Need a quick core workout to help supplement your training? This 30 minute core workout for adventure racers and other off road athletes has you covered. Written by Heather Hart, ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist, UESCA ultrarunning & RRCA running coach, this workout can be done at home with no equipment required, but includes optional resistance modifications for an added challenge.
We've been conditioned to associate our "core" with a tight waist and six pack abs. But in reality, the "core" of your body is comprised of a series of muscles and connective tissues that incorporates the lumbar spine, pelvic girdle, hip joint, and abdominal complex, all collectively referred to as the “lumbo pelvic hip complex” (LPHC).
Most athletes are fully aware that having a strong core is so much more important than what your midsection looks like.
Greater core stability provides a foundation for greater force production in the upper and lower extremities.
In short: a strong core = a stronger body, all around. This not only matters for athletes and athletic performance, but for overall self sufficiency and quality of life…especially as we age.
Core Strength for Adventure Racers: Why it Matters:
According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, athletes should keep the following concepts in mind when strengthening your core for athletic performance:
- Use a variety of open-and closed-chain exercises
- Work in multiple planes of motion
- Use loaded and unloaded conditions
- Use stable and unstable positions
- Work unilateral and bilateral
So let's specifically apply these concepts to the demands of adventure racing. The very nature of the sport means you have to be prepared for almost anything.
Whether your paddling a kayak for dozens of miles against a headwind, carrying your bike overhead while walking through knee deep mud, navigating a rocky mountain climb wearing a 40lb pack, or crawling through caves looking for a check point...a strong core that has been trained to both resist AND produce force in multiple directions is necessary.
7 Exercise Core Workout for Adventure Racers, Trail Runners, & Off Road Athletes
The following workout has been designed keeping all of the above concepts, as well as the specific demands of the sport of adventure racing, in mind. This workout is also fantastic for trail runners, mountain bikers, or any off-road athlete looking to improve their core strength.
Disclaimer: The following workout was designed for educational purposes, and is not a prescribed training plan for any particular individual. Understand that when participating in strength training exercises, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this workout you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, and assume all risk of injury to yourself. You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other fitness program to determine if it is right for your needs. If you are not comfortable performing a movement, ask a trained fitness professional for in person help!
1. Dead Bugs
- Lay on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor/ground.
- Engage your core by squeezing your abdominal muscles and low back. Imagine bringing the bottom of your ribcage towards your hips, while pushing your low back into the floor.
- Keeping your low back pushed into the ground and core engaged, bring your knees up to a 90 degree angle, and your arms straight up overhead, perpendicular to the floor and your torso.
- Keeping the core engaged and low back pushed into the ground, extend one leg straight out, while keeping the opposite leg at a 90 degree angle. Simultaneously, extend the opposite arm out overhead, keeping the other arm down by your side.
- Note: the further you extend your leg and the closer you bring it towards the ground (but don’t touch the ground!), the more difficult the exercise will be. If at any point your back arches off the ground, you have gone too far. Reset, and try again, perhaps keeping the foot closer to the body.
- Return arm and leg to start position, and repeat on the other side. Alternate legs and arms with each repetition.
Loaded Dead Bug Variation:
Loaded Dead Bugs can be performed with small dumbbells, or weight plates that you can safely and securely hold in your hands.
Perform the exercise the same as a regular Dead Bug, being careful to control the weight on the lift and lower. If at any point your back arches off of the ground, or you are struggling to perform the exercise, the weight you are using is too heavy. Reduce the weight until you can perform the exercise with control.
2. Up/Down Spiderman Planks
- Start in high plank position, hands under shoulders, bodyweight supported by your toes, and legs, hips, torso, and spine all aligned as if you were a "plank".
- Shift your weight onto your left foot.
- Squeeze your obliques while you bring your right knee out to the side, towards your right elbow. (Imagine you are "Spiderman" crawling up the side of a building). Pause for 1-2 seconds.
- Reverse the movement to bring your right foot back into position next to your left foot.
- Shift the weight to your right foot, and repeat on the other side.
- Now, slowly lower yourself down into low plank position on your forearms. Try to avoid a ton of rocking by engaging your entire midsection.
- Repeat the "Spiderman" portion of the movement, bringing your right knee towards your right elbow, and repeating on the left side.
- Carefully raise yourself back up into high plank position on your palms. Again, try to avoid a ton of rocking by engaging your entire midsection.
- Repeat the up/down Spiderman planks for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Prone Superman I-Y-T's
- Lay down on the ground on your stomach. Legs extend behind you, arms extend out overhead. Though it feels uncomfortable on the ground, keep your face down, eyes focused on the ground in front of you. Try to keep your entire body in one straight line.
- Squeezing your back, glutes, and shoulders, try to lift your chest AND your quadriceps off the ground. Keep your legs straight, do not try to lift your legs by simply bending at the knees. Squeeze those legs to lift them off the ground. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then lower.
- Now, move your arms to approximately a 45 degree angle, as if you are making a letter "Y" out of your hands (if your head is 12:00 on a clock, move your hands to about 11 and 1).
- Again, lift your body up by squeezing your back, glutes, and shoulders, try to lift your chest AND your quadriceps off the ground. Keep your legs straight, do not try to lift your legs by simply bending at the knees. Squeeze those legs to lift them off the ground. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then lower.
- Now, move your arms out to the side, perpendicular to your torso, making your body into a letter "t" (3:00 and 9:00 on the clock)
- Once again, squeeze and lift off of the ground, pause for 2-3 seconds, and lower.
- Run through the pattern of I, Y, T in a slow, controlled rhythm.
4. Side Plank w/ Hip Dip
- Lay on one side. Place your elbow on the ground directly under your shoulder to help support your body weight. Working your way down the length of your body, make sure you are completely perpendicular to the ground. Hips should be stacked one on top of the other, as should the thighs and lower legs.
- From this position, pop your body weight up into side plank position. Pause for 1-2 seconds.
- Then, slowly lower your body in a controlled fashion until your hip almost touches the ground. Before it does, pop back up into side plank.
- Note: It’s common for your body to come slightly higher than standard side plank during this exercise. Try to keep movement slow and controlled. Also, try to initiate movement from the core, rather than pushing through the knees.
Modified Side Plank w/Hip Dip
- If this exercise is too difficult, use this simple modification. In the start position, once legs are stacked one on top of the other, tuck the bottom knee behind you in a 90 degree angle. Continue with the exercise in the same fashion.
Loaded Side Plank w/ Hip Dip
- In the modified side plank position, rest a dumbbell on your hip, and hold it in place with your hand.
- Push back up into side plank position, and repeat the exercise, including the hip dip.
5. Bear Plank w/ Shoulder Tap
- Start in high plank position, with your feet about hip width apart.
- Walk your toes in towards your hands, until your hips form approximately a 90 degree angle, and your shins are parallel to the floor.
- Shift your weight to your left hand.
- Lift your right hand off of the floor, reach up and tap your left shoulder, then return it to the floor. This motion should be done slow, and controlled, while avoiding a ton of rocking.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating shoulder taps for the desired number of repetitions.
Loaded Bear Plank Renegade Row
- Start in high plank position, with your feet about hip width apart, and your hands resting on dumbbells instead of on the floor.
- Walk your toes in towards your hands, until your hips form approximately a 90 degree angle, and your shins are parallel to the floor.
- Shift your weight to your left hand.
- Keeping your elbow close to your body, squeeze your back to pull the dumbbell in your right hand up towards your hip or midsection in a rowing motion.
- Pause at the top of the the movement, then slowly lower back down to start. Again, this motion should be done slow, and controlled, while avoiding a ton of rocking.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating shoulder taps for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Pull Through Plank
- Start in high plank position, hands under shoulders, bodyweight supported by your toes, and legs, hips, torso, and spine all aligned as if you were a "plank".
- Shift your weight to your left hand.
- Keeping your torso engaged, chest facing the floor, reach your right arm underneath your body and across your centerline, towards the left wall, as far as you can reach while remaining in plank position.
- Then, come back across the centerline, and return to high plank position.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating reach throughs for the desired number of repetitions.
Loaded Pull Through Plank
- Start in high plank position, hands under shoulders, bodyweight supported by your toes, and legs, hips, torso, and spine all aligned as if you were a "plank".
- Place a weight on the left side of your body, behind your wrist.
- Shift your weight to your left hand.
- Keeping your torso engaged, chest facing the floor, reach your right arm underneath your body and across your centerline, towards the the weight.
- Now, carefully pull or move the weight from the left side of your body to the right side of your body, being sure to position the weight in a spot that will be behind your wrists (so you can safely put your hand back down in the correct position).
- Lower your right hand back to the starting position.
- Repeat
7. Single Leg Glute Bridges
- Lay down on your back. Bring your heels in close to the body, so they almost touch your fingertips.
- Extend one leg straight out so that your upper legs are parallel to each other. Slowly lift and lower your body off the ground, holding the top of the pose for 2-3 seconds before lowering. Really focus on keeping the hips high, while maintaining the extended leg’s position.
- Pushing through the heel on the ground, and lift your body off the ground by engaging your abdomen, glutes, and legs. Push all the way up until you are resting on your upper back. Imagine your body is in a “reverse plank”, you want your spine to be one long straight line, without hips sagging towards the ground. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then lower.
- Repeat for desired number of reps.
Loaded Single Leg Glute Bridge
Place and securely hold some sort of weight on your hips. Repeat single leg glute bridges as described above, constantly maintaining a safe grip on the weights so they don't roll off!
Sets, Reps, Frequency
How often you perform this workout is up to you! The American College of Sports Medicine and the CDC recommend that healthy adults aged 18–65 yr perform strength training exercises at least twice per week. Performing core strengthening exercises more frequently may help improve sport performance. However, it's important to always balance strength training with proper rest and recovery.
Below, I've included a printout with suggested reps, sets, and rest schemes.
Have any questions about this workout? Tried it and liked it (or hated it)? Let us know in the comments section below!
