Below is a compilation of video and written tutorials that describe much of the training unique to Methow Endurance athletes. Got questions? Email us!
Click the links below for video demonstrations:
Squat
Lunge
Leg Lifts (or Jane Fonda's as some clients refer to it): Lie on your side with your hips stacked. The bottom leg is bent and the top leg is straight, and slightly behind the other. Leading with your heel (if your toe leads you can cheat by using your quad-no cheating!) slowly raise your top leg, then lower. It is a small movement of a couple of inches. You should feel it on the top hip. Careful not to let your top hip hinge as you lift your leg. Feel the burn!
Core work is vitally important for minimizing injury and transferring strength from upper to lower body. Following are our favorite exercises. Go for difficulty over millions of repetitions. To start, you want to build maximum strength. If you can only do three to five reps before losing your form, great; that means you're challenging your muscles and are recruiting more muscle fibers than if you did an easier exercise for many reps. Be careful, however, to not continue once you lose your form (see video on "bread loaf").
TV watchers: Keep your back and hips level (no arching) and hold. When this can be held for one minute, progress to lifting one leg, then the other, while maintaining level hips. Then progress to the next exercise. 
Push ups: Maintain a flat back and pull belly button toward spine. Push ups from the knees are a great stepping stone.
Diamond Push-up: This variation applies all of the same above form with the regular push-up, but instead of hands being shoulder-width apart, they are together with the thumbs and forefingers touching and resembling a "diamond". This exercise involves a much higher engagement of the triceps.
Superman Push-ups: Yet another variation; this one has you "frog" out your leg, therefore increasing both the load on the two arms and placing a higher demand on maintaining squared hips. As such, watch for a dipping hip on the side of the frogged-out leg. Switch unweighted legs on each "up".
Sit-ups: Despite being one of the most common core exercises, sit-ups are also the most misunderstood. Instead of the rapid-fire curved-spine variety, we advocate a slow, Pilates-like sit-up. Interlace your hands behind your head and draw shoulders back, so that the elbows are in line with the head. Engaging your deep abdominal muscles, sit up slowly and evenly with a straight back until fully upright, then lower slowly to barely touch the ground before repeating. Begin by securing your feet with dumbbells or a friend, then progress to unweighted feet.
Bridge: This core exercise really emphasizes the role the glutes play in pelvic stability. This is not, however, the yoga pose bridge, where you do a back bend. Engage your oblique muscles to keep your ribcage from extending too much. Use your glutes to raise your hips to be level with your quads. In the modified version, raise your hips to make a plank.
Windshield Wipers: Another great exercise for deep abdominal muscles and obliques. Keep back flat and point toes.
Leg Raises: Similar core exercise to windshield wipers but raise your legs straight in front of you instead of lateral sweeps. Progress from bent to straight legs.
Kayaker/Bicyclist: Incorporate the two separate core movements for one comprehensive upper and lower body exercise. Don't let your lower back sag.
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