ADVENT CALENDAR OF CORE: DAY 10

ADVENT CALENDAR OF CORE: DAY 10

Day 10– Push up to the next level!

As always click the link for your bauble. : )

This day was always going to come. The Push Up is here. I’m sure it’s an exercise you have heard of, if not tried before but even if you can smash out 200 in a row, check out the cues below. We want to be doing them correctly after all. Other exercises that we will be calling on in today’s set are the Side Plank and Glute Bridge. If you have jumped onto the #CalendarofCore party train a littler later, make sure you check out earlier days to review how to do the exercise correctly. We don’t want any pre-Christmas injuries through poor form.

Push ups

The push up is an exercise you might have known about since you were young and one that many people perform badly. It’s important we do it right in order to stay injury free. You’re well practiced at the front plank by now and it’s this straight body posture we want to replicate as we perform our push ups. If you are unable to hold a strong plank or find yourself starting to sag in the middle, then don’t progress to the push up just yet. Where the exercise set indicates push ups perform a plank instead and focus on increasing your core strength.

We start out with the weight on our hands and toes. Our hand are slightly wider than shoulder width apart, our chest is up and our shoulder blades are down and in. Our body is straight as if we are performing the plank. From this position we slowly lower our body, keeping it straight, towards the ground until our chest ouches the floor before returning up to full arm extension. Note, this isn’t a race. Slow and controlled, switching on the core is the goal here.

If you feel you are struggling to perform a push up, find a higher surface to place your hand on, such as a bench or a chair or even lean against a wall. Whatever you choose, ensure it is secure and will not slip out from under you.

Check out the photos below:

Start with full arm extension

Push up core Exercises for runners with Wild Runners run training

Get down and smell the grass

Push up core Exercises for runners with Wild Runners run training

Back to full arm extension

Push up core Exercises for runners with Wild Runners run training

 

Don’t feel you can do a full push up? Try using a bench or even a wall. The higher the easier. Start easy and work downwards.

Push up using a bench. Core Exercises for runners with Wild Runners

 

The Exercise Set:

In today’s set, the Around the World times are increasing slightly and we are upping the ante from plank to push up. If you find the standard push up too difficult, swap to a push up using a bench or wall. It’s much better to do 5 good reps at a lower intensity than five reps with bad form.

StepInstructionLevel 1Level 2Level 3
1Perform pushup4 Push ups7 Push ups14 Push ups
2Rest30 seconds30 seconds20 seconds
3Hold a Side Plank on your left arm35 seconds45 seconds1 min
4Rest30 seconds30 seconds20 seconds
5Hold a Glute Bridge35 seconds45 seconds1 min
6Rest30 seconds30 seconds20 seconds
7Hold a Side Plank on your right arm35 seconds45 seconds1 min
8Rest1:30 mins1:15 mins1:00 mins
9Repeat Circuit1 more time (2 sets total)1 more time (2 sets total)1 more time (2 sets total)

We’d always love to know how you are doing so check in with us on the Wild Runners Facebook wall #CalendarOfCore or send us an email.

It would be great to see you at a Wild Runners session sometime soon. It’s great seeing new faces and often only takes a few simple pointers to see significant improvement.

See you tomorrow, Wild Runners.

 

About Wild Runners


Wild Runners offer trail run training and coaching on the trails and on-line. We have a strong focus on improving your running through a combination of fitness, form and technique. Trail and road runners alike can see great gains in performance from skills and strength gained in our sessions. Plus, trails are quite simply a lot of fun. Contact us for more information on our coaching or training programs and try us for free. All abilities welcome.