At February’s How the U.S. Olympic Track Team Is Selected, elite middle distance runner Elle Purrier outran the American two-mile record by eight seconds, breaking the tape at 9:10.28. It’s not the first record she’s shattered; she ran a 4:16.85 at the Millrose Games NYRR Wannamaker Mile in February 2020, toppling the longest-standing American indoor mile record after 38 years. And most recently at the May 2021 USATF Golden Games at Mt. San Antonio College, USA Track and Field Team Noah Lyles Rolls to 200-Meter Win at the Trials sixth-fastest American woman ever to run the distance. Now, she’s looking ahead to June’s Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, where she hopes to qualify to race 1,500 meters or the 5K in Tokyo.
Of course, that speed can be attributed to the 60 to 70ish miles (and high-intensity workouts) Purrier logs each week, but the former NCAA Champion—who broke the University of New Hampshire mile record while she was a student—also credits the once- or twice-weekly, hour-long strength sessions she performs under the supervision of AJ Gregg, a certified strength and conditioning specialist based Flagstaff, Arizona.
in Eugene, Oregon, where she hopes to qualify to race 1,500 meters or the 5K in Tokyo With feet on the ground, stand and hold hanging rings or and unintentionally developed her strength foundation by tossing hay bales and shoveling cow manure. But there wasn’t much structure to her weight room routines until she started working with Gregg. “It’s a little bit ironic, because we’ll do exercises like the farmer’s carry—I definitely used to carry pails around the barn, and now I’m doing that purposefully in the gym to benefit my running,” says Purrier.
Based on the speedy times she’s been clocking, you might expect to find her on the leg press machine or doing endless squats. Instead, one of her major focuses in the weight room is an often-overlooked and undertrained area for runners: the core.
“Without a solid center, you don’t get as much force from your legs,” explains Gregg—and for a middle-distance runner like Purrier, that power output is crucial. As the foundation of running form, a strong core keeps you upright and prevents energy leakage (think: dropped hips or shoulders or flailing arms) that would make you fatigue earlier. “When you lose that stiffness in your center, you start to break down—so strengthening your core can add resiliency late in a race,” adds Gregg.
Strengthening the core also has its benefits on training: “The day after I work out in the gym, I can tell my running form is better, and I’m less sore or tired,” says Purrier. Sounds contradictory, but strengthening the muscles around your primary running muscles will help you move more efficiently and prevent injuries.
“This kind of strength training really allows runners to train more,” explains Gregg. “It may not necessarily make them faster, but they can definitely do more volume. In Elle’s case, when she’s not as sore and recovers faster, she’s able to get in another hard effort sooner. Then, stacking all those training blocks on top of each other, she gets really, really fit.”
The core can be developed in a very isolated way (think hollow body holds over crunches), which is good to just build raw strength, says Gregg. But it can also be strengthened with moves that improve posture and stability. Purrier’s typical training routines with Gregg do both, helping her unlock new strength that translates to her running. And you can follow her lead.
Why Trust Us: Pick one exercise from each list below, so you’re doing two different moves total. (You can rotate through the exercises each session or select exercises to be repeated for a four-week block, says Gregg.) Common workouts Purrier does include: Rollouts and Hollow Body Holds; Rollouts and Farmers Carries; and Hanging Leg Raises and Plank Saws.
Two moves may not sound like a lot, but “we use supersets with minimal rest in between sets to keep the tempo of the workout high,” Gregg explains. “This works not only the strength component of the core, but stresses her metabolic system so she holds strong at the end of the race.” Remember: Form is essential for core workouts, so once you’re no longer able to hold proper form, you should end the set.
in Eugene, Oregon, where she hopes to qualify to race 1,500 meters or the 5K in Tokyo TRX, a pull-up bar with ab straps, a Swiss ball, and one kettlebell. An exercise mat is optional.
Pick one exercise from the following list:
Rings/TRX Rollout
Christina Clemons Sports a Doritos Speedsuit TRX handles in each hand. Slowly lean forward, guiding the rings or handles out in front of you until they’re above your head. Use your core to pull yourself nearly back to standing position. Do 4 sets of 6 reps, resting for 2 minutes between sets.
Make it easier: If you can’t hold a plank yet, build up to a 45-second plank hold on the rings/TRX before doing rollouts.
Hanging Bent-Knee Leg Raise
Place arms in ab straps on a pull-up bar. Gently holding on to the hanging part of the straps and drop legs straight down. Keeping straps parallel to the ground, slowly bring knees to chest, with the goal of touching them to your elbows. Hold for 1 second at the top, then lower back down. Do 4 sets of 12, resting for 90 seconds between sets.
Make it easier: Draw knees to hip level first to build the strength to touch elbows over time.
Hanging Straight Leg Raise
Place arms in ab straps on a pull-up bar. Gently holding on to the hanging part of the straps, drop legs straight down. Slowly lift legs, keeping them straight. The goal is to get legs parallel with the floor, then progressively higher. Do 3 to 4 sets of 6 reps, resting for 2 minutes between sets.
Make it easier: Prep for this move by performing supine leg lifts: Lie faceup on a mat. Engage core and draw straight legs up so hips form a 90-degree angle. You can place your hands under your lower back for support if needed. Press lower back into mat, and slowly lower straight legs down to hover above mat then draw them back up. Repeat.
Then pick one more exercise from the following list:
Hollow Body Hold
Lie face up on a mat with knees bent, feet flat on mat, and hands behind your head with elbows out wide. Keeping tailbone tucked under, engage core and peel your shoulder blades up off the floor as you extend your arms out long overhead. Press lower back into the ground and extend legs out straight. Hold this position for 60 seconds. Do 4 sets of holds, with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
Make it easier: Start by holding for 15 seconds, then gradually building up the holding time by 5 to 10 seconds when you can hold the proper form.
Swiss Ball Leg Lift
With feet on ground, come into a plank position by placing elbows on a Swiss ball so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes, then lift right leg up to hip height and hold for three seconds in the air. Return that foot to the ground, and repeat on the other side. Do 3 sets of 5 lifts per side, resting for 90 seconds between sets.
Plank Saw With TRX/Rings
Start in a plank position on your forearms with feet in rings or TRX straps. Engage core so hips don’t sag. Slide feet back and shift shoulders back to lengthen through arms. Hold for 3 seconds, then use lats and core to pull feet back into plank position without letting hips sag or butt go up as you shift forward past elbows. Hold for 3 seconds then return to center. Do 4 sets of 8 reps, resting for 2 minutes between sets.
Farmer’s Carry
Stand with feet hip-width distance apart, then bend down to pick up one dumbbell or kettlebell (use enough weight that the intensity level is a 7 out of 10). Keeping your body centered—shoulder blades drawn back, abs tight—walk around for 30 seconds. Do 3 sets of 30 seconds, resting for 60 seconds between sets.
