For those of you who love bodybuilding, you probably know how running exercises can be a game changer. Now if you’re on for running and you consider yourself a beginner, bodyweight exercises that can strengthen you for those sprints do exist.

And, if you find those legs already hurting every time you run, a bodyweight leg workout is probably long overdue.

Well, to develop some really sturdy legs, there’s probably not a better group of people to ask than pro runners. Katie Neitz, writing for Runner’s World, recommends 6 beginner bodyweight exercises that you can all do in one leg workout.

Runner or not, beginning athletes generally need to give more time for strength training. The author writes:

“The following beginner bodyweight exercises build strong, powerful, and injury-resistant muscles to power up hills, sprint across the finish, and maintain good running form mile after mile.”

Bodyweight Running Exercises

Can’t wait to get started? Here’s the list of running exercises that can power up your sprints.

• Squat
• Backward Lunge
• Bridge
• Rolling Side Plank
• Mountain Climber
• Superman

As with most body weight exercises, they target several muscle groups simultaneously. With a bodyweight workout composed of these moves, you can hit your thighs, glutes, core and back, too.

Neitz excellently describes how to perform each exercise. Also, you can make each move harder or easier, whichever suits your fitness level.

How to Craft A Workout with Running Exercises

To conduct your own leg strength training without weights, just follow these two simple rules.

• For each of these bodyweight exercises above, do 10 reps.
• Between each leg exercise, rest for 30 seconds.

In my opinion, it would be great for you to think of a set as comprising all these best leg exercises listed above, including the rest periods in between.

Challenge Yourself With These Running Exercises

Now try doing one set of these running exercises in one sitting. If it turns out to be too easy for you, go crack it to 3 sets.

And then, within the same week, do 3 more sets for a whole workout. That would be my interpretation of doing “3 sets twice a week.”

Lastly, don’t worry about running the leg workout within your schedule. As Neitz put it,

“These moves require no equipment, so you can do them anytime, anywhere.”

View original article at Runner’s World.