Most runners — even experienced ones — are doing core work that doesn’t actually translate to better running.

In this episode, Liz breaks down what your core really needs to do when you run, why traditional core exercises like planks and crunches often fall short, and how to train your core in a way that directly improves running efficiency, stability, and agility performance.

You’ll learn why core work belongs in your warm-up, how pre-engaging the right muscles improves movement quality, and what’s missing from many popular core programs — especially for dog agility handlers and active athletes who train on their feet, not on the floor.

Liz shares a clear, practical checklist for running-specific core function, then walks you through five core exercises — including standing, rotational, and single-leg options — that better reflect how your body actually moves when you run.

This episode is ideal for:

• Runners who want to feel smoother and more powerful

• Agility handlers looking to improve speed, control, and endurance

• Anyone tired of doing “core work” without seeing real carryover

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why core training in warm-ups improves performance and reduces compensation

• What “pre-engaging” muscles actually means (and what it doesn’t)

• How your core functions during running: bracing, anti-extension, rotation control, and force transfer

• Why seated and floor-based core work alone isn’t enough

• Five practical, running-specific core exercises you can start using right away

This episode cuts through fitness noise and gives you a smarter, more sport-specific way to train your core — so your running feels more connected, efficient, and resilient.

If you don’t want to piece this together on your own, I’ve built all of this into my All Access Pass. Start a free trial, take the quiz to find your best-fit course, and enjoy the flexibility to train in a way that actually works for you.

Get started here!

Most handlers think “strong legs” just means squats and lunges, but agility demands strength that works in every direction.

The goal is power, control, and stability when the dog changes speed or the course forces quick transitions.

• You need single-leg stability far more than bilateral strength

• Deceleration strength prevents slipping, sliding, and knee strain

• Power + quickness beat “strong but slow” every time

Your plan should challenge you in the same ways the course does — forward, backward, sideways, and rotational.

If your routine hits these elements, it’s already doing more for your handling than 90% of generic programs.

• A good lower-body plan always includes hinge, squat, power, and lateral work

• Unilateral training is the most transferable skill for handlers

• If a class has no power or decel, it’s not building speed

You don’t need fancy equipment — you just need smarter variations.

One small tweak per exercise can turn a generic workout into something that actually improves your on-course performance.

• Swap any bilateral move for a single-leg version for instant agility carryover

• Add just 3–5 power reps before strength sets to train quickness

• Change the direction of the movement to mimic real handling (lateral or diagonal)

Many handlers have strong quads but weak hips, ankles, and hamstrings — a setup for slower acceleration and sloppy decel.

Filling these gaps is often the quickest path to feeling faster and more stable on course.

• If you never train hamstrings or hinge patterns, you lose speed

• Skipping lateral work is a guaranteed deceleration weakness

• Machines alone don’t prep you for multi-directional agility demands

Do you want more direction with your TRAINING, so you're not just working out but building to be a better athlete?

Come join us in the All Access Pass, there's even a free trial 🔥

Your Friends Are Your Biggest Fitness Hack

This episode kicks off our second All Access Pass monthly challenge!

December’s All-Access Challenge: Do Something Active With Someone You Care About Once a Week.

We explore why your social circle is one of the strongest predictors of long-term health and fitness, and why shared movement builds sustainable habits far better than willpower alone.

You’ll learn what research says about community and lifespan (including why tennis tops the longevity charts), why “fitness-minded friendships” are the secret weapon for handlers, and how heading into January with deeper connections sets you up for a wildly successful year.

Key Takeaways:

• Activities with others are strongly linked to longevity — tennis increases life expectancy by ~9.7 years, largely due to its social interaction (Copenhagen City Heart Study).

• Weekly shared activity helps build identity-based habits: you become the kind of person who moves socially, not someone forcing themselves to exercise alone.

• Fitness-minded friendships reinforce consistency, reduce holiday stress, and make movement joyful instead of something on your to-do list.

• Going into “New Year New You” season with momentum and a connected support system makes January a continuation — not a desperate restart.

  
  

  If you want a plan to head into 2026 ready to capture your goals, check out our All Access Pass (you even get a free trial!)