We have teamed up with BETTER to bring you the perfect guide to preparing for the Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon and Half Marathon. The series is perfect for anyone preparing for the big day, from beginners to experienced runners who want to keep their fitness levels up.
We know the journey to race day is tough so we wanted to help you along your way. Whatever your 'My Marathon' motivation is this should help you on your way. We are kicking it off with strength training which will compliment your running programme as well as increasing strength and helping with injury prevention.
The video is the best way to follow the routine but we have detailed each exercise below for you to follow in the gym or at home!
READ MORE: The Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon kick off their annual Health Month
Barbell squat
Grip the bar roughly around shoulder width, use the knurling as a guide. What’s important is that we are positioned in the middle of the bar as we want a balanced bar. The bar is placed across the tops of the shoulders. Once you have stepped away from the rack, as a guide, place your feet just over shoulder width apart and adjust if this is too wide or too narrow. As you start your downward motion, we want to drive our knees out whilst keeping your chest up. You can go as far as parallel or just after parallel and begin the ascent to the top again and repeat.
Barbell stiff leg deadlift
Take an even grip at the middle of the bar and take a step out away from the rack. Before you begin the movement take a soft bend at the knees, this is a hinge movement. Once you start the hinging movement we want to keep the angle of the knees a constant and let the bar run up and down your legs.
Hex bar deadlift
Take a shoulder width stance and a tight grip of the bars. Drop the hips as low as you can, the movement starts from you driving your legs into the ground, once you have stood tall with the bar you can then start the movement back down, keeping a neutral spine.
Dumbbell reverse lunge
Hold the dumbbell against your chest just below your chin, this is an alternate leg movement. Take one step back, keeping the front foot flat against the floor and keeping the chest up whilst maintaining a neutral spine.
The Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon returns to the City on Sunday 30th April. From the full 26.2 Mile Marathon Run and Wheelchair Race, to the Team Relay or 8 Mile Walk, there's an event for everyone. Add to this, the Belfast City Half Marathon celebrates it’s 10th staging on Sunday 17th September!
Cross-training is a great way to enhance your total conditioning and running performance, supporting a sustainable, healthy, strong, and injury free running journey. As proud sponsors of the Belfast City Marathon, BETTER are here to help support your training!
Want to spur on your marathon journey? We have the perfect prize for you! We have x5 1 month passes to BETTER and x1 entry to a Belfast City Marathon event of your choice to some of our lucky readers. All you have to do is fill in the form below to enter:
Can't see the form? CLICK HERE to enter.
Use the hashtag #MyMarathon across all social media platforms to tell us what you are running the marathon for. Whether it is 'My Health', 'My Mind', 'My Fitness', or 'My Charity' we want to see your journey progession.
Good luck!
READ NEXT:
Calling all choirs, bands, DJs, dancers, and entertainers the Belfast City Marathon runners need you
Belfast pizza spot receives "perfect" score from 'UK's Number One Food Reviewer'
First look as street food outlet to open first sit-in restaurant in Belfast
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here.To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
