feel free to use and tweak as you would like!