I had big goals last weekend of scoring a new 10K PR, but Mother Nature had a different plan. Torrential downpours hit Austin in the form of some pretty serious thunderstorms, causing the Cap 10K to cancel race day. This was the first time in my "career" as a runner that I experienced the disappointment of a race getting cancelled.
I was staying in downtown Austin at my sister-in-law's apartment the night before the race. Race morning, we woke up at 6:30am and started to get dressed. It wasn't raining just yet, and the race hadn't updating anything since the evening before. About 15 minutes before we were planning to leave, the rain started coming down. The race announced a 30 minute delay.
I made my pre-race oats, got a cup of coffee (I had 30 extra minutes, so why not?), and sat down with my SIL to pass the time while watching the morning news. I took one bite of my oats and on came a headline: Cap 10K Cancelled.
Damn.
I was definitely bummed, but at the same time, I was grateful to the race organizers for putting safety first, especially after hearing a huge clap of thunder.
Since we were already in workout gear, my sister-in-law and I decided we might as well get some sort of workout in, so we put together a 10-move workout in honor of the 10K.
how to do an emom workout
EMOM stands for Every Minute On The Minute. To do an EMOM Workout, you start each new move at the start of each new minute, so move #1 starts at 0:00, move #2 starts at 1:00, move #3 starts at 2:00 and so on. You complete the assigned reps in the move as quickly as possible, and then use the remaining time in that minute to rest. For this EMOM workout, you complete all 10 moves 3 times through.
how to do the moves
1. Kettlebell Swing - Stand with feet hip-width apart. To begin, soften the knees, shift your weight into your heels, send your butt back and keep your chest upright. Grip the kettlebell (which should be in line with the middle of your feet) so that your palms face you. Then drive through your heels, explode through the hips, and swing the kettlebell up and overhead with the arms extended. Squeeze your booty at the top. The momentum of your hips should allow you to bring the kettlebell up, vs swinging your arms. Allow the weight of the kettlebell to help bring you back to the starting position and swing back between your legs. Keep moving for the full minute (don't stop to reset each time) and choose a weight that allows you to swing with good technique while still feeling a bit challenging.
2. Barbell Press - Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold the barbell at your shoulders with the hands just outside the shoulders and palms facing out. Straighten the arms and lift the barbell overhead. Return to start (slow and controlled) and repeat. If this is too difficult, you can do a push press, bending slightly at the knees and using the moment of your legs to raise the barbell overhead.
3. Dumbbell Squat -Stand with feet about hip width apart, feet pointed straight ahead. Hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing each other. Send your hips back and drop down into a squat as low as you can go, keeping your torso upright and knees pointed out. You don't have to stop at 90 degrees if you have the mobility to drop down further. Stand back up to starting position and repeat.
4. Leg Raises - Lay down on a bench, with your butt at the edge of the seat. Extend your legs straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor. Using your abs, not the momentum of you legs, raise your legs straight up into the air, heels to ceiling. When your legs are perpendicular to the floor, pulse your feet up toward the ceiling, lifting your butt off the bench. Lower your butt back down and then slowly lower you legs back to their starting position. Repeat.
5. Tricep Dips - Start sitting on a bench with your hands on the bench at your sides. Slide your butt forward off the bench, using your arms to hold you up. Your feet should be either in front of you with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your hips at the same height as your knees or straight out in front of you with just your heels on the floor (keeping your torso and legs in one nice, straight line). Keep your core engaged as you bend your elbows toward the wall behind you. Press back up to start and repeat. Be careful not to let your hips drop or to use your legs to help assist you. Let your triceps do the work.
6. Jump Rope - Just your classic jump rope, like you did as a kid. Jump for the entire minute.
7. Alternating Bicep Curl - Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides. Hold a medium-weight dumbbell in each hand, palms facing away from you. Keep your left arm still as you bend your right arm at the elbow and slowly curl the weight up toward your shoulders. With a slow and controlled motion, curl the weight back down to starting position, and repeat on the opposite arm, 10x per side. The goal is to keep your bicep and elbow glued to your side.
8. Single Leg Deadlift - Start with feet hip width apart and use both hands to hold a heavy dumbbell from the top in front of your thighs. Slowly bend forward at the hips, allowing the weight to move toward the floor as you balance on your left leg and kick your right leg straight back behind you. Use your balance to hinge back up without returning the right foot to the floor. Complete 5 reps. Then switch legs for 5 reps.
9. Plank Rows - Get into a plank position with a medium-weight dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. Keep the hips in line with the torso, engage the core and row the right dumbbell up toward your chest, sending the elbow up toward the ceiling. Return to start and row the left dumbbell up toward your chest. Repeat for a total of 20 reps. Your core and butt should remain square to the floor. If you find your torso rotating with each row, step your feet wider.
10. Windmill Abs - Start standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Hold a medium-weight dumbbell in your right hand and raise that arm straight overhead. Your left arm should remain at your side. With the core engaged, keep the dumbbell in the air as you reach your left arm down your side toward your left foot. Slowly raise back up and repeat for a total of 5 reps. Switch sides for another 5 reps.
Let's Chat:
Have you ever had a race cancelled?
Which move looks the most challenging to you?
