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Jenni Falconer’s marathon training exercises
By slhaf | March 3, 2010
TV presenter Jenni Falconer is aiming to get a personal best at this year’s Virgin London Marathon, with the help of these conditioning exercises from celeb personal trainer Matt Roberts.
EXERCISE 1: Rotating lunge
Why you should do it: This move mimics the rotational movements you make when you run and will prepare your core for what it will face during a race. Rotational lunges will also improve your glute and hip strength so you’re nice and stable – and less prone to injury – when you run.
How to do it: Hold a medicine ball or weight with straight arms, level with your shoulders, and take a step forward with your right leg (A). Bend your knees to 90 degrees, maintaining a straight torso. As you lower down, rotate your arms and torso to the right (B). Push back up and return to the starting position. Perform 12-15 reps, and repeat on the other side.
EXERCISE 2: Knee drive
Why you should do it: This explosive exercise will help you to develop greater dynamic power in your lower body, which will help you when you need to find the strength to up your pace during a race, deal with running up a hill or run into the wind.
How to do it: Place one foot on a raised step. Maintaining a straight torso, bend your back knee and lower yourself towards the ground (A). Drive up from the legs, squeezing your bum at the same time and come up on to your forefoot to work your calf muscle (B). Perform 12-15 reps, and repeat on the other side.
EXERCISE 3: Single leg deadlift.
Why you should do it: This move will help you build better core strength, especially around you hips and glutes, to ensure your back is suitably strong enough for the race. A strong back is essential for when you start to increase your mileage of your training – the harder and longer you train, the more tension you will be likely to carry in your back, which can lead to injury or strain.
How to do it: Always maintain a straight torso with no flexing of your back. Maintain a slightly flexed standing leg. Lean forward from the hips (A), lowering yourself down as far as you can while maintaining a straight torso (B). Squeeze your bum and extend your body back to the starting position. Perform 12-15 reps, and repeat on the other side.
EXERCISE 4: Single leg plank
Why you should do it: This exercise will help you develop strong abdominal muscles and strengthen your core, which you’ll need to help you maintain good running form and an upright posture during the race. And remember, it’s not just your legs that do all the work in a distance event – you’re whole body gets involved to help you move forward. Having a strong core will really help you to fight fatigue and keep you moving.
How to do it: Place your feet on a step. Rest your weight on your elbows and feet, making sure you keep the abs braced and your back flat (A). When you feel suitably stable, lift one foot off the floor and hold for as long as possible (B). Repeat on the other side.
Click here for more marathon training tips from Matt Roberts or visit Matt’s website www.mattroberts.co.uk.
If you’re looking for a great 10k running plan see the April issue of Health & Fitness magazine, on sale March 4, 2010.
Jenni is running the Virgin London Marathon for CLIC Sargent, official charity for the 2010 race. You can sponsor Jenni at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/jenni.falconer or track her progress via her Titter page, www.twitter.com/jennifalconer
To understand more about the work CLIC Sargent does and the young people it helps, visit www.clicsargent.org.uk or check out ‘Ollie’s Story’ at www.clicsargent.org.uk/olliesstory. Ollie, who is 18 and was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma (bone cancer) in January 2009, is keeping a webumentary to share her experiences, so you can see what her life is like and meet all the people who help her, including her CLIC Sartent Young People’s Social Worker. Ollie’s sister Georgie is running this year’s Virgin London Marathon for CLIC Sargent. To show your support, visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/runningforollie
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Topics: Celebs, Home, Workouts | 1 Comment »
April 12th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
i noticed that many tips and many trainer suggest lots of step and idea of become fit but i like your very simple and easy step like rotating lunge, knee drive, single leg deadlift, single leg plank etc…..