■■ Home Strength Routine

Marathon Runner Edition · Fat Loss · Strength · Definition

■ Overview
Detail Info

Sessions per week 2–3 strength days

Session length 45–55 minutes

Equipment Bench, Dumbbells, Floor

Goal Fat loss, strength, muscle definition

Complements 2–3 running days per week

Weekly Schedule
Day Session

Monday Strength – Upper Body Push & Pull

Tuesday Run

Wednesday Strength – Lower Body & Core

Thursday Rest or easy run

Friday Strength – Full Body HIIT Circuit

Saturday Long Run

Sunday Rest / Active Recovery

■■ Always place strength sessions on non-running days or after a run — never before a hard run.

Session A — Upper Body Push & Pull | ~50 min

Warm-Up (5 min)
• 30 sec arm circles (forward + backward)
• 30 sec chest opener stretch
• 30 sec hip circles
• 1 min light dumbbell shoulder press at 50% weight

Main Workout
# Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

1 Dumbbell Bench Press 4 10–12 60s Full range of motion, controlled descent

2 Dumbbell Bent-Over Row 4 10–12 60s Flat back, drive elbow to hip

3 Incline Dumbbell Press 3 10–12 60s Bench ~45°, targets upper chest
4 Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 10–12 60s Seated on bench for stability

5 Dumbbell Lateral Raises 3 12–15 45s Slight bend in elbow, control the drop

6 Overhead Tricep Extension 3 12–15 45s Seated, both hands on one dumbbell

7 Dumbbell Bicep Curl 3 12–15 45s Alternate arms, slow eccentric

Finisher — 3 rounds, no rest between exercises, 60s between rounds

• 20 Dumbbell Floor Press (slow and controlled)
• 15 Dumbbell Upright Rows
• 10 Dumbbell Arnold Press

Session B — Lower Body & Core | ~55 min

Strengthens the muscles most used in marathon running — glutes, hamstrings, quads and stabilisers — while building core strength to
improve running posture and reduce injury risk.

Warm-Up (5 min)
• 30 sec leg swings (forward/lateral each side)
• 30 sec glute bridges (bodyweight)
• 30 sec ankle circles
• 1 min bodyweight squats

Main Workout
# Exercise Sets Reps Rest Notes

1 Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 4 10–12 75s Hip hinge, soft knees, big hamstring stretch

2 Dumbbell Goblet Squat 4 12 60s Chest up, knees tracking over toes

3 Dumbbell Reverse Lunge 3 10 ea 75s Step back, lower rear knee, drive through front heel

4 Dumbbell Lateral Lunge 3 10 ea 60s Wide step to side, sit into hip, keep other leg straight

5 Dumbbell Hip Thrust 4 12–15 60s Upper back on bench, dumbbell on hips

6 Dumbbell Calf Raises 3 20 45s Stand on edge of a step if possible

Core Circuit — 3 rounds, 30s rest between rounds

Exercise Duration / Reps

Plank 45 seconds

Dead Bug 10 reps each side

Bicycle Crunches 20 reps

Reverse Crunch 15 reps

Side Plank 30 seconds each side

Hollow Body Hold 30 seconds

Session C — Full Body HIIT Circuit | ~45 min

Elevates heart rate, burns maximum calories and builds total-body conditioning. Complete each circuit 3–4 rounds. Rest 20s between
exercises, 90s between rounds.
Warm-Up (5 min)
• 1 min jumping jacks
• 30 sec high knees
• 30 sec hip hinges
• 30 sec dynamic chest stretch

■ Circuit 1 — Lower Body Power Reps / Duration

Dumbbell Squat Jump 12 reps

Reverse Lunge + Knee Drive 10 reps each side

Dumbbell Deadlift 12 reps

Dumbbell Sumo Squat 12 reps

■ Circuit 2 — Upper Body + Core Reps / Duration

Dumbbell Push Press 12 reps

Single-Arm Dumbbell Bent-Over Row 10 reps each side

Dumbbell Floor Press 12 reps

Mountain Climbers 30 seconds

■ Circuit 3 — Metabolic Burn (Bodyweight) Reps / Duration

Squat Jumps 10 reps

Dumbbell Curl to Press 12 reps

Hollow Body Hold 30 seconds

V-Sit Hold 30 seconds

■ Progressive Overload Plan

Phase Strategy

Weeks 1–2 Learn the movements, nail your form

Weeks 3–4 Add 1–2 reps per set

Weeks 5–6 Increase dumbbell weight by 1–2 kg

Weeks 7–8 Add a 4th set to key compound lifts

Week 9+ Introduce tempo (e.g. 3 sec descent on every rep)

■ Nutrition Tips
• Protein: Aim for 1.6–2 g per kg of bodyweight daily to preserve and build muscle.
• Carbs: Don't cut carbs drastically — your running demands glycogen. Time them around runs.
• Pre-workout: Light carb + protein snack 60–90 min before sessions.
• Post-run / workout: Protein + carb meal within 45 minutes of finishing.
• Hydration: 2–3 L water daily, more on run days.

■ Recovery Guidelines
• Sleep: 7–9 hours — this is where muscle is built and fat is burned.
• Rest days: Take them seriously. Active recovery (walking, stretching, foam rolling) is ideal.
• Foam roll: Quads, IT band, calves and glutes after every session.
• Listen to your body: If legs are dead before a long run, swap to an upper-body-only day.

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