Zeus â General Strength Gym Outline
Zeus – General Strength Gym Outline 1. Single leg squats x 6 2. Lat pull downs x 12 3. Box step ups x 6 4. Upright rows x 12 5. Hip flexor cable machine x 12 6. Dips x 12 7. Pawback hamstring x 8 8. Dead lifts x 6 9. Calf raises x 8
Goals These are specific gym exercises are designed to increase your ability to generate maximum muscle power and thus decrease the effort required to sustain sub maximal efforts (i.e. distance running) for long periods of time. Unlike the bodyweight routine, these exercises are designed to use heavy weight and low repetitions for the leg exercises. As you can read in our supplementary article Heavy vs light weights, including some heavy weight lifting in your training schedule can have huge performance bonuses and will not cause you to “bulk up”. For most leg exercises, you’ll aim for 4-6 reps. The 4-6 rep range allows for maximum muscle overload and will recruit the most muscle fibers leading to increased strength and size. Because rep ranges are shorter all your mental energy is set on doing just 4-6 repetitions and therefore psychological intensity is maximized allowing you to achieve better muscle overload. For weights, use a weight that allows you to complete 4-6 repetitions, but going for a 7th would be too much. You should perform each set so that you are not physically able
to complete another without assistance. This means that you should not use forced reps for more than one rep, or even better, try not to do forced reps at all. Some exercises are better performed with lighter weights and higher reps – and are indicated as such. Use a lighter weight that allows for completion of the full repetition recommendation. For these exercises and muscle groups, we don’t need to develop maximum strength, but down want to improve endurance and athleticism. Because each set requires heavy weights with maximum intensity rest times should be 2-3 minutes. Start this routine with 1 set and work up to 2 sets for each exercise once you become familiar with the routine.
Images and Descriptions Single leg squats x 6
Muscle groups emphasized: glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, abs, calves
Value for runners: The single leg it will improve your balance and body awareness. As a runner, you run one foot on the ground at a time, so we mimic that movement in training.
Logistics: Perform 6 repetitions with as much weight as you can safely do in 6 repetitions. You can start by balancing with your back against a swiss ball if needed, but work on performing them without assistance.
Lat pull downs x 12
Muscle groups emphasized: upper back, biceps
Value for runners: Training the upper back muscles helps keep posture erect and prevents slouching when you get tired. It also helps promote stronger arm drive.
Logistics: Perform 12 repetitions. Keep the bar in front of you (don’t pull behind the back as this puts undue stress on your rotator cuff). Use slow deliberate movements both up and down.
Box step ups x 6
Muscle groups emphasized: glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves
Value for runners: Box steps help strengthen the glutes and quads, much like the single leg squat. The exercise also helps prevent patella tendonitis by strengthening the muscles around the knee.
Logistics: Perform 6 repetitions with as much weight as you can handle. Keep your core tight and don’t slouch. Less weight and good form is more important than going too heavy and not targeting the right muscles.
Upright rows x 12
Muscle groups emphasized: Deltoids, trapezoids, biceps
Value for runners: The upright row helps develop shoulder strength and will help prevent you from “shrugging” (bringing your shoulders up to your ears) as you get tired.
Logistics: Use slow motions when bring the barbell up. Hold at the top for 2-3 seconds and slowly lower down. Keep your abs tight and prevent yourself from swinging or using your legs for leverage.
Hip flexor cable machine x 6
Muscle groups emphasized: Hip flexors, lower abs
Value for runners: Powerful hip flexors allow you to drive your leg forward, especially on hills, and control most of the movement in the leg to help stabilize the running gait.
Logistics: Perform 6 repetitions with maximum weight. Lean forward very slightly as you would while running and drive your leg up using explosive movements and slowly lower down. Keep your core tight and flex your deep core muscles.
Dips x 12
Muscle groups emphasized: triceps, chest, shoulders
Value for runners: This exercise is a dynamic and compound movement that will improve your overall strength and help keep your form strong in the latter stages of a race.
Logistics: Slowly lower yourself down by bending your elbows until they are at a 90 degree angle with your forearms. Push back up, keeping your lower body still. Many gyms have a dip
assistance machine, which allow you to lessen your body weight. Don’t be afraid to use it if you can’t do an unassisted dip.
Pawback hamstring x 8
Muscle groups emphasized: hamstring, glutes
Value for runners: This exercise more specifically targets the hamstring and glute muscles as they are used in running – compared to the hamstring extension. While the pawback motion itself has been proven not to be how the leg accelerates trough the contact phase, this exercise is the most specific form of weight training a runner can do for the hamstrings.
Logistics: Use powerful and explosive movements when driving the leg down and behind you. It is ok to hold on to a stable surface to create more power. Stay on your toes on the opposite leg to ensure your working leg has enough room to clear the ground.
Calf raises x 8
Muscle groups emphasized: calves
Value for runners: Improving calf strength will help deter lower leg injuries, provide more power to the stride on plantar flexion, and help control the lower leg on impact.
Logistics: Slow movements down and explode up, using only your calves.
Dead lifts x 6
Muscle groups emphasized: back, glutes, quads, hamstrings, core
Value for runners: The dead lift is a compound movement and one of the best overall exercises for the lower body. It targets all the muscles in the lower body and will help improve your power and explosiveness during the running stride so you use less effort.
Logistics: Stand with the bar above the center of your feet – your stance should be a bit more narrow than shoulder-width to give your arms room. Grab the baroverhand so your arms are vertical to the floor. Bend through your kneesuntil your shins hit the bar which must remain above the middle of your feet. Lift your chestbut don’t squeeze your shoulder-blades. Pull- keep the bar close to your body, roll it over your knees and thighs until your hips and knees are locked. Do not lean back at the top.
Goals These are specific gym exercises are designed to increase your ability to generate maximum muscle power and thus decrease the effort required to sustain sub maximal efforts (i.e. distance running) for long periods of time. Unlike the bodyweight routine, these exercises are designed to use heavy weight and low repetitions for the leg exercises. As you can read in our supplementary article Heavy vs light weights, including some heavy weight lifting in your training schedule can have huge performance bonuses and will not cause you to “bulk up”. For most leg exercises, you’ll aim for 4-6 reps. The 4-6 rep range allows for maximum muscle overload and will recruit the most muscle fibers leading to increased strength and size. Because rep ranges are shorter all your mental energy is set on doing just 4-6 repetitions and therefore psychological intensity is maximized allowing you to achieve better muscle overload. For weights, use a weight that allows you to complete 4-6 repetitions, but going for a 7th would be too much. You should perform each set so that you are not physically able
to complete another without assistance. This means that you should not use forced reps for more than one rep, or even better, try not to do forced reps at all. Some exercises are better performed with lighter weights and higher reps – and are indicated as such. Use a lighter weight that allows for completion of the full repetition recommendation. For these exercises and muscle groups, we don’t need to develop maximum strength, but down want to improve endurance and athleticism. Because each set requires heavy weights with maximum intensity rest times should be 2-3 minutes. Start this routine with 1 set and work up to 2 sets for each exercise once you become familiar with the routine.
Images and Descriptions Single leg squats x 6
Muscle groups emphasized: glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, abs, calves
Value for runners: The single leg it will improve your balance and body awareness. As a runner, you run one foot on the ground at a time, so we mimic that movement in training.
Logistics: Perform 6 repetitions with as much weight as you can safely do in 6 repetitions. You can start by balancing with your back against a swiss ball if needed, but work on performing them without assistance.
Lat pull downs x 12
Muscle groups emphasized: upper back, biceps
Value for runners: Training the upper back muscles helps keep posture erect and prevents slouching when you get tired. It also helps promote stronger arm drive.
Logistics: Perform 12 repetitions. Keep the bar in front of you (don’t pull behind the back as this puts undue stress on your rotator cuff). Use slow deliberate movements both up and down.
Box step ups x 6
Muscle groups emphasized: glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves
Value for runners: Box steps help strengthen the glutes and quads, much like the single leg squat. The exercise also helps prevent patella tendonitis by strengthening the muscles around the knee.
Logistics: Perform 6 repetitions with as much weight as you can handle. Keep your core tight and don’t slouch. Less weight and good form is more important than going too heavy and not targeting the right muscles.
Upright rows x 12
Muscle groups emphasized: Deltoids, trapezoids, biceps
Value for runners: The upright row helps develop shoulder strength and will help prevent you from “shrugging” (bringing your shoulders up to your ears) as you get tired.
Logistics: Use slow motions when bring the barbell up. Hold at the top for 2-3 seconds and slowly lower down. Keep your abs tight and prevent yourself from swinging or using your legs for leverage.
Hip flexor cable machine x 6
Muscle groups emphasized: Hip flexors, lower abs
Value for runners: Powerful hip flexors allow you to drive your leg forward, especially on hills, and control most of the movement in the leg to help stabilize the running gait.
Logistics: Perform 6 repetitions with maximum weight. Lean forward very slightly as you would while running and drive your leg up using explosive movements and slowly lower down. Keep your core tight and flex your deep core muscles.
Dips x 12
Muscle groups emphasized: triceps, chest, shoulders
Value for runners: This exercise is a dynamic and compound movement that will improve your overall strength and help keep your form strong in the latter stages of a race.
Logistics: Slowly lower yourself down by bending your elbows until they are at a 90 degree angle with your forearms. Push back up, keeping your lower body still. Many gyms have a dip
assistance machine, which allow you to lessen your body weight. Don’t be afraid to use it if you can’t do an unassisted dip.
Pawback hamstring x 8
Muscle groups emphasized: hamstring, glutes
Value for runners: This exercise more specifically targets the hamstring and glute muscles as they are used in running – compared to the hamstring extension. While the pawback motion itself has been proven not to be how the leg accelerates trough the contact phase, this exercise is the most specific form of weight training a runner can do for the hamstrings.
Logistics: Use powerful and explosive movements when driving the leg down and behind you. It is ok to hold on to a stable surface to create more power. Stay on your toes on the opposite leg to ensure your working leg has enough room to clear the ground.
Calf raises x 8
Muscle groups emphasized: calves
Value for runners: Improving calf strength will help deter lower leg injuries, provide more power to the stride on plantar flexion, and help control the lower leg on impact.
Logistics: Slow movements down and explode up, using only your calves.
Dead lifts x 6
Muscle groups emphasized: back, glutes, quads, hamstrings, core
Value for runners: The dead lift is a compound movement and one of the best overall exercises for the lower body. It targets all the muscles in the lower body and will help improve your power and explosiveness during the running stride so you use less effort.
Logistics: Stand with the bar above the center of your feet – your stance should be a bit more narrow than shoulder-width to give your arms room. Grab the baroverhand so your arms are vertical to the floor. Bend through your kneesuntil your shins hit the bar which must remain above the middle of your feet. Lift your chestbut don’t squeeze your shoulder-blades. Pull- keep the bar close to your body, roll it over your knees and thighs until your hips and knees are locked. Do not lean back at the top.
