At the gym uses machines & weights. At home swaps in no-equipment versions of every exercise.
Run it around your neighborhood, or get the same workout on a treadmill with incline cues.
Follow the set distance, or switch to time (in minutes) if you can't measure miles.
Warm-up
- Easy jog5 min
Start slow and let your heart rate climb gradually. This is not training pace — it's just opening the body up.
- Dynamic drills~5 min
Leg swings (front/back & side), walking lunges, high knees, butt kicks, A-skips. 10–15 m of each.
💡 Dynamic (moving) stretches before running; save static holds for the cooldown.
Run
- Easy run5.5 mi easy
Easy — you can hold a full conversation the whole way.
Fully conversational. The goal is blood flow and aerobic stimulus, not fatigue.
Outside: run a route you enjoy and let the terrain flow — ease off uphill, roll downhill, and keep the effort steady rather than the pace.
💡 Forget the numbers — run whatever pace lets you chat easily. On tired legs that pace will be slower, and that's exactly right.
Strength — legs
- Hip thrust (Smith machine)4 × 8–10
Drive through your heels and squeeze the glutes hard at the top, ribs down. Strong glutes = a more powerful push-off.
💡 Add load as it gets easy — keep the top of each rep controlled.
- Hack squat3 × 8–10
Deep, controlled reps through a big range. Builds quad and glute strength with a supported back.
- Bulgarian split squat3 × 8 / leg
Rear foot elevated. Single-leg strength fixes the imbalances that cause running injuries.
- Calf raise (machine)4 × 12
Full range, pause at the top and a slow stretch at the bottom. Calves & Achilles are your running springs.
- Hip abduction (machine)3 × 15
Strengthens the glute medius that stabilises your pelvis every stride.
Core circuit B
- Hanging knee raise3 × 12
Hang from the bar, curl the knees up and lower with control — no swinging. Deep lower-ab work plus grip and shoulder stability.
- Bicycle crunch3 × 20 / side
Slow, opposite elbow to knee, fully extend the other leg. Hits the obliques and the rotational control that keeps hips level.
- Copenhagen plank3 × 20–30 s / side
Top foot on a bench, hold a side plank. Bulletproofs the adductors — a common runner weak spot.
- Bird dog3 × 10 / side
Opposite arm & leg, slow and level hips. Anti-rotation control that transfers straight to your stride.
Cool-down & stretch
- Light walk3–5 min
Flush the legs and let the heart rate settle.
- Hip flexor + couch stretch45 s × each
Open the front of the hip after squatting/hinging.
- Hamstring + glute stretch45 s × each
Figure-4 and a forward fold to release the posterior chain.
- Calf + ankle mobility45 s × each
Wall calf stretch plus 10 slow ankle circles each side.
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