This is one of my favorite workouts…two, twenty minute runs with strength training sandwiched in the middle. I purposely selected strength exercises that don’t require equipment so that this workout can be done outdoors.  You could easily tie a resistance tube around your waist and use that during the strength training segment as well. For optimal effect (i.e., if you want to up the “challenge” a bit), use a hill for the strength training too (you’ll see what a I mean below).

Split Run workout

5-10 minute warm up of light jogging or fast-paced walking

20 min jog/run at a moderate pace (6-7 on RPE scale)

10 mins:  Strength Training using stairs/hill (there’s the hill part I was referring to

12-15 push-ups from knees on the hill (facing uphill)

12-15 tricep dips on the hill (feet pointing downhill)

10-12 side-squat steps up hill; walk down and perform10-12 with opposite leg leading

15 squats on the hill, with back toward top of the hill (when facing down hill, the squats are MUCH harder. You’ll see

Stairs: run up 1x, single steps

Run up 1x, two steps at a time

Walk up 1x, single steps

Run up 1x, two steps at a time

2 mins:  Active recovery, walking, allowing heart rate to nearly return to normal

10 mins: jog/ run at more intense pace (7-8 on RPE scale)

5 mins: cooldown

5-10 mins: stretching, focus on hamstrings and hip flexors

* Note: Blue Sky Gym and the author disclaim any liability for any injury, physical or emotional, suffered during or as a result of exercise or activities recommended. As always, you should use common sense and consult your health professional before beginning any exercise routine or program.

I receive a lot of emails regarding strength training, and specifically, how to design your own program so that you continually improve.  Because I don’t always know the person asking, it is difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer. What works for someone else may not work for you, and that goes both ways. Your current level of fitness, exercise history, body type, metabolism, muscle composition, and so on, all help determine how your body will respond to strength training. That said, there are a few basic rules that generally work for most people, and because when I receive questions from strangers I have to assume there are other fitness enthusiasts out there who would like to ask the same question, but are afraid to, I like to share my answers. So, I will now end my long-winded introduction to today’s post, “building strength” in 3 easy steps.

Just as doing the same routine over and over, with little variation, will not progress your cardiovascular fitness and endurance, the same ho-hum routine you do for strength training won’t continue to make you stronger (and get you those sculpted muscles you’re after)…unless something changes.

Here are 3 simple ways to building a better stronger bod

1. Pick one of your strength training days (preferably a day you train all body parts) and increase the weight you lift by 2-5%. This may not seem like a huge boost, but if you continue to do this every week for 3-4 weeks, taper off for a week, then continue to build again for another 3-4 weeks, believe me – you’ll see changes.

Quick example: If you lift 20 lbs for bicep curls, a 5% increase means you’d increase the weight to about 21 lbs. Using this approach, you could keep everything else constant – the number of reps, the number of sets, and number of exercises – just increase the load. The following week, you could bump another 5% to 22lbs, then to 23 lbs, etc.

2. Or, you could increase the number of repetitions you lift in any given set. For example, if you normally do 8 bicep curls, increasing to 10 or 12 reps should fatigue the muscle. If you find the 12th rep is relatively easy, it is probably time to increase the weight you’re lifting (i.e, apply the “2-5% rule”).

3. You could also increase the total volume you are lifting simply by adding a 3rd set to your exercises. Typically, if the load on the muscle is sufficient to fatigue the muscle in 8-12 repetitions, then adding a 3rd set will leave you feeling like a limp noodle when you are done. If it doesn’t, then the weight you are lifting likely isn’t heavy enough.

*If you are new to strength training, work with your trainer (or hire one) to help you find appropriate starting weights. And if you haven’t already, be sure to get your doctor’s “okidoki” before beginning a new exercise program.

To find out a bit more about strength training progression, you might also like to read, “Add stress to your strength training.”

Have a burning question about strength training? Fire away…!

This is actually one of the better questions I’ve received recently. Instinctively, my first thought is NO. More on this in a minute.

If, however, you are new to fitness and just starting to exercise regularly, then by all means do whatever type of exercise you like, even if it means doing the same thing every day. You will eventually reach a point when the results taper off, you lose motivation, get bored, or all of the above. That is when you’ll want to mix it up.

Even if you are a fitness guru, there will come a time when your “normal” workout routine isn’t working, or you suffer from burnout (this is common). To keep your muscles challenged and continue to see results, you need include the following components in your routine:

1. Variety

2. Cardiovascular exercise

3. Muscle strengthening exercise

4. Progression (which is just a fancy word for, “gradually making it harder” so that muscles and/or cardiovascular fitness continue to improve)

5. Stretching

Variety is the spice of life, and also the key to a successful workout routine. By continually surprising your muscles with new challenges, they will in turn adapt and become stronger, more efficient.

To mix up your routine, you  might try martial arts, swimming, weight training, yoga or Pilates, Zumba, BodyPump…you get the picture. This is also called “cross training.”

Cardiovascular exercise is the calorie-burning equivalent of driving your car on the highway. Aim for 30-60 mins on most days of the week.

Strength training is beneficial in many ways. It builds lean muscle, which increases resting metabolic rate. It also helps prevent injury by strengthening the muscles around the joints.

Progression will get you from A to B. You can progress both your cardiovascular and strength training routines, and there are many ways to do it. Read more about how to progress your routine.

Stretching We sit all day, move forward  most of the time, and, as the title of this post would indicate, tend to do the same workouts over and over. As a result, muscles get T-I-G-H-T. Stretching at least a few times a week for 15-20 minutes (2-3 minutes for each major muscle if you do 8 stretches and hold each one 15-30 seconds, and repeat), will go a long way toward improving elasticity, and help prevent injury. I’m a fan of yoga, as well as Pilates, but really, any stretching is good in my book.

You might also like: Is your workout working?and, Strength Training 101

Do you have a favorite “mix it up” routine? What do you do to add spice to your workouts?