We all have busy schedules, and of course, never enough trail time. But it's also important to focus on strength training in order to build muscle, stay or get lean, and get stronger -- both on the trails and off.
One easy way to incorporate more muscle-building strength exercises into your routine is to take them to the trails. Bodyweight exercises increase our relative strength, meaning we're able to move and lift our own body more efficiently.
This trail running circuit workout uses a combination of trail running and bodyweight exercises that will help you burn body fat, build muscle, and increase your cardiovascular strength and endurance on the trails.
How to Perform these Bodyweight Exercises:
Alternating Lunges: From a standing position, take a big step backward, pushing your weight into your front heel, allowing both knees to bend to 90 degrees. Push through your front heel to return to standing, and repeat on the opposite knee.
Push Ups: With your arms extended, shoulders over elbows, over wrists, keep your abs braced and glutes squeezed as you lower your chest toward the ground. Your elbows should bend to about a 90 degree angle, flaring out from your rib cage about 45 degrees. Push back to extension.
Bodyweight Squats: From a standing position, push the hips back as you bend at the knees, as if you were aiming your hips to take a seat behind you. Allow your thighs to become parallel with the ground, and push through the heels to return to standing.
T-Planks: In a push up position, rotate to a side plank position, with your right arm extended in the air. Hold, then return back to your push up position, and then toward the opposite side, with your left arm extended up.
Notes on this Trail Running Circuit Workout:
- This is an inverse ladder circuit workout; as the running distance decreases, the amount of exercises you doing increases
- The push ups can be done on a fence, sturdy rock, or the ground
- To advance your bodyweight squat, take it into a squat jump
- To advance your reverse lunge, take it into a plyometric lunge or a decelerated lunge.
The next time you head out on the trails, make it a total body workout and incorporate these bodyweight movements into your run.
