EXERCISES THAT EXTEND YOUR AEROBIC STIMULUS
“Now here’s where things get really interesting. When you have your athletes go straight from their run into 15-25 minutes of challenging post-run work, you’re doing something most coaches never even consider: you’re extending the aerobic stimulus.
Instead of getting, say, 45 minutes of elevated heart rate from a 45-minute run, you’re now getting 60+ minutes of elevated heart rate from that same 45-minute run plus the post-run work. Their cardiovascular system is still working hard during those squats, lunges, and core exercises. You’re building their aerobic engine without adding more pounding to their legs.”
~ Jay Johnson, running coach
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| This image is from my video, LUNGE MATRIX 2017. Thinking back, I have been doing these lunges for at least 15 years. Right now, I use the Lunge Matrix as part of my MORNING MOVEMENT ROUTINE and post-run to extend my aerobic stimulus. |
You are just about finished your run for the day. Instead of getting in your car and driving home after finishing, you immediately start to do some exercises to build strength and mobility, while at the same time keeping the heart rate elevated in the aerobic zone, so you get further aerobic training benefits.
Below is the exercise routine I do post-run. I start this routine almost immediately (i.e., less than a minute) after finishing my run so my heart rate does not drop significantly. These exercises target strength through plyometric work and mobility by extending range of motion. This routine consists of different types of skipping and different lunges. I find skipping and lunging can be done while keeping my heart rate in the aerobic zone (and I think it will be the same for you, too). While running coach Jay Johnson promotes extending the aerobic stimulus for 15-25 minutes, the post-run exercise routine I currently do takes about 10 minutes to complete. So this is like getting in an extra 2-km of aerobic training.
SKIPPING
These skips are demonstrated in this video:
To recap the 5 different skips:
Forward Skipping
1) Drive the right knee upward toward your chest; 2) Swing your left arm forward and up; 3) Push explosively off the ball of your left foot to create a hop; and 4) Alternate legs, skipping in a rhythmic pattern. Counting both legs, I do 40 forward skips.
Side Jumping Jacks
1) Start by jumping with both feet to the right; 2) At the same time, swing your arms overhead like a normal jumping jack; and 3) Jump to the left when moving to the left. I do 10 side jumping jacks moving to the right and 10 moving to the left.
Heel Flicks
1) Jog in place or move forward slowly; 2) Start by flicking one heel as close to the glutes (butt) as you can get; 3) Alternate legs, heel flicking in a rhythmic pattern. Using both legs, I do 80 heel flicks.*
*Note: I have posted before on the importance of the heel flick in running biomechanics. For more, check out SPENDING A MOMENT ON RUNNING BIOMECHANICS .
Carioca
1) Step with your right foot to the right; 2) Cross your left foot IN FRONT of the right foot; 3) Step with the right foot again; 4) Cross the left foot BEHIND the right foot; 5) Rotate your hips as you cross legs to stay loose; and 6) Switch directions so both sides of the body are trained evenly. I cross IN FRONT & BEHIND the right foot 10 times and the left foot 10 times.
Forward Power Skipping
Same directions as Forward Skipping, only this time the knee drive and hop is higher. Counting both legs, I do 40 forward power skips.
LUNGE MATRIX
These lunges are also part of my MORNING MOVEMENT ROUTINE and demonstrated in this video:
To recap these 5 Lunge Matrix exercises:
Forward Lunge
1) Step forward with your right foot; 2) lower your right knee toward the ground while keeping your left thigh parallel to the ground and knee over your foot; and 3) return to an upright position; 4) Repeat with your left foot. Counting both feet, I do 10 forward lunges.
Lateral Lunge
1) Step laterally to the side with your right foot; 2) lower your right knee toward the ground as if sitting in a chair under your body and your left leg extended straight; 3) return to an upright position and then 4) step to the left. Counting both feet, I do 10 lateral lunges.
Backward Lunge
1) Step backwards with your right foot; 2) lower your right knee toward the ground while keeping your left thigh parallel to the ground and knee over your foot; and 3) return to an upright position; 4) Repeat with your left foot. Counting both feet, I do 10 backward lunges.
Back and to the Side Lunge
1) Step back with your right foot to the 5 o’clock position if you were standing on a clock face; 2) lower your body over your right foot and straighten your left leg; 3) then rotate the upper body to this clock position; 4) push back to the starting position and 5) repeat with your left foot stepping back the 7 o’clock position. Counting both feet, I do 10 back and to the side lunges.
Forward Lunge with Twist
1) Step forward with your right foot; 2) lower your right knee toward the ground while keeping your left thigh parallel to the ground and knee over your foot; 3) then rotate your upper body 90 degrees toward the extended leg; 4) push back to the starting position and then 5) repeat with the left foot stepping forward. Counting both feet, I do 10 forward lunges with a twist .
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Thanks for reading!
I try to keep together all the workouts and routines - like this post-run exercise routine - check out the sidebar of the EOOC HOMEPAGE.
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