Hi everyone, been a while since I've posted but I always lurk.
I recently got a job that affords me to work from home the majority of the time, I live in a condo building that has a gym and pool. In about 7 years of living here I have only visited the gym once. I've been running pretty consistently for over a year now and have dropped to about 155LBS (I am 5'11). I'm happy with my weight but I am getting a bit too skinny, I don't have a great deal of fat left but would like to get some more muscle in the upper body.
Anyhow, to cut to the point and stop rabbling I am going to try and get to the gym on my lunch breaks 3 days a week or so for about ~30 minutes. What are some things I should do? Anyone have any similar routines to share? I have no clue or experience when it comes to this type of workout, I have always been a cardio guy. Can't find a whole lot of examples on the internet that work with running.
Thanks!
Mmmmm...beer
Since you're working from home, you could buy a pullup bar to hang in a doorway and do pullups and pushups. Just those two exercises are great for the upper body. Can't help you on a weight routine, since all I do are pushups and pullups. Helps me build/maintain good upper body strength and it's easy to do at home.
-Dave
My running blog
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I do pushups, pullups, situps and squats every day. If I have time from running, I try to do a more organized weight training but most of the time, I only have time for those 4.
The good thing about working from home is that you can do sets of these throught the day.
Damaris
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You should check out http://www.strengthrunning.com - it might give you some good ideas. He also has great rehab routines for certain trouble areas - I've personally used his ITBS rehab routine with success. It's a good website for every runner to have bookmarked, in my opinion.
flashlight and sidewalk
+1 pushups and pullups
Regular, narrow, wide for both exercises...if you are going to use the gym consider using a trainer to set up a routine and to make sure you're using proper technique. I will also add that I like the iron strength routine (google it)...but I recommend working up to the levelindicated by the routine...it's easy and all you need are some 12-15# dumbbells. (more than an upper body workout, but runner specific)
**Ask me about streaking**
Thanks for sharing.
Besides weights, there are some calisthenics that have already been mentioned which are great, like pushup and squats. I'd add burpies and flutterkicks to the mix.
Flutterkicks are a deceptively effective exercise where you lie on you back, head raised off the ground with chin resting on your chest, your arms are straight at the elbow and held at about a 45 degree angle in front of the body. The legs are similarly straight at the knee and held about 6 inches off the ground and alternately "fluttered". As one leg is coming up the other is going down.
There are many variations of this, and you can invent a few.
Flutterkicks work the neck, shoulders abs and quads. I learned them from a former special forces guy who put it as "they tighten up all your shit in the front". And that they do.
#artbydmcbride
Pushups
box jumps
Runners run
Hip Redux
What are your goals? Are you looking to cross train, or really just improve upper body strength?
The best moves for a 30 minute sessions a few times a week will involve using your bigger muscles - so I wouldn't waste time with single-muscle isolation moves like bicep curls. I would do push ups, pull ups, chest presses/flies and back rows or pull downs. The chest presses/flies and back rows/pull downs can be varied each session - some one arm, some with the bar, some with dumbbells, cables etc. I can find you some illustrations of those if you'd like.
Then I would add in planks and/or mountain climbers for the core work. I am anti-sit up after all my back stuff, but YMMV.
Good luck