HCS Core Routine
This routine tries to encompass all major aspects of the core. It is a simplistic in nature, as far as the exercises, not the difficulty! This routine should be done at least 2-3 times per week. Focus on form of each exercise, but move quickly between the exercises (right to it, don’t stop for water, or to chat). Start with doing one round of the routine. As you become stronger and more familiar, add a second and third sets of the routine. Total time shouldn’t be more than 10-15 minutes, even with 3 sets. You can do in conjunction with the leg circuit. If so, do the LC first, and then the core routine. Otherwise, the core routine can be performed whenever you have chance. For example, if you run in the afternoon, perform in the morning or at lunch.
If I were to go back and change one thing about my running career, it would be to change how I approached I approached strength training and “core” training. It’s not that none of my coaches had me avoid strength training, in fact, I think all of them knew it would be beneficial. The problem was, that I don’t think any of them truly understood how to approach the idea with an endurance runner. Really, you can’t say it was their fault, as the idea at the time I started running is that endurance runners purely needed to be skinny. At that point, I’d say looking frail was a precursor to how well you would run!
