So as the title states the below is the frame work that I am following looking forward to a few half and full marathons later this year. I’ve been pretty lax on posting on here, with a ton of things going on from interviews, work, and taking some time off. That being said, I am about 6 months behind where I was looking to be at the start of the year, but what can ya do? There’s been some serious injuries on my right leg, life also took a turn, and I have just been enjoying what life has to offer. So training has taken a little bit of a backseat, as I get back into a routine.
So I am looking to make this one of the more productive training cycles that I have put togehter in a shorter amount of time. Learning from my mistakes and trying to have farther out goals, is going to adjust my training and cycle just a bit. I’ll be really looking to mix up the cross training days, take off days seriously, and really understand an “easy run”.
The outline below is simply the framework that I am following for the next 20 weeks. Each week and day might be adjusted based on soreness, time, and life in general.
Running Days
Given most of the success of the half-marathon and other training programs that I have used in the past I’ll be sticking with the BAA Marathon Level One program. It lays out a nice progression to incorporate running and cross-training into a 20 week program. I’m moving into their marathon level programs for a future marathon this fall, and it should also provide enough variability and mileage to jump into a half marathon or a few this summer.
I’ve become a big fan of their programs since they add in speed days, tempo workouts, and leave room for recovery and lifting sessions. I’ll be following this pretty strictly and it will set the tone and schedule for each week.
Lifting Days
The first 8 weeks or so I am going to be adapting a workout routine found on Muscle and Strength called, Fast Mass. Mainly this will provide some quick exercises for a base strength phase and then transition into some other workouts through the program.
Two themes that I will also be incorporating into the lift days this time
- For each lifting day, I’ll be doing at least one Olympic or power lift using a straight bar – i.e. Clean and Press, Bent over Row, Squat, Deadlift. The reason being these lifts can generate that power and strength much quicker than some of the accessory lifts that will be performed.
- I will be starting to incorporate lifts for time, rather than lifting for reps. After doing some research and revisiting my training programs. Working at F45 and understanding some of the benefits of a time based interval may prove to be more beneficial and relevant towards these endurance events. So we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be experimenting with this during this 8 week period.
Essentially if there are reps for 8-12 I’ll be swapping these reps for a time interval of ~30-40 secs.
| Exercise | Set | Rep |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 4 | 8 – 12 |
| Lateral Raise | 4 | 8 – 12 |
| DB RDL | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| Rear Delt Raises | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| Leg Curls | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| Exercise | Set | Rep |
|---|---|---|
| DB Bench or Alt DB Single Arm Press | 4 | 8 – 12 |
| DB Pullover | 4 | 8 – 12 |
| Incline DB Bench | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| DB Row on Bench | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| EZ Bar Curl | 3 | 10 – 12 |
| Skull Crusher | 3 | 10 – 12 |
| Exercise | Set | Rep |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 4 | 8 – 12 |
| Lateral Lunge | 4 | 8 – 12 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| Step Up | 3 | 10 – 12 |
| Single Leg Hip Thruster | 3 | 10 – 12 |
| Exercise | Set | Rep |
|---|---|---|
| Standing DB Press | 4 | 8 – 12 |
| Bent-Over DB Row | 4 | 8 – 12 |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| Pushup | 3 | 8 – 12 |
| Alt Hammer Curl | 3 | 10 – 12 |
| Overhead Tricep Extension | 3 | 10 – 12 |
Core
For the core portion of this cycle, since I’ve expanded on just about every core exercise that I know, and I will end up repeating myself, to eliminate boredom I asked ChatGPT.
So I’ll be adding 3-4 days of core on cross-training days and other running days depending on how I am feeling and what is asked of each day.
3 Day Core Routine
Day 1: Core Stability
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Instructions
| Plank | 3 sets x 30-60s | Start in a push-up position, with forearms resting on the ground. Maintain a straight line from head to heels. |
| Russian Twists | 3 sets x 12-15 | Sit on the ground with your knees bent and feet raised slightly. Twist your torso from side to side, touching the ground on each side with your hands. |
| Dead Bug | 3 sets x 10-12 | Lie on your back with arms extended towards the ceiling and legs bent at a 90-degree angle. Alternately extend one leg while lowering the opposite arm overhead. |
| Side Plank | 3 sets x 30-45s | Lie on your side with elbow directly beneath your shoulder and feet stacked on top of each other. Lift your hips off the ground, maintaining a straight line from head to feet. |
| Superman | 3 sets x 10-12 | Lie on your stomach with arms extended overhead and legs straight. Simultaneously lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground. |
Day 2: Core Strength
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Instructions
| Bicycle Crunches | 3 sets x 12-15 | Lie on your back with knees bent and hands behind your head. Bring one knee toward your chest while simultaneously twisting your torso to bring the opposite elbow to the knee. Repeat on the other side. |
| Mountain Climbers | 3 sets x 10-12 | Start in a push-up position. Quickly alternate bringing one knee towards your chest while keeping the other leg extended. |
| Hanging Leg Raises | 3 sets x 10-12 | Hang from a pull-up bar with arms fully extended. Lift your legs by flexing your hips and knees until they are above your hips. |
| Reverse Crunches | 3 sets x 12-15 | Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Bring your knees towards your chest, lifting your hips off the ground. |
| Medicine Ball Slams | 3 sets x 10-12 | Hold a medicine ball with both hands above your head. Slam it down to the ground while simultaneously engaging your core muscles. |
Day 3: Core Endurance
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Instructions
| Flutter Kicks | 3 sets x 30-60s | Lie on your back with legs extended. Lift your legs a few inches off the ground and flutter them up and down in a scissor-like motion. |
| Russian Twists | 3 sets x 12-15 | Same as Day 1 workout. |
| Bicycle Crunches | 3 sets x 12-15 | Same as Day 2 workout. |
| Plank | 3 sets x 30-60s | Same as Day 1 workout. |
| Side Plank | 3 sets x 30-45s | Same as Day 1 workout. |
ChatGPT Recommended 12 week Core Progression
Here is another 12 week core progression sample that can be worked into the running program for easier days and to monitor progression.
| Week | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| 1 | Plank – 3 sets of 30 seconds | Russian Twists – 3 sets of 12 reps | Bicycle Crunches – 3 sets of 12 reps |
| 2 | Side Planks – 3 sets of 30 seconds per side | Leg Raises – 3 sets of 12 reps | Plank with Hip Dips – 3 sets of 12 reps |
| 3 | Plank with Arm and Leg Lift – 3 sets of 12 reps per side | Seated Leg Tucks – 3 sets of 12 reps | Side Plank with Leg Lift – 3 sets of 12 reps per side |
| 4 | Swiss Ball Rollout – 3 sets of 12 reps | Reverse Crunches – 3 sets of 12 reps | Plank with Knee Tucks – 3 sets of 12 reps per side |
| 5 | Stability Ball Pike – 3 sets of 12 reps | V-Ups – 3 sets of 12 reps | Side Plank with Reach-Through – 3 sets of 12 reps per side |
| 6 | Hollow Body Hold – 3 sets of 30 seconds | Mountain Climbers – 3 sets of 12 reps | Russian Twist with Medicine Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps |
| 7 | Plank with Alternating Leg and Arm Raise – 3 sets of 12 reps | Seated Scissors – 3 sets of 12 reps | Bicycle Crunches with Medicine Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps |
| 8 | Side Plank with Leg Lift and Hip Dip – 3 sets of 12 reps per side | Reverse Crunches with Medicine Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps | Plank with Shoulder Taps – 3 sets of 12 reps per side |
| 9 | Swiss Ball Plank – 3 sets of 30 seconds | Toe Touches – 3 sets of 12 reps | Side Plank with Leg Lift and Reach – 3 sets of 12 reps per side |
| 10 | Stability Ball Knee Tucks – 3 sets of 12 reps | Leg Raises with Medicine Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps | Oblique Crunches – 3 sets of 12 reps per side |
| 11 | Plank with Alternating Knee Tucks – 3 sets of 12 reps per side | Russian Twist with Stability Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps | Bicycle Crunches with Stability Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps |
| 12 | Side Plank with Arm and Leg Lift – 3 sets of 12 reps per side | Reverse Crunches with Stability Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps | Plank with Leg Raises – 3 sets of 12 reps per side |
| 13 | Swiss Ball Jackknife – 3 sets of 12 reps | Seated Knee Tucks with Medicine Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps | Side Plank with Leg Lift and Knee Tuck – 3 sets of 12 reps per side |
| 14 | Plank with Alternating Arm Reach – 3 sets of 12 reps per side | Toe Touches with Medicine Ball – 3 sets of 12 reps | Oblique Crunch |
Christopher Sandoli 