Two short heavy-slow-resistance sessions a week (≤15 min each), built for a runner in zero-drop shoes with a history of calf, plantar and quad complaints. Heavy means the last two reps are hard (RPE 7–8); tempo is written as down / hold / up in seconds. Always after an easy run, never the day before the long run. On flare-up days: drop to the isometrics, lower the load — don’t stop.
Currently: A on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday (full 3×/wk Rathleff dose, gated on the foot’s response — post-ML on Wednesday, post-long-run on Saturday), B on Thursday — see the changelog for how that evolved.
Session A — calf / Achilles / plantar fascia (~12 min)
Single-leg calf raise, knee straight (Rathleff style)
Forefoot on a step, toes on a rolled towel — this is the evidence-based plantar-fasciopathy treatment, not a warm-up. 3 × 8 heavy — 3 / 2 / 3. Rest 60–90 s.
Single-leg calf raise, knee bent ~30° (soleus)
The soleus takes the most load in running — and zero-drop shoes make it work overtime. 3 × 10 — 3 / 1 / 3. Rest 60 s.
Single-leg glute bridge
Glutes + hamstrings. 2 × 10 per leg — 2 / 1 / 2.
Session B — quads / knee / hip (~13 min)
Bulgarian split squat
Rear foot elevated — big eccentric quad work (with telemark-season carryover). 3 × 8 per leg — 3 / 0 / 1. Add load when possible. Rest 75 s.
Eccentric step-down
Knee/patellar control. 2 × 8 per leg — 3 s down, assisted back up. If the patellar tendon is sensitive, replace with a Spanish-squat isometric or wall-sit, 3 × 30–45 s.
Hip abduction — kneeling side plank + leg lift
Interim swap, started Aug 3: a PT-confirmed psoas/rectus-abdominis strain meant pausing the full straight-leg side plank below. This bent-knee (“kneeling”) version removes the straight-body-line stabilization demand that likely irritated it, while still training glute medius through the leg lift. 2 × 12 per side. Reintroduce the straight-leg version once cleared — regressed first (no leg raise / shorter hold), not at prior difficulty.
Original exercise (paused, video below is for this version): side plank with a small top-leg raise, 2 × 12.
Clam shells
Added Aug 10, alongside the swap above. Bodyweight, no band needed — isolated glute medius, even gentler than the kneeling side plank: no trunk stabilization at all. Good lower-irritability fallback on days the hip feels more sensitive than usual. 2 × 15 per side, slow and controlled.
Flare-up days — isometrics only
Pain-relieving, keeps a gentle load on the tissue: calf holds 5 × 45 s and a wall-sit 3 × 45 s. (calf iso · wall-sit)
Feet / ankle — balance board (~3–5 min, near daily)
A complement, not a replacement: session A builds capacity, the board builds balance, foot intrinsics and ankle stabilizers — frequent and light beats heavy. Also direct prep for the September trail race. Single-leg holds on an unstable setup (3 × 20–45 s per foot), arch doming (3 × 10 × 5 s) and big-toe control (3 × 10) on a stable one. Guide + videos: Sidekick Learning Lab.
Right hip — as-needed routine
For when the sensitive right side acts up (and preventively 2–3×/wk): the usual runner culprit is a weak glute medius plus forgotten adductors. The abduction + hike pair below also live on the watch as a single on-demand “Strength Hip” workout (Training > Workouts) — no calendar entry, launch it whenever it acts up.
- Side-lying hip abduction — 2–3 × 12 per side, slow. (demo)
- Hip hike (anti-pelvic-drop, running-specific) — 2 × 10 per side. (demo)
- Copenhagen plank (adductors) — short lever first, 2 × 15–20 s per side. (demo + regressions) Paused since Aug 3 (same psoas/rectus-abdominis note as Session B’s side plank above) — PT re-evaluation still pending.
Overview worth watching: glute med for runners.
Progression
Weeks 1–2 bodyweight, technique and full range first; then add load (backpack, dumbbells) roughly weekly as long as pain stays ≤3/10. The plantar work (session A) is on a frequency ramp — 1×/wk was a maintenance dose, the treatment dose is 3×/wk — gated on the foot’s morning-score trend. Other reliable sources: Physiotutors, E3 Rehab, [P]Rehab, Squat University.