Even when running is your job, there’s only so much of it you can do each week. Running is a high-impact sport and even top elites have to cap their time on feet somewhere, which leaves some time to fill.
A lot of that time gets filled with recovery and eating vast amounts of food, but cross-training and supportive strength work are also important.
This 40-minute core workout for runners is an example of this, and it’s perfect for anyone who wants to build deep core strength and endurance.
The workout was filmed by content creator Ben Felton, who goes by Ben Is Running on YouTube, at a training camp in Iten, Kenya. It’s a high-altitude location where many of the best runners in the world train.
Along with a lot of running, they do this workout, or variations on it, three times a week. As a marathoner keen on improving my own core strength, I was curious to give this session a go, so I rolled out a yoga mat one lunchtime and gave it a shot — here’s what happened.
Watch Ben Is Running’s 40-minute core workout video
The workout is filmed on location in Iten and you don’t get a clear view of the instructor throughout, so mostly, you just follow the movements of Ben and other athletes on screen.
If that means you’re a bit late starting each set, I wouldn’t worry; unless you’re in incredible shape, you’ll need to take extra breaks for most moves — this is a very challenging session and not one I’d recommend for beginners.
The workout begins with a round containing a variety of different planks, then you move onto a lot of leg raise variations, finishing on your front with supermans and similar. There are no traditional sit-ups in the workout, which might seem surprising, but rest assured, every part of your core gets some attention.
You do long sets of each move
Endurance is the name of the game with elite runners, and this workout is designed to ensure your core strength holds up even in long races like marathons.
As a result, you do each move for a long time — either a full minute, or a count of 20, and you will not believe how slowly the instructor counts to 20. Even when the workout calls for 20 "reps", the count will slow you down so you can’t just speed through the reps.
This slow, controlled style maximizes the time under tension for your muscles, and along with boosting your running performance, it’s great for your posture and functional strength.
Try breaking up the 20-rep moves
Unless you have astonishingly impressive core strength, you will not get through every move for the slow count of 20 required. I only managed to complete a handful of them without taking extra breaks, and found that splitting up the 20 reps was the best way to maximize my effort.
I would start by doing the first eight to 10 reps, then take a break for two or three, then do as many more reps as I could before resting again until the 20-count was up.
Even with a lot of extra rest, this was an extremely effective session, so don’t be afraid to rest when you need to. Just try to keep the break short.
Look up some easier variations in advance
Another good way to get through the long sets is to switch to an easier variation of the move when you start to struggle. For example, with the side planks, you can drop your lower knee to the floor when keeping it elevated proves too difficult.
There’s no guidance on this in the workout, though there are some people on screen you can copy, so it’s worth scanning through the video to see the moves coming up and perhaps thinking about some easier variations you could have lined up if needed.
Don’t forget to breathe
I kept catching myself holding my breath during the long sets, which only made them more difficult. Keep breathing and time your movements with your inhales and exhales, and it does feel a little easier. A little.
Everyone struggles with core workouts
Along with Ben — an incredibly fit 2:23 marathoner himself — there are many Kenyan athletes and people from other parts of the world at the training camp, all tackling this workout together.
It comes as some relief that everyone in the video groans or laughs nervously at some of the moves you’re required to do, and pretty much everyone on screen has to take multiple extra breaks to get through the workout.
This creates some welcome camaraderie, even if you’re half a world away following the video in your living room.
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