ADVENT CALENDAR OF CORE: DAY 5

It’s Day 5 already! Doesn’t time fly when you are having fun improving your core!?

If you prefer to go hunting for your daily exercise, click here to locate your bauble.

For the rest of you who just want to get into it, today we will be learning one new exercise and calling on a couple of old friends.

If you feel that your muscles are still really tender, even after having and easier Day 4, consider dropping down a level to balance gain with recovery. Exercising wisely is the best way to see sustainable improvements.

Today’s new exercise is the Double Leg Lower. This requires good core control to keep your trunk stable and your back in the correct position as your legs move.

Double Leg Lower Exercise Cues

Throughout today’s new exercise we must keep our lower back in contact with the floor. Do not arch your back when the going gets tough. If you find this isn’t possible, lower your legs only to the point where you can still perform the exercise correctly.

Start by lying flat on your back with your legs bent at 45 degrees. Look straight upwards and make sure the small of your back is touching the ground. From here, straighten your legs until they are pointing upwards, still at a 45 degree angle with the floor. They should not be pointing straight up in the air from your hips … that would be a 90 degree angle. This is our starting point. From here, keep your legs straight and slowly lower them towards the ground. Take care not to drop your legs quickly and always maintain lower back contact with the floor. As your feet come close to the ground, stop and return to the bent knee position. You have completed a double leg lower. Do not continue this exercise if you feel pain.

Three steps of the double leg lower should look like this.

Step 1

Leg Lowers Wild Runners

Step 2

Leg Lowers Wild Runners

Step 3

Leg Lowers Wild Runners

 

The Exercise Set:

In today’s set we will be matching Day 3 effort before building again tomorrow. To complete today’s set you will need to recall Day 2’s side plank and Day 3’s glute bridge. Think form as we are performing the exercises and remember, if you are feeling pain, stop regroup and readjust. Let’s try to stick to the exercise level we chose on Day 1 and get into it. Here is the set:

StepInstructionLEVEL 1LEVEL 2LEVEL 3
1Perform a double leg lower5 lowers controlled speed10 lowers controlled speed20 lowers controlled speed
2Rest30 seconds30 seconds20 seconds
3Hold a Side Plank on your left arm10 seconds20 seconds40 seconds
4Rest30 seconds30 seconds20 seconds
5Hold a Glute Bridge10 seconds20 seconds40 seconds
6Rest30 seconds30 seconds20 seconds
7Hold a Side Plank on your right arm10 seconds20 seconds40 seconds
8Rest2 mins2 mins2 mins
9Repeat Circuit1 more time (2 sets total)1 more time (2 sets total)1 more time (2 sets total)

And you are done – great job!

Let us know how you went; we love hearing from you. You can comment on our web page or post a picture on Facebook with #CalendarOfCore

Are you local? Wild Runners is running a weekly competition to win 4 weeks free training. Check out the competition here

Even if you don’t win, feel free to come along and test us out for free. Our training sessions have an emphasis on strength and technique making them a great way to improve your running even if you are a dedicated road runner. A session on trails each week will help you make big gains on the asphalt… and you may just get addicted to running wild in the meantime!

See you tomorrow, Wild Runners.