Hey guys its JP and we are going to continue this mini series on ways to work key muscle
groups as a runner with exercises that involve little or no equipment. I wanted to make this
video, especially since plenty of people continue to have limited access to gyms or do not go
out of concern for the health of family and friends. This time I will talk about the importance
of the quads for runners and exercises that you can easily do at home!
Now, the QUADS play ESSENTIAL roles as you run. To put it simply, they act to help absorb
forces as the foot hits the ground. Also, they work to help you stay up...because without
them...you would fall to the ground. The quads also contribute to pushing off the ground,
so you can continue moving forward with each step you take! However, being able to take
on these roles are NO EASY TASK! Based on some research, these muscles may develop forces
around 4-6x BODYWEIGHT! Incorporating exercises to strengthen these muscles may better prepare
them for the demands of running AND...help you RUN FASTER!
Now that we covered that, lets go over some great exercises that you can easily incorporate
at home! The first exercise we will go over that I typically prescribe to runners are....SQUATS.
I can never leave these out. They are such a staple exercise to strengthen the QUADS.
I do understand that there may be limited ways to challenge this area without proper
equipment aka MORE WEIGHTS; however, you can easily hold on to objects, like a stack of
books or a backpack filled with items. I would not consider this a concern for those who
just started strength training as air squats may even be sufficient enough for the time
being. However, if you want to challenge yourself further, there are other ways to do so, such
as trying to keep the torso more upright. By doing so, this further biases the quads
and challenges them. Another simple way to do so is through change the tempo. By doing
this more slowly, especially during the descent, this will increase the amount of duration
these muscles have to work and challenge them further as well.
You can also incorporate different variations, like the split squat...but this time I will
talk more about one of my favorite variations which is the Rearfoot Elevated Split Squat...otherwise
known as the bulgarian split squat. When doing this, the back leg is used to help you keep
your balance and FOCUS on working the front leg. It is almost like a single leg squat,
except without the balance demands typically required. I like this one as it further challenges
the quads in a more single leg position, which is appropriate for runners considering that
running involves up to only one leg on the ground as you run!
Now, modify a little bit and turn it more into a plyometric or jumping exercise. This
is known as the SL Bulgarian Hop. Unlike other plyos or jumping activities, like Pogo jumps,
this one biases more of the quads and knee. This can be important to consider to better
prepare for the impact placed on the knee naturally as you run.
Now last, but certainly not LEAST, here is the step up. I definitely wanted to include
this one. This is a STAPLE exercise I incorporate in pretty much all training programs for runners.
I love this as it incorporates similar ways the quads work as you run. It also be easily
incorporated at home by doing them on stairs if you have them in your house...or even just
a stool or secure stack of books. One thing I will mention here is to keep that trunk
upright to ENGAGE those QUADS. If you lean forward, you'll end up engaging the glutes,
which is not necesarily a bad thing...however that is dependent on your intention and goals.
Now, there is plenty to talk about with the step up, including cues and variations, so
if you want to learn more about that, you can check out my previous video.
And those are some great exercises for runners that require very little equipment. I hope
you guys found this one useful. I'd love to hear your thoughts as well as any other questions
you may have. And as always, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!