Strength Move of the Week - Toe Touches

As running coaches who promote long term, injury-free running, strength work is always a part of our recommended weekly routine for every runner out there. Incorporating strength doesn't come naturally to a lot of runners and often feels overwhelming. So, where to start? Start with just one move a week and build from there. Hot Bird Running has you covered with our Strength Move of the Week!

Move of the Week: Toe Touches
Why we love these? Toe touches strengthen the upper abdominal muscles which promotes proper posture while running. More specifically, strong upper adominal muscles enable you to maintain a tall, erect posture while running - keeping your head and shoulders in alignment with your hips rather than slumping over as you fatigue. Slumping over restricts your breathing. So, proper posture means better running economy which means faster running.

As you do these toe touches use your core rather than your arms to pull your upper body up towards your toes. Also, try to keep your shoulders from touching the ground on your way back to the start position so your abdominals remain engaged the entire time. Continue for 30 seconds working up to one minute. Repeat 2-3 times. 

Move of the Week - Bicycle Crunches

As running coaches who promote long term, injury-free running, strength work is always a part of our recommended weekly routine for every runner out there. Incorporating strength doesn't come naturally to a lot of runners and often feels overwhelming. So, where to start? Start with just one move a week and build from there. Hot Bird Running has you covered with our Strength Move of the Week!

Move of the Week: Bicycle Crunches
Why we love these? Get back to the basics - nothing fancy - with bicycle crunches. This simple move stengthens the oblique muscles necessary in maintaining a stable upright position during your runs. As you do these make sure your lower back stays pressed to the ground.  Start out slowly going through a bicycle pedal motion altnerately touching your elbows to the opposite knee as you twist back and forth.  Concentrate on control, not speed.  Perform for 30-60 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.  

Strength Move of the Week - Walkouts

As running coaches who promote long term, injury-free running, strength work is always a part of our recommended weekly routine for every runner out there. Incorporating strength doesn't come naturally to a lot of runners and often feels overwhelming. So, where to start? Start with just one move a week and build from there. Hot Bird Running has you covered with our Strength Move of the Week!

Move of the Week: Walkouts
Why we love these? Walkouts stengthen hamstrings, shoulders, abdominals, lower back and promote hip stablity in runners. Strong shoulders, core and stable hips are all things every runner needs to ward off injury and improve speed! As you do these focus on keeping your hips stable and using your core to push yourself back to the start position - NO rocking back and forth! If you have trouble get back to standing without rocking, don't go down and far. Also, if you can't touch the ground without bending your knees, then bend your knees at the beginning to get your hands to the ground and then straighten them as you walk your hands out.

Strength Move of the Week - Single Leg Deadlifts

As running coaches who promote long term, injury-free running, strength work is always a part of our recommended weekly routine for every runner out there. Incorporating strength doesn't come naturally to a lot of runners and often feels overwhelming. So, where to start? Start with just one move a week and build from there. Hot Bird Running has you covered with our strength move of the week!

Move of the Week: Single Leg Deadlifts
Why we love these? This movement strengthens your hips, engages your hamstrings and gets the glutes firing - all of which are needed for stabilizing the body while running. Plus, balancing on one leg reduces the strength imbalance between your left and right sides. Bonus - this also feels like a great stretch at the end of your runs.

Repeat 8-15 times on one side. Switch legs and repeat.  

Abcember

It's back! We are dedicating December to core strength. It's the off-season for many runners and the perfect time to focus on strength, especially building up core strength. Runners need a strong core in order to maintain efficient form, protect their back and take some of the burden off their legs.

This week, we are focusing on planks and side planks. We added in some mountain climbers to get the heart rate up. Feel free to add in another set of mountain climbers. Do this 3x a week and slowly build up to 30 seconds. It's not about how long you can hold the plank, form is more important.

Share this, pin it and do it!

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.

Tip of the Week - 3 Do Anywhere Exercises

by Meghan Reynolds

The following 3 exercises are our favorites because you can do them anywhere - house, hotel room, park, rest stop, gas station and airport - if you don't mind some funny looks! They hit the major muscles groups for an easy total body workout and will get your heart rate up. Do 3-5 rounds at the same time or split it up over the day. We like to do a set or 2 at each rest stop while road tripping. Try variations as well - we've listed a few for you. Happy exercising!

Squats: Strengthens the hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes and improves overall muscle balance and mobility. Focus on keeping the knees over the ankles and sitting as far back as you can while keeping your chest up. Add some variety: slow down the up and down movements; lower down to where it burns a bit and pulse; widen your stance into a ballet second position or sumo squat; or try the variation (video on the right) that adds more leg movement: Squat to Leg Extention

Pushups: Strengthen shoulders, arms and core. This is a great exercise for runners because it improves the upper body strength you need to maintain proper form as your lower body begin to fatigue & essential in hilly terrain to help drive your body uphill. Keep your core nice and tight throughout for a true full-body workout. There are a ton of variations as well: keep your arms close to your body for a yoga/tricep pushup, move your arms far away from your body and move one arm forward and keep the other by your shoulder. The modified version (on the right) is great and you can do those variations on your knees too. Aim for 10-15 for 1 set.

Planks:Targets your entire core. Our favorite way to do planks is in a 2 minute series: 30 sec forearm plank, 30 sec side plank, 30 sec other side and end with 30 sec forearm plank. Try the variation (video on the right) for added oblique work - Plank Knee Tucks

FunDay Friday Workout

by Meghan Reynolds

In honor of Jessica's and Matt's road trip from Brooklyn to Portland, we put together a bunch of Rest Stop Workouts. They are doing these exercises during their rest stops. Matt loves doing them Crossfit style - as fast as he can, while Jessica, who is 7 months pregnant, is taking them nice and slow and concentrating on form. She's also not jumping so her jumping jacks are static jacks.

Take this workout with you on your next long drive. It'll keep you awake and refreshed! Look for more workouts throughout June. They are tried and tested by Matt and Jessica.

Giveaway - Free Month to Barre3 Online Classes

We love being outside - running, biking, working out or doing yoga in the park. We create our gym in our local parks - using dog free lawns, benches and stairs. This is great if you know your area and park (the dog free lawn is key!) but what to do if you are traveling, short on time and still want to get your strength work in? We found Barre3, based out of Portland. Their online classes are one of our go-to workouts when the weather is bad, we are traveling or short on time and just want someone to tell us what to do!

We've been using their online classes since February. (You can read our review here.) Their workouts combine ballet, yoga and Pilates principles so you length and tone. They update their classes regularly and offer classes that range from 10-60 minutes with different focuses: total body, core, lower body, upper body, and pre-natal. It's only $15/month - much less than other products out there and the instructors are very knowledgeable. They offer modifications and show different levels. (As a disclaimer, we've taken just about every barre class you can image in NYC)

Barre3 was kind enough to give us a free month to giveaway to one of our lucky readers. See below for ways to enter. We'll pick a winner on Monday, June 10th at 9am EST and notify you via email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC Disclaimer: Barre3 is giving us the free month to raffle off. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Base Training - Muscle Strength

You’ve spent the last few weeks or so stabilizing your muscles and now you are ready to strengthen them so that you are able to run longer without fatiguing.

Most people think “lean and lanky” when they think of the typical runner’s body. While that might be true, it doesn’t mean weak. The most effective runners are powerhouses because they know that being strong translates to faster, more efficient and more injury resistant. And remember, running is a full-body exercise so you have to be full-body strong – not just your legs.

Below are some of our favorite ways to strengthen and tone. Do each exercise for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat 3x for 1-2 weeks.

Squat to Overhead Raise

Bridge with Tricep Dip

Renegade Row

Dumbell Woodchop

Skiers

Base Training - Muscle Stability

A major part of staying injury free and hitting your target or goal race times is muscle stability. Your muscles need to work together, harmoniously, to properly turn over and keep you going for 20+ miles. Thus, you need strong, stable muscles and not just in your legs. We are talking core and upper body as well. A strong core will help you pick up your knees, which translates into faster times (think turnover, how many times your feet hit the ground) and a strong upper body will help keep you upright and keep those arms pumping.

Below we highlight a few exercises that we recommend to stabilize your muscles and prepare for more strength work and longer miles.  Do 30-60 seconds of each exercise, 2x. Click on each exercise to see a brief video and explanation.

1. Bridge with Single Leg Raise
2. Plank - Side Plank Series
3. Opposite Arm/Leg Extension
4. Single Leg Deadlift
5. Single Leg Calf Raise
6. Squat to Leg Extension
7. Donkey Kicks
8. Glute Press Up

Barre3 Online Class Review

We are always on the lookout for alternative ways for our clients, and all runners, to get their strength, toning and conditioning weekly workouts. We’ve been doing barre workouts in NYC for the past 4 years and like the challenge and how the exercises target our muscles. What about barre for those without access to or time for a studio class?

A small sampling of the types of online classes that Barre3 offers.

Thanks to a friend, we found Barre3, which offers online barre workouts that combine ballet, yoga and Pilates. Barre3 recently launched a series of online classes that range from 10-60 minutes with different focuses: total body, core, lower body, upper body, and pre-natal. We’ve spent the last 2 months sampling these online classes.

It's only $15/month with classes added regularly. Below are classes we took and our feedback for runners.

Total Body - 30 mins

• Standing Slim with Sadie – This class is safe for knees, lengthens and easy to incorporate at home.
• Runners Workout – We liked this class because it focused on muscles that runners need to strength and it’s less ballet focused (for those of us who are less graceful!)
• Ballet Boot camp – Again, safe for knees and always showed modifications
• Lean with Sadie Lincoln – This class got our heart rate up and helped lengthen our muscles; it was definitely tough after a run.

Total Body - 40 mins

• Ballet Sculpt – We found this class hard and our knees hurt after the workout.
• Balance with Sadie – This is a good workout for a full leg workout. She targets the calves, which we appreciated! The core work is good core, very little focus on arm strength.

Core

• Runners Core - Excellent; the 2^nd time we did this 10 min workout, we used the Barre3 ball and it was MUCH harder!
• Cupid's Core – Not a favorite – our hip flexors took over in many of the poses, which is common for runners.
• Deep Core Work – This 10 minute workout made us sweat! It targets the lower abs, however, if your hip flexors tend to take over, be careful with some of the exercises.
• Runners Workout: Glutes and Core  - One word - hard! What we loved about this 10 min class was that the poses mimic the running motion and really targeted the core.  
• Arms and Core: Studio Shape: Good, 10 minute class that targets areas two areas we always want to improve!

We definitely recommend Barre3 online workouts to our clients and friends, especially those who don't belong to a gym and travel frequently. Many of these classes can be done with a mat and a kitchen counter or chair! Also, mix it up a bit with something different!

We Love...Cross Training

Over the next week, we are featuring things, products, races, classes and places we love. Let us know how you love to cross train in the comments section!

Running is our go-to activity however we love checking out classes and cross training activities.  Besides being a vital part of any running schedule, cross training is fun! It makes your muscles and mind work differently.

One of our favorite ways to cross train is to hit some of NYC’s amazing studios and gyms and take classes from instructors who inspire us and make us like a sweaty indoor 60 minute class. We’ve found some kick-ass classes in other cities during our travels as well. Here are a few that we love.

• Fitness/Cardio Classes
  • Liz Lefrois is our go-to instructor. She teaches at Equinox locations in NYC. She’s fun and offers a challenging class
• Spin Classes
  
  • Gregg Cook  is our FAVE instructor. You feel like an athlete in his classes, which we love.
  • Soul Cycle and FlyWheel are fun, sweaty classes
  • Best option - get outside and ride in Central Park or Prospect Park
• Bar Classes
  
  • Physique 57 is a fast paced class that leaves you sweaty and tone.
  • Bar Method is a bit slower but still tones and lengthens. Check out their SoHo location.
  • Barre 3, out of Portland, OR, offers online bar classes that we've been doing in our kitchens (subscriptions are $15/month)
• Pilates
  • We head to Henry Street Pilates
  • Jessica has been taking privates with Fran Darnell at Bridge Pilates in Dumbo
• Yoga
  • Our go-to is Mala in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
  • Check out Virayoga in SoHo for alignment based yoga
  • Laughing Lotus in Chelsea is a fun, flow class
  • Shambhala in Prospect Heights has an array of classes

How to Stay Strong Anywhere

We love being outdoors and pretty much do anything we can to avoid the gym, with the exception of our favorite yoga and pilates classes. However, we need to stay strong to ensure that we are able to run efficiently, faster and maintain overall balance in our body.

So, if you are like us and don't relish the gym and weights, make your living room or your local park your very own personal gym!

Here are our favorite exercises. We do these 2-3 times a week and sometimes mix them up within our run. We recommend warming up with a fast walk for slow jog for about 10 minutes and then jumping into these exercises that only require your body weight.

Full Body:

Walk outs: These suckers will get your heart rate up and strength your whole body. Make sure you hold your core tight and breath.

Legs:

Single Leg Squat: Improve your balance, flexibility and strength your leg muscles all at the same time!

Step Back Lunge: This variation puts less stress on the knees. If your knees hurt while doing this exercise, try a stationary lunge by stepping your leg back and then moving up and down without returning to the starting position.

Single Leg Deadlift: We love this exercise because it improves one legged stability and gets your glutes firing which is key for an efficient and powerful stride.

Calf Raises: All to often, runners overlook their lower leg muscles. Add in calf raises to increase strength and ward off injuries.

Upper Body:

Superman: You will feel super powerful after performing 2 sets of this exercise. Cape optional.

Triceps Dip: Find a bench or stairs on one of your runs and work those arms!

Plank Walks: Great total body exercise. Keep those abs tight and shoulder blades flat on the back and your legs engaged.

Core:

Plank and Side Plank: Another one of our favorites. Try this as a series: 30 second forearm plank, 30 second left side plank, 30 second forearm plank to 30 second right side plank. Don't sink those hips and make sure your shoulders are over your elbows.

Russian Twist: Strengthens the obliques which are essential to maintaining proper running form. The slower the twist, the deeper the burn.

Bridge Lift: This is a great exercise for your abs and your glutes. Hold for 10-15 seconds on your last rep and really engage your obliques closest to your hip bones.

Best Workouts for the Bride

If you are embarking on a fitness and diet routine to tone up and look good on your big day, add running into your plan. Running burns the most calories AND it's a great way to releive stress (we know there's a bit of that leading up to a wedding!)

If you want an easy and effective way to tone up and slim down, run with us. Our private training sessions pack in both cardio and strength training. All of our sessions are catered to your goals - think skinny, toned arms, stamina for the dance floor and awesome looking legs! Think of our sessions as a wedding bootcamp.

New York Magazine named us one of the best workouts for brides. Check us out!

The Best Strength Moves for Runners

Let’s face it, most runners, us included (!) think we are in great shape and fit because we run long distances or many hours a week. While that’s true, running is the same motion over and over and over again. Thus, your muscles and joints learn to behave in a very specific way. In order to become a faster and stronger runner, incorporate cross training and strength exercises into your weekly running plans.

One of our favorite ways to incorporate strength into our weekly workouts is to do the exercises during a run. We do this on an easy run day and not before or after the following workouts: speed, tempo, hill or long run.

Here’s our workout: Run 1 mile, dynamic warmup series, run ½ mile, leg exercises, run ½ mile, core exercises, run ½ mile, upper body exercises, finish up with 1 mile cool down.

Have time to hit the gym or do the workout at home? Here are the top exercises we recommend for every runner (with links to our YouTube videos):

1. Plank and side plank (30 t0 60 seconds)
2. Pushups (25-50, modified or full)
3. Squats (regular and/or with high knees)
4. Bridge lift
5. Single leg deadlift

Our Top 5 Strength Moves for Runners

Let’s face it, most of us runners think we are in great shape and fit because we run long distances or so many hours a week. While that’s true, running is the same motion over and over and over again. Thus, your muscles and joints learn to behave in a very specific way. In order to become a faster and stronger runner, incorporate cross training and strength exercises into your weekly running plans.

One of our favorite ways to incorporate strength into our weekly workouts is to do the exercises during a run. We do this on an easy run day and not on a day before or after our speed/tempo/hill or long run.

Here’s our workout: Run 1 mile, dynamic warmup series, run ½ mile, legs, run ½ mile, abs, run ½ mile, upper body, finish up with 1 mile cool down.

Here are the top 5 exercises we recommend for every runner. Do 2-3 sets of each exercise at least 2x a week. You will become stronger and you will feel faster. We've included a link to our video. The description is within our YouTube video.

1. Plank - Builds abdominal and lower back strength to support and stabilize your upper body while running improving form, performance and reducing risk of injury. 

• Begin lying face down, resting on your forearms. 
• Push off the floor, raising up on to toes and forearms so your body is parallel to the floor, making a straight line from your head to your heels
• Focus on pulling your abdominal in and keeping your shoulders over your elbows. 
• Look slightly forward to avoid straining the neck.
• Hold for 30-60 seconds.

2. Side Plank - Strengthes the oblique muscles and increase hip strength and stability which are important in preventing injury. 

• Begin by lying on your right side with your right forearm on the ground, shoulder over your elbow and left leg stacked on top of right.
• Exhale and push your hips off the floor. Keep pushing left hip up towards the sky. 
• Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side

3. Pushups - Strengthens the shoulders, arms and core improving your upper body strength which will improve your running economy, help maintain proper form as your lower body begins to fatigue, and are essential for hilly terrain in order to drive your legs uphill.  

• Get into a plank position and place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Feet can be together or wider apart (easier).
• Contract your abs by pulling your belly button toward your spine. Keep your core tight throughout the movement.
• Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Exhale as you push back up to the start position. Don't lock the elbows; keep them slightly bent.
• Repeat 25 times (full or modified or a combination).

3. Squats - Strengthen your hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteals, calves and hip flexors. These are great for runners because they work the entire lower body and improve muscle balance.  

• Stand with your knees shoulder width apart and toes angled out, arms by your sides. 
• Squat down bringing thighs parallel to the floor. Keep your weight in your heels, chest up, back flat and knees behind your toes. Squeeze your butt as you come back up. 
• For weak knees, only perform a partial squat. 
• Repeat 25 times.

4. Bridge Lift - Works your glutes, which is necessary for efficient leg turnover. 

• Lie flat on your back with your hands by your side, knees bent and feet hips width apart. 
• Fire your glutes by driving your heels into the ground to raise your hips. Your hips should create a straight line from the knee through the hip and shoulder. 
• At the top point, draw in the abdominals and hold for 2 seconds. 
• Lower back down and repeat.
• You should feel this in your glutes and hamstrings, not your back.
• Repeat 25 times.

5. Single Leg Deadlift - Strengthens the hips, engages the hamstrings and gets the glutes firing. These are all needed for stabilizing the body while running. Balancing on one leg simulates the one legged activity of running, works your balance and core muscles. 

• Standing up with a slight bend in the right knee, raise the left leg slightly off the ground.
• Hinge forward at the waist and lift the left leg straight behind you until your chest is parallel to the floor. Engage your hamstring and glute of the right leg planted on the ground and come back to standing. Repeat for 10-15 times and switch legs.
• Advanced Option: As you hinge back to standing draw the right knee up until your knee is parallel with your hips. Hold for 3 seconds and return to hinged forward position with your leg behind you. Repeat for 10-15 times.

Tips to Start Running

We've heard it a million times before, that running is one of the best ways to get fit and lose weight. So, why isn't everyone out there running or jogging and getting fit? Because running can be daunting and painful and not the easiest activity for people. Many of our clients come to us because running is not comfortable for them or they don't know how to start running. Questions abound: how fast do I run? Am I running correctly? Why can't I run for more than a few minutes?

We firmly believe that everyone is able to run! How you start is very important. We recommend you create a plan or strategy. Here are our top tips for how to start running.

1. Run/Walk - this is probably the most effective way to start a running routine. Begin by walking fast for 5 minutes and then run for 1-2 minutes. Continue with the run/walk for 20 minutes (we suggest 3-4mins walking and 1-2 minutes running for beginners) Experiment with different lengths of running and walking.

2. Map it out - know where you are going. Use Map My Fitness or Google pedometer to map out a route that is 1 mile

3. Get some motivational music - pick about 7-8 of your favorite songs, load em up on your iphone, ipod, etc and head outside. Put a few of the slower tracks first and then build up to the fun, dance songs. Run for the length of your mix (20-25 mins). Here are some of our favorites: Hot Bird Music

4. Take it slow - pace doesn't matter! Start off slow and let your body get use to the new movement.

5. Make it social - find a friend and run or run/walk with them. Put it on your calendar and you'll be less likely to skip it. lululemon stores lead fun runs out of their stores. Find a store near you.

6. Keep an exercise log/journal - keep a record of your runs. Write down your activity - time, run/walk intervals, how you felt and time of day. This is a great way to see your progress.

7. Find a coach who you relate and will help you reach your goals!

We hope this motivates you to lace up those sneakers and get out there. 

HBR Nike Training Club Challenge

We love training for races. We also love our non-race training months, like right now.  During these months, it's our time to really commit to cross training: kick boxing classes, take ballet (okay, that was once but really fun!), try a new global conditioning class, or torture ourselves at a barre class (we have a secret love for Physique 57 and Refine Method).

For the next few weeks, instead of taking a bunch of classes and being indoors, we decided to challenge ourselves (and all of you!) to a 21 day focused workout goal. We are taking advantage of the awesome Nike Training Club app for this challenge and committing to one NTC workout every day for 21 days.

Join us and commit to an NTC workout once a day for 21 days; it takes 21 days to create a habit!  The app (available for iphones and ipads only right now) offers 15, 30, and 45 minute beginner, intermmediate & advanced workouts. Check out the app - the awesomeness speaks for itself from the second you launch it!

Follow our progress here or on Facebook. Don't forget to tell us about your own goals and progress!

Hot Bird Running Class on Saturday

Our outdoor classes are back! We are kicking off a season of Hot Bird Running classes this Saturday at 9am. Meet us at Mala Yoga, 162 Court St at Amity St, for an hour long, fun running and strength class. 

During the class, we'll run 2 to 2.5 miles with stops in between to perform strength exercises targeted to runners. Must be able to run 2 miles continuously. Email us if you have questions!

Class is $15, cash or check. Bring water and a friend! See you at 9am outside of Mala.