Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

A Quick Post Run In The Park Circuit Workout + Stretching

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I’m doing something I haven’t done in a ridiculously longgggg time: posting a workout.

A Quick Post Run In The Park Circuit Workout

With my move to Denver, my fitness routine has been (and still is) all thrown off. Reason #1 = the altitude. Reason #2 = my broken wrist.

First of all, the altitude is real. I thought the adjustment to being a mile above sea level would maybe take a week or two (three, tops!) and then I’d be back to my normal pace and my normal distances. I was wrong. I ran Grandma’s Marathon a short 2.5 months ago, but now I get excited when I can run 3 miles without feeling like death. I did get up to 6 miles on Monday, which I was way excited about. #smallwins

It is slow and steady progress. I’m trying to stay motivated and positive.

Of course, breaking my wrist after living here for a whole 2 days didn’t help the situation either. I took a weeklong break from running (partly because the doctor told me not to run and partly because I was traumatized by Denver’s dangerous sidewalks) and haven’t done much strength training or cross training since. Without the ability to do downward dogs, pushups, and essentially any exercise that requires me to flex and/or put weight on my wrists, I am pretty limited.

Luckily, limited isn’t hopeless. I am slowly starting to get back into the groove of things. I haven’t found a gym yet, so I’ve been doing a lot of at-home and in-the-park bodyweight workouts. These are great.

One of my go-to workouts right now is to go for a run around Washington Park, then end near a picnic table to do some strength training and stretching. At first I felt a little silly doing squats in the park by myself, but I got over it. I don’t know about you, but every time I see other people doing yoga and workouts in the park all I think is, “Man, that person is awesome. I need to do that too.” So I am.

Plus, I am much more apt to do it right after my run outside in the breezy air, rather than waiting until I get back home to my hot, non air-conditioned, garden level duplex.

Are you with me?

The next time you go out for a little jog, whether it be 1 mile or 10 miles, try to tack on this little strength training and stretching routine at the end. I really, really don’t think you’d regret it.

A Quick Post Run In The Park Circuit Workout

Exercise Cues:

  • Elevated Push Ups – Begin in an elevated push-up (plank) position with your hands on a bench and your toes on the ground behind you. Keeping your body in a straight line with your core engaged, slowly lower your body while bending your elbows to a 90-degree angle. Push your body back up to starting position.
  • Squats – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart, toes pointing forward. Squat down by bending your knees and flexing your hips, keeping your back straight and your knees behind your toes. Lower until you reach a 90-degree angle. Engage your glutes and rise back up to starting position.
  • Bench Dips – Sit on a bench with your legs straight out in front of you, your heels on the ground, and your hands gripping the edge of the bench on each side of your body. Straighten your arms and lift your body off the bench (starting position). Lower yourself in front of the bench until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle. Raise yourself back up to starting position.
  • Elevated Plank Hip Dips – Begin in an elevated forearm plank position with your forearms on a bench and your toes on the ground behind you. Keeping your core engaged and your thighs pressed tight together, twist your torso to the right so that your right hip dips towards the ground. Raise back to plank position, then twist your torso to the left. This is one rep.
  • Standing Lateral Leg Lifts – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart. Raise your right leg out to the side as high as your can go without sacrificing your posture, keeping your toes and knee facing forward. Make sure that your core is engaged and your left leg is straight and strong. Complete all reps on your right leg, then switch to your left.

Stretch Cues:

  • Standing Quad Stretch – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart. Reach behind you to grab your right ankle and pull it up until you feel a stretch in your front thigh and hip flexor. Make sure your back is straight and your core engaged. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
  • Standing Hamstring Stretch – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart. Step your right foot forward and rest your heel on the ground with your toes pointing up. With your hands on your hips, lean into the stretch by hinging at the waist and slightly bending your left leg. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides. Sometimes you can feel this down to your calves as well.
  • Standing Figure-4 Glute Stretch – Stand with feel hip-width distance apart. Place your right ankle over your left knee and bend down to a squatting position. Use a bench or tree for balance. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
  • Standing Chest Stretch – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart. Lace your fingers together behind your back. Making sure to stand straight and engage your core, raise your arms up behind you focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together and opening your chest. Hold for 30 seconds.

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy it! Happy running 🙂

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Plank-Less Ab Workout

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I had a request to post a plank-less ab workout. So, here it is!

Plank-Less Ab Workout

My aunt Linda has been doing a “Just J.Faye Challenge”. Since the beginning of April she has been doing a Just J.Faye workout everyday. This was totally her idea to do and it made me super happy when she told me. So far she has done the burpee run, superset tabata clover, jumping jack circuit, 5-4-3-2-1 variety speed, stair workout, fartlek run, 20-minute plyo tabata, and the 10-10-10 lower body workout. She has also been posting comments about her experience with the workout. How fun is that?! You are welcome to do the same 🙂

A week or so ago she got tendonitis in her shoulders and is required to lay off on the shoulder/upper body exercises for the next few weeks. Major bummer. Although there are still a lot of things you can do with a shoulder injury, it still puts a damper on things.

Planks are not one of those things you can do with a shoulder injury. Technically, you probably can, you just shouldn’t. Heal first. Plank later.

Since a lot of my workouts include planks – because I love them! – she asked if I could put together an ab workout that avoided them. My response: of course!

This workout is a bodyweight, plank-less ab routine. All you need is a mat and the willingness to feel your abs burn.

This is what we’ll do:

Plank-Less Ab Workout

This mix of ab exercises hit your front and lower abs as well as your obliques. I know that “plank-less” sounds similar to “painless”, but I guarantee you that this will not be painless. You should really feel your abs burning. This is good pain that is making your body stronger!

Here are the exercise cues:

  • Crunches: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your knees bent and your hands behind your ears with your elbows straight out. Keeping your neck straight, engage your core and raise your shoulder blades up off of the mat. Lower back down. Continue.
  • Russian Twists: Sit on a mat with your knees bent, your torso at a 45-degree angle to the mat, and your fists in front of you. Twist your torso to one side, then twist to the other. This is one rep. Continue and make sure to keep from twisting your legs. To progress: hold a weight in your hands and/or raise your feet a few inches off of the ground.
  • Leg Lifts: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your legs straight up in the air. Slowly lower your legs back down until your heels are 1-inch away from the ground. Continue and make sure to keep you arms and shoulder blades flat on the mat. You should feel this in your lower abs.
  • V-Ups: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your arms outstretched overhead. While you raise your legs straight up in the air, simultaneously raise your arms up to reach your toes. Lower arms and legs back down until they are 1-inch away from the ground. Continue.
  • Heel Touches: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your knees bent and your arms along your sides. Raise your shoulder blades and neck off of the mat. Reach your right arm to your right heel then your left arm to your left heel, focusing on your obliques. This is one rep. Continue.
  • Flutter Kicks: Lie on your back on the top of a mat with your arms along your sides. Raise your legs up about 6 inches off of the ground. As one leg kicks up the other should go down, like a scissors. Continue by making small, rapid movements. Kicking up your right leg then kicking up your left leg is one rep.
  • Toe Touches: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your legs straight up in the air with your knees slightly bent. Reach your arms up to touch your toes, making sure to use your core to raise your shoulder blades off of the mat. Lower back down to the mat. Continue.
  • Bicycle Crunches: Lie on your back on top of a mat. Raise your knees up to about a 45-degree angle. With your arms behind your ears and your elbows straight out, raise your shoulder blades and neck off of the mat. Reach your right elbow towards the left knee, then twist to reach your left elbow towards your right knee. This is one rep. Continue.
  • Windshield Wipers: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your arms out to your sides. Raise your legs straight up in the air with your knees slightly bent. Lower legs to one side until your thigh hits the floor. Raise back up and then lower to the opposite side. This is one rep. Continue and make sure to keep you arms and shoulder blades flat on the mat.

Throughout all of these exercises please, please, please be careful of your lower back and neck, especially if you are prone to injury. Do not strain them! When you are lying on your back be sure to keep your tailbone and back flat to the mat. When you are lifting your shoulder blades and/or neck off of the mat, make sure to keep your head in alignment and your neck straight. If you are feeling pain in either of those areas, stop. Then re-assess your form. This is not the good pain that I mentioned earlier!

This ab workout would be great to add after a cardio session; however, it’s a great stand alone workout as well.

Linda, I hope you enjoy this. Keep up the awesome work and heal quickly!

Everyone else, I hope you enjoy this too! If you are looking for any specific type of workout, feel free to leave a comment in this post or email me (justjfaye @ gmail . com).

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