At the gym uses machines & weights. At home swaps in band versions of every exercise.
Warm-up
- Brisk walk4–5 min
Walk into the run so the first mile doesn't feel like a fight.
- Leg swings + ankle circles2 min
Open the hips and ankles before the first stride.
Run
- Steady run2 mi
Comfortably hard — short sentences only. RPE 6–7.
Settle into a rhythm you could hold for 20 minutes. Nose-breathe as long as you can, then just stay steady.
💡 Same route, same effort, different day: consistency is what burns the weight off.
Activation (after the run)
- Glute activation3–4 min
Banded walks, glute bridges, fire hydrants. Wake the glutes up so they do the work, not your lower back.
💡 If your glutes feel 'asleep' after the run, do a little more here.
- Hip openers2 min
Deep squat hold and a couple of lunge stretches to loosen the hips before you load them.
Legs — machines & isolation
- Smith machine hip thrust drop set3 × 10 + drop
Heavy set to RPE 9, strip a plate a side, rep out again.
💡 On a deload skip the drop — straight sets at RPE 7.
- Leg press burnout (high feet)2 × 20
Lighter load, non-stop reps, no lockout. Pure pump.
- Glute kickback machine2 × 15 / leg
Every rep squeezed.
- Hip abduction machine (burnout)2 × 20
Last pump — go to the point where it's hard to walk out.
- Finisher: stair mill or incline walk10 min
Steady RPE 6–7. Extra calorie burn without extra leg damage.
Cool-down & stretch
- Light walk3–5 min
Let the heart rate settle and flush the legs.
- Hip flexor + couch stretch45 s × each
Open the front of the hip after heavy thrust/squat work — tight hip flexors flatten the glute.
- Pigeon / figure-4 glute stretch45 s × each
Release the glutes you just worked.
- Hamstring fold45 s × each
Gentle forward fold to release the posterior chain.
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