Mike's Training - What To Do?

Eat Your Heart Out Chris Hemsworth

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This program is completed on days Mike would not be running a portion of the marathon to gradually increase aerobic fitness. This program is a weight/resistance training e.g. BodyPump. Program should be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks as your body adapts.

Strength training is vital for overall improvement in running in addition to adequate stretching and recovery methods like foam rolling.

Reasons behind exercises chosen in tailored exercise program:

Weight training is vital for bone density, increasing muscle mass which can increase how much energy your body uses over a day, also improves how glucose can be used in your body as the hormone insulin works more effectively with regular weight training. 

The exercises chosen are called compound exercises. This means your body is working more and if linked to larger results than if you select smaller body movements e.g. crunches.

If Mike wanted to do more add cardio on his favourite machine for 30-60 minutes.

Warm Up: 5-10 minutes on treadmill/cross trainer

Exercise 1: Squat Presses (press ball/dumbbells above head) – 20 repetitions

Exercise 2: Lunge bicep curls with dumbbells – Walking forward for 20 lunges (one each leg is one). Do a bicep curl with both arms at the bottom of each lunge.

Exercise 3: Gorilla walks (walking on hands and feet on ground) -If group fitness room 2 is free use and walk the longest distance forward and back 5 times. Brace abdominals tightly to protect back.

Exercise 4: Triceps dips -20 dips if you want you can add a weight to your lap.

Exercise 5: Push-ups (wide/chest) – 20 pushups on knees or toes if possible.

Exercise 6: Crab walks (walk with stomach facing roof and arms and legs holding weight with bottom off the ground) – Walk across room and back 5 times.

Exercise 7: Plank or Hover (knees/toes if possible. Remember to have nose over thumbs in hover) - tapping single arm and legs to increase intensity. Hold for 1-2 minutes.1

Exercise 8: Burpees (squat first, arms horizontal in front and look forward the put hands on ground and jump or step feet back together into a plank, jump back in and jump up/tuck jump - repeat 15 times.

Exercise 9: Chin ups attempt/repetitions 10-15.

Repeat exercises 2-3 times

Cool down: 5-10 minutes to stretch all muscles.

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Plan written by Feed Your Future Dietetics