A strong core Health - Injuries running form. Your midsection stabilizes your body as you run, and supports your arms and legs as they propel your body forward. So, kicking your ab workout up a notch by adding weights can majorly benefit your power and speed.
“Weighted ab exercises are a great way to use external force to create a stronger core for running,” Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., CEO and founder of TS Fitness in New York City, tells Runner’s World. “A stronger core results in more efficient running.”
To help build a resilient body that performs well on the road, Tamir created this circuit of weighted ab exercises. The moves prepare you to take on challenges that test core stability. For instance, a few of the moves require you to resist the rotation of your torso while moving weight. That translates to your runs, as a stable torso is important to maintain an upright posture while your arms and legs move for miles, he says. Additionally, some of the moves engage your lower-back muscles, and strengthening those muscles helps absorb the impact from running, which then minimizes your risk of injury.
Strength-Building Exercises You Can Do Outdoors: Complete 3 to 4 rounds of this circuit, resting 30 seconds between each exercise. See below for how many reps to perform for each move.
Tamir demonstrates each exercise in the video above so you can master proper form. You'll need a set of dumbbells and an exercise mat is optional.
Plank Pull-Through
Start in high plank position, shoulders over wrists, and feet wider than hip-width apart. Place a dumbbell horizontally behind the right wrist and to the outside of your torso. Reach underneath your body with your left hand, grabbing the dumbbell. Drag the weight on the floor to the left until it reaches the outside of your torso. Plank left hand back down in plank. Then reach underneath your body with your right hand, grabbing the dumbbell and dragging it back to its original position. Continue alternating. Do 8 to 10 reps per side.
Pullover Double Crunch
Lie faceup on the floor with knees bent and heels on the ground. Hold one dumbbell vertically overhead, biceps next to ears. Bring dumbbell forward toward knees and crunch up, lifting head, neck, and shoulders off the floor. At the same time, lift your heels off the ground and bring knees toward chest. Arms and knees should meet in the middle. Then, lower weight, head, and heels back to the floor to return to starting position. Repeat for 12 to 15 reps.
Renegade Row
Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists, and both hands on a dumbbell. Step feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Pull the left elbow back, bringing the dumbbell toward left rib cage. Keep the elbow close to the body. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the floor. Repeat, pulling the right elbow back, bringing dumbbell toward right rib cage. Then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the floor. Continue alternating. Do 8 to 10 reps per side.
Half-Kneeling Chop
Start in a half-kneeling position with both knees bent 90-degrees, right foot in front. Hold a dumbbell vertically with both hands at left hip. Lift the dumbbell diagonally up and across your body to your right, keeping hips steady. Then, reverse the motion to bring the weight back down and return to the starting position. Complete 8 to 10 reps. Then switch sides.
Side Plank Hip Dip
Start in a side-plank position on your right side, with right forearm on the ground, elbow under shoulder, forming a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and raise your left arm up toward the ceiling. Slowly lower your hips toward the ground. Then lift to return to the starting position. Complete 12 to 15 reps. Then switch sides.
Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. She's a graduate of Ithaca College. You can find her work here on Women's Health, and in many other publications including PS, SELF, Well+Good, Runner’s World, Outside RUN, Peloton, Men’s Fitness, and more.
