Fit Villains: Selfish, Shameless, Sassy, Fitness.

We like time savers. We like multi-tasking. We like running. Well, not ALL of us like running. 

If your normal runs have gotten a little ‘blah’, adding quick, focused exercise circuits may be just the thing you need. Training like this gives you maximum calorie burn, while allowing you to mix things up, shorten your workout and tone your entire bod. Whether you’re just starting out, or simply trying to shake things up, turning your run into a total body workout may be just the thing you need to stay motivated AND boost your results. We like those too. :)

Here are 4 simple ‘On The Run’ circuits that you can take with you. Essentially they allow you to run/jog for briefer periods of time, stop, do a body weight circuit, then keep going. You repeat the combos with the running for the duration of your workout. You can tweak it as needed (for beginners, you can start by jogging 1-2 minutes, doing a mini-circuit and repeating). You can also create your own circuit with exercises and equipment you find along the way (pullups, step ups, swings etc). 

Interval training torches more calories than steady state alone. You can shorten your jogging time considerably AND get your tone on, without heading to the gym. Push to keep breaks shorter (recover with a light jog, then boost the intensity instead of breaking entirely) and move as quick as you can. 

Note: scale the reps to YOUR fitness level. If you can handle more, go for it! If not, play around with the numbers to find your sweet spot. 

Circuit One: Upper Body & Core

A. Run/jog for 3-5 minutes (or one song). Find a bench. 

B. Upper Body/Core circuit

• Pushups 
• Seated V-Ups 
• Tricep Dips 
• Mountain Climbers 

Aim for about 30-60 seconds per exercise (or 10-30 reps). Repeat with the run. 

Circuit Two: Booty & Thighs

A. Run/jog for 3-5 minutes (or one song). 

B. Booty/Thigh circuit

• Squats
• Walking lunges
• Pendulums (hands on ground or bench)
• Side to side lunges

Aim for about 30-60 seconds per exercise (or 20-30 reps)

Circuit Three: 200 Rep Core Challenge

Run as you normally would, but complete the following along the way. You can stop/start whenever you like, but make sure you complete all 200 reps. Run/jog to recover. 

• 100 Alternating Froggers
• 50 Side Plank Dips (25 per side)
• 50 Forearm Plank Pikes

Circuit Four: Burpees & Squats

The challenge:

• 50-100 burpees 
• 200 squats

A good breakdown is 10 and 40, repeated 5 times during your run. Run, 10 burpees, 40 squats. Repeat. Make it 20 burpees if you’re shooting for 100. 

See also…

5 Pre-Run Poses For Maximum Running Benefit

Best Way To Tie Your Running Shoes

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