Wednesday, August 17, 2016

5 Leg And Butt Moves Olympic Sprinter Allyson Felix Swears By

Sean M. Haffey / Andy Lyons / Getty

Allyson Felix has made history at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The 30-year-old won the silver medal in the 400-meter sprint and is now the most decorated woman in U.S. track and field history with a total of seven medals. To become a record-breaking super-star, she trains with intensity—just before the Rio Games kicked off, Felix talked to SELF all about the moves that fuel her performance as well as her partnership with the Folgers #OneCupAtATime campaign.

To perform at an elite level, Felix starts her training even before she steps foot in a gym (or on a track). A pantry full of nuts keeps her powered up during long training days and oatmeal is her go-to pre-workout meal. During a typical workout Felix relies on exercises that are designed to strengthen her lower-body and increase her power—check out five of her favorites that she shared with SELF below. (Hint: There are a lot of squats!) And after her workout, it’s all about maximum recovery. “When I come home I really focus on recovery, because you want to be able to do it all again,” Felix tells SELF. “I’ll use some type of Normatec boot [for my legs] and then take an ice bath.” 

Give the five lower-body moves a try—a lot of them require equipment, so you may want to try these out at the gym. 

5 Leg And Butt Moves To Power Up Your Runs

1. Squats With Kettlebells (AKA Goblet Squats)

If you don’t have a kettlebell for this exercise, a dumbbell will work just as well. See a demo of the goblet squat here.

  • Hold the weight in front of your chest with both hands and stand with feet hip-width apart. Stand tall and engage your core.
  • Drop your butt back and down and keep your chest up. Sit back on your heels without shifting weight forward onto the balls of your feet. 
  • Driving through heels, come back up to standing. Squeeze glutes at the top.

2. Box Squats

Felix is all about plyometrics and especially this move. She loves it because it makes her feel “explosive and powerful.” It’s a lot like a power lunge, but to do this version, you’ll need a box. See a demo of the power lunge here.

  • Begin standing with feet hip-width apart facing the box. Place one foot flat on the top of the box and keep it there. 
  • Push through the front foot to stand and jump up over the box. Land on the box and return your back foot to the ground. Don’t forget to do both sides.

3. Deadlifts

“Being a runner, it’s all about power, so deadlifts really help with that,” says Felix. You’ll need two dumbbells for this move. See a demo of the deadlift here.

  • Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your body, palms facing your thighs. 
  • Keep a slight bend in the knees and push your hips back to lower weights down the front of your legs. Keep the weights close to your shins as they lower.
  • Then slowly reverse the movement to stand.

4. Bear Crawls

You’ll need a little bit of space to do this move. Felix says she’ll do them for 30 meters forward and back.

  • Start on hands and knees, with your knees under your hips and your hands wider than shoulders.
  • Straighten knees and lift butt into a Downward Dog. Take three small steps forward (right hand, left foot; left hand, right foot; etc.), then three steps backward.
  • Continue for 20 seconds. Rest 10 seconds. 

5. Fast Squats

This is a move Felix loves because it gets you “feeling that burn throughout.” It’s like a bodyweight squat, but you want to really push your pace.

  • Start with your feet hip-width apart. Drop your butt back and down and keep your chest up.
  • Driving through heels, come back up to standing. Squeeze glutes at the top. 
  • Do this squat at a rapid pace.

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You may also like: Try This 10-Minute Plyometric Workout You Can Do At Home

The post 5 Leg And Butt Moves Olympic Sprinter Allyson Felix Swears By appeared first on SELF.



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