FunDay Workouts

Our New Favorite Workout - Pyrolates

Jessica and I are always up for a new workout. We discovered Firebrand Sports in the fall. Pyrolates is one of the hardest classes we have ever taken. It's a total body workout that will kick your butt. It uses slow movements, body resistence and this god-awful moving machine to tone you up very quickly. Our arms and abs have never looked so good.

Each class combines strength training, cardio, endurance, core and flexibility – and not just in every class but also in each exercise. The class moves quickly and the depends on you being able to transition quickly and get into the next pose. After a few classes, we started to pick up the names of the poses but we still look at each other dumbfounded when it comes to some poses. French Twist? Bear? Thank god there are some people in the class who know what these names mean!

The megaformer/pyrolates class at Firebrand Sports in Portland is intense, hard, sweaty yet very rewarding. A lot of it comes down to your will power and your ability to push through difficult poses. The instructors are fun and friendly as well as harsh - they want you to get lower, push through the pain and find your limits.

If you have a Megaformer class near you, we highly recommend you check it out. It's a great addition to your strength or training routine.

 

 

Fitness Friday

Planks are one of our favorite exercises for runners. They work the core, your hamstrings, hips, shoulders and back muscles. Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting our favorite plank variations. 

Today, we are highlighting the Knee to Elbow Plank. This one is great for hip flexibility along with all the other benefits of doing a plank.

 

  • Begin in plank pose with your feet about hip width apart. 
  • Bring your left knee up to the outside of your left elbow. Repeat on the other side.
  • Keep the hips low and even.
  • Repeat 10x on each side

 

 

Fitness Friday - 3 Moves to Power Up your Runs

Get a great backside and get faster at the same time. Having a strong, toned butt not only looks great but it actually helps you run faster. As your speed increases, the biomechanical load placed on your glutueus and hamstrings intensifies the most. Thus, to get faster and not get injured, you need to develop strong glutes and hamstrings. These 3 moves will help you strength, tone and lift your backside and make you a faster runner. Do each exercise at least 2 times and aim to do lower body strength work at least 2 times a week.

Plie Squat - Strengthens the inner thigh (adductors) and the glutes. Great squat variation. Do 25 reps, 2x.

Single Leg Bridge Lift - Strengthens the hamstrings and gluts. Added bonus, stabilizes the hips. Do this exercises for 30 seconds and repeat.

 

Clamshells - Strengthens the gluteus medius which will help the efficiency of your stride and your leg turnover rate. Do 15-20 reps on each leg, 2x.

 

Friday FunDay Workout - Strength & Stretch

This week's workout is focused on strengthening and stretching your body. By adding strength exercises to your running training plan, you are helping prevent injury. Stretching ensures that your muscles are being lengthened. Runners need strong, powerful muscles to perform and run faster however, if your muscles are too tight, they will lose power. This workout can be done as a separate workout (just repeat 2-3x) or after an easy run. 

Run happy and strong!

10 Minute Core Power - #FunDay Friday Workout

Most runners don't focus enough on their core, i.e, their abdominals, lower back muscles and glutes. These muscles are key focus areas for runners because they provide the stability, power and endurance. If your abs are weak, it can lead to funky running patterns, i.e, overstriding, understriding or a pelvis that swings from side to side and eventually injury.

How does a strong core help runners?

Strong glutes provide power and stability to power you up hills and they provide support and absorb the impact on the downhills. Strong and stable lower abs, mainly the transversus and rectus abdominis, generate more force and speed as you push off the ground, making you a faster runner. Strong obliques help support your torso and maintain proper form over long distances, and they help you move laterally around a runner in a race or dodging those pesky tourists on your favorite run!

We designed the below workout to hit those target areas. Do this exercise for a week before each run and feel the difference. Overall, incorporate core work into your regular training at least 3 times a week.

FunDay Friday Workout - Intervals

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This is one of our favorite, go-to interval workouts when we aren't near a track and need to add some variety to our runs.

The speed/fast portion should be done at 80% max which is a very fast effort but not a sprint. You should be able to recover and jog SLOWLY after each fast repeat. If you have to walk or have a pukey feeling after one of the repeats, you ran too fast.

If you are new to speed/interval workouts, do 2 sets of the pyramid with a 2 min break between sets. Build up to 3 sets.

Enjoy and happy (fast) running!