For the Love of the Run: Leg Strength and Core Stability for Runners

For the Love of the Run: Leg Strength and Core Stability for Runners

Reading For the Love of the Run: Leg Strength and Core Stability for Runners 3 minutes

Imbalances in your leg strength and mobility between your left and right side can give you an uneven and inefficient stride. Over time, these imbalances can lead to overuse injuries.

These TRX exercises provide an excellent way to recognize, improve and ultimately, overcome those imbalances, so you can do what you love, longer and more pain free.

Here's what you'll need:


TRX Forward Lunge to I Fly (Advanced Progression) 
Logic:
This exercise develops mobility in your hip flexors, stability in your core and improves single-leg balance and coordination, all helpful components in evening out your stride. If you’ve already mastered this progression of the exercise, try trailing the hand of your working leg and alternate from side to side to increase the stretch and develop some running-specific coordination.  


Set Up:
Stand facing away from the anchor point holding the handles with your hands and your arms straight out in front of you.


Movement:
Lunge forward until your front knee is bent at 90 degrees, letting the knee of your trail leg kiss the ground. As you lunge down, your arms should go directly overhead, unloading your legs slightly so you can focus on the stretch.


Return:
Brace your core, press your hands into the handles and drive through your front foot to return to the start. Reestablish your plank before repeating on the other side.


TRX Single Arm Row
Logic:
Not only with this move improve your arm drive and posture, making your run more efficient and powerful, but it also will improve durability. Because we’ve modified this to a single-arm progression, you’ll be resisting rotation the entire time, helping you develop better 360-degree stability so your can better handle the high impact and changing surfaces while you’re running.


Set Up:
Stand facing the anchor point and lean back while holding your self up with the Suspension Trainer in one hand. Brace your core and focus establishing a strong plank with your shoulders pulled down and back.


Movement:
Maintaining your plank, use your back muscles to pull your chest up to your hand. It can be helpful to use your non-working hand to mirror your working hand ensuring you’re body is totally even, throughout the movement. 


Return:
Lower yourself down in one slow, controlled movement.


TRX Suspended Lunge
Logic:
Probably one of the single best exercises you can do to recognize and correct imbalances between your left and right sides, there is no hiding from this move. Core strength, single-leg stability, balance, mobility- this exercise has it all.


Set Up:
Stand facing away from the Suspension Trainer with one leg through both of the foot cradles. Ground yourself through your working leg and find your plank before you start moving.


Movement:
Push your hips down and back, and lunge down until your front knee is bent to 90 degrees. Keep your core braced and your chest up the entire time, and let your arms match your stride pattern, mimicking the way your run.


Return:
Drive through your front foot and use your glute and hamstring to bring you back up to the top. Pause for a moment to reset your plank before starting the net rep.


Recommended Workout Sequence:
TRX Forward Lunge to I Fly: 5-10 reps on each side
TRX Single Arm Row: 5-10 reps on each side
TRX Suspended Lunge: 3-8 reps on each side

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