Photo by Mike Stog

It was late in her marathon preparation when STACK sat in on Julie Culley’s workout, so her objective was to strengthen her core and glutes without tiring her legs, which had been working hard enough already, logging 90-plus miles per week.

Culley’s strength trainer, Mernon Grant, explained that having a strong core improves Culley’s overall movement efficiency, allowing her to travel faster with less effort.

Grant also designed the workout to challenge her proprioception, the ability to recover from unexpected movement. “If she’s running and gets bumped from the side or the back, this helps her regain form and not fall over,” he said.

The workout lasted about a half hour, encompassing 26 moves, which are described and illustrated in the slide show in the same order that Culley performed them. To start, warm up with five minutes of light jogging, cycling or other cardio (Culley opted for the elliptical). Then perform the exercises.