April Strength Work

Here are Rob Bradlee's suggestions to get ready for Monday strength workouts starting in May.

CSU Individual Strength Program: April

We will start group strength workouts in May. During April you can do some general strength workouts to build your strength and be prepared for the more specific strength work we do in our group workouts.
Twice per week is all that is necessary, although you can do three times per week if you’d like. If you do the strength workout right at the end of a running, rolling, or biking workout then you can skip the warm-up that I’ve suggested below. I suggest just doing 1 set of each exercise during the first week, two sets in the second week, and three sets thereafter. I also highly recommend that you either do some double-pole rollerskiing, OR use elastic bands for upper body conditioning specific to the poling motion. You just spent the whole winter getting your arms in shape. Don’t throw that conditioning away!

Warm-up

10 minute run
15 Wood-chop with Medicine ball
15 Standing Rotations with Medicine ball
15 leg swings on each leg

Primary Stabilization: 30 seconds to 2 minutes each (as long as you can hold good form)

Static Front Bridge
Static Side Bridge (both sides)
Static Back Bridge
Dead Bug (lie on back, flatten spine against the floor, move arms and legs up and down)

Leg Strength

6 to 12 squats with no weight
6 to 12 lunges
6 to 12 step-ups

Arm and Core Strength:
One to three sets of:

10-15 Overhead press with dumbbell. 15 to 30 lbs as you are able.
5-10 Wide pull-ups
5-15 Dips
5-15 one-arm rowing with 15 to 30 lb dumbbell.
10 Lateral side-ups on gym ball
15 Backups on gym ball
15 V-sits with medicine ball (or small weight)
15 Scorpions on gym ball