Knee Tucks
Muscle Targets: Hip flexors, abs (transverse)
Equipment: Stability ball
Form
1. Get into plank position, facing downward with your palms on the floor, your elbows extended, and your body held off the ground in a rigid line, with your feet resting on top of a stability ball.
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2. Keeping your upper body steady, bend your knees and roll the ball inward toward you.
Tip: Getting your feet on the ball may take a little finesse. One method is to get on all fours, with your knees on the ground and your feed on the ball behind you, holding it in place. Raise your body up while keeping your feet on the ball, and adjust as necessary ounce you have unfurled into a straight position.
Rep: Once you are fully tucked, extend your legs again. This constitutes 1 rep. Complete 10 to 30 reps.
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Side Hip Raises
Muscle Targets: Obliques, abs (transverse), glutes medius
Equipment: BOSU (advanced)
Form
1. Lie on your right side on your exercise mat.
2. Raise your hips in the air to a side plank position, holding your body in a rigid line while resting on your elbow.
3. Lower your hips down to an inch or two off the mat, then raise them back up again. This constitutes 1 rep.
Tip: Make sure that your elbow is directly below your shoulder. If it is even slightly higher, you will have a much harder time holding your form. Also, that position places too much stress on your shoulder.
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Perform all the target reps on one side, then continue on the other side. Complete 10 to 30 reps.
Advanced Forms: Put your feet on a BOSU while performing this movement. Doing so destabilizes your base, forcing your body to recruit your core to a greater degree to maintain balance.
Hold your opposite arm in the air while performing this movement. By putting a percentage of your body weight farther from your center, you decrease your leverage over your body and raise the challenge for your core in its effort to hold your body stable in space.
Republished with permission of VeloPress from Quick Strength for Runners. Visit velopress.com/qsr to learn more.
Jeff Horowitz is a certified running, cycling, and triathlon coach and a personal trainer who has run more than 175 marathons and ultramarathons across six continents. Learn more at runhorowitz.com.
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