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Adam L.
Adam L. Sendmail

Improving core strength without weights

posted over 2 years ago | Report

The marathon training program I'm following includes a day per week for "strength/core", but I don't have access to a weight set. What can or should I do without freeweights that will meet some of these goals?

The workouts are here:
http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/getinvolved/teamwv-train-strength

Thanks!

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16 posts

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  • Kim D.
    Kim D. Sendmail

    I couldn't open the link you posted but thought I'd throw in my two cents. Pilates is a great core workout.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Jacob B.
    Jacob B. Sendmail

    Yoga, pilates, etc are all great work outs. There are also a ton of "non-structured" exercises you can do as well. I recently found a great article in Men's Health magazine:

    http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=workout.plans&conitem=6436714fa4d21110VgnVCM10000013281eac____

    I usually tack this onto whatever yoga set I do, even when doing the abs focus yoga. You can definitely feel it, and it's easily adjustable for your needs in terms of reps, how long you hold certain poses, etc.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Stephanie Y.
    Stephanie Y. Sendmail

    Pilates for sure.

    No weights, you just use your body weight as resistance.

    My husband took a class with me once and could barely get through 20 minutes of it. It's a lot harder than it looks and it's the best way, imo, to build up core strength for your entire core, not just your ab muscles.

    If you've never done Pilates, I'd suggest taking a class at a studio or gym for the first few times to learn the proper form. Then you can either keep going to classes, you could get videos, or you can come up with your own routines once you feel comfortable doing so.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Debbie
    Debbie Sendmail

    Love Pilates. There are lots of exercises that don't involve weights. Planks, pushups, spinal stabilization exercises, balance exercises all work the core.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Cari H.
    Cari H. Sendmail

    I like this routine taken from RW - would love abs like Lolo's! It can all be done at home without any equipment.

    www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263--13030-1-1X2X3X4-5,00.html

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Jules C.
    Jules C. Sendmail
    in reply to what Cari H. said:I like this routine taken from RW - would love abs like Lolo's! It can all be done at home without any equipment. www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263--13030-1-1X2X3X4-5,00.html

    +10 pts for the fast abs article from runnersworld. I've been using it for a while now and it has done wonders for my posture.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Daniel N.PRO
    Daniel N. Sendmail

    Jay Johnson has a whole series of training videos on his blog.
    http://www.coachjayjohnson.com/category/videos/training-videos/

    They are awesome and feature Sara Vaughn, a star 800m runner who he coaches.

    He also has some great videos on insidenikerunning.com. I use this Myrtle routine all the time:
    http://insidenikerunning.nike.com/2008/09/30/general-strength-video-myrtl-routine/

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Stephen H.
    Stephen H. Sendmail

    you can do air bike, pushups, plank, situps, leg raises, bodyweight squats, lunges, jumping jacks, table jumps(onto a chair?)... just be creative, im sure you can think of something.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Daniel N.PRO
    Daniel N. Sendmail
    in reply to what Stephen H. said:you can do air bike, pushups, plank, situps, leg raises, bodyweight squats, lunges, jumping jacks, table jumps(onto a chair?)... just be creative, im sure you can think of something.

    you can also go shopping with my wife... please. Great shoulder workout carrying bags.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Jennifer H.
    Jennifer H. Sendmail

    Pilates...I do lunges, and squats with no weights but I do other exercises with resistance bands of 3 different strengths. I do arms, legs and abs all pilates style. It works and also less chance of injury.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Bill S.PRO
    Bill S. Sendmail

    Pushups and other bodyweight exercises are excellent. Try the 100 pushup challenge program.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Caleb K.PRO
    Caleb K. Sendmail

    Squats, push-ups, and planks. These are your three desert island exercises.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Christina S.
    Christina S. Sendmail

    pilates. oh yeah. I have just started incorporating some of the basic stuff from online sites, not classes. the plank is my fave!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Leslie G.
    Leslie G. Sendmail

    Great suggestions here. Another I do is lunge walks, especially "prisoner" style with your hands on your head. (I'm not kidding!) Requires more balance and more core activation than the regular kind. Also I watch TV on the floor and come up into plank or try to balance on my butt with my arms and legs in the air (kinda like yoga's boat pose) as a way to pass the time.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Toby P.
    Toby P. Sendmail

    Hey Adam, Men's Health will probably have the best/most options for doing a home core w/out. Being that you don't need a ton of resistance to get good work done on your core, it's probably the easiest type of w/out to do without wts. All you need is a mat or towel, if you don't have a soft carpet, and various angles to work from to hit all your core muscles. Once again I would refer to Men's Health, but I recommend you do crunches in some form of a Reverse, Forward, Forward with Rotation, Contracted Rotation, Plank, Side Bends or Side Plank and Low Back Ext. I have probably like 50 variations of core exercises, if you ever want some suggestions let me know.

    Oh, and you can use just about anything of wt. around your house to intensify.

    Good Luck!

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Stanley
    Stanley Sendmail
    in reply to what Toby P. said:Hey Adam, Men's Health will probably have the best/most options for doing a home core w/out. Being that you don't need a ton of resistance to get good work done on your core, it's probably the easiest type of w/out to do without wts. All you need ... read more

    Any recommendations on a really beginning program on strengthening my core muscles. I'm trying to incorporate at least 3 days of core training. Simply doing a few sets of 1 minute plank and side planks at the moment.

    posted over 2 years ago

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