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The rain and floods are here. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a spot of clear weather to clock a good, long run. Worse, if you’re gearing up for the Standard Chartered Marathon in December, a workout disruption is the last thing you’ll need. We’ve got some solutions for you.
Gym Circuit Routine
It doesn’t help that treadmills in some gyms have a time limit to prevent hogging of the machine. If you’re unable to get outdoors, you have to change your training strategy – obviously you can’t clock a 3-hour trial marathon if you’ve only got the confines of a gym and a 30-minute time limit to contend with. Good news is that circuit training (it mimics interval training) can be even more taxing compared to a proper running routine.
1. Plan Your Circuit
Go for a whole body workout, preferably beginning with your lower body and ending with your upper body. Besides noting which exercises you’re comfortable with, also make a mental note of the location of equipment in the gym – if you waste too much time shuttling between machines, you’ll have lost the cardiovascular element of the workout. Alternatively, simply use a barbell and dumbbell to minimise moving around. Also, go slow, and make sure you’re medically fit before attempting a circuit routine.
2. The Workout
Free weights are all you need, but make sure you’re familiar with the movement first. Here’s a sample workout setup: Set up the squat rack with a lighter weight (if you can only use the bar, that’s fine). Now grab a pair of dumbbells and lay them just outside of the squat rack. You’ll want to keep your weights light, and your repetitions around 20 for starters. Try not to rest at all in between: Do a set of squats, dumbbell deadlifts, barbell upright rows, dumbbell lunges and standing barbell shoulder presses. That’s one set. Rest for around 2-3 minutes before you go again – try for five sets. When you get fitter, increase the repetition range (don’t increase the weight too much) and include other exercises into the routine.
Stair-Workout
Here’s one spot that the rain (well, not a drizzle anyway) won’t get to: The HDB stairwell. Heading up long flights of stairs is an excellent way to keep your fitness up, as it’s very similar to hill running. Your HDB flat isn’t high enough? Head here (they’re around 40 stories tall) for more of a vertical kick.
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