30 Day Breakaway – Beachbody’s First Running & Strength Program

30 Day Breakaway is Beachbody’s FIRST EVER strength and guided running program! The program, created by super trainer and track-and-field athlete Idalis Velazquez, can help any runner improve their running or even START running with the goal of completing a 5K race at the end of the 30 day program.

As a runner myself, I am very excited for this program! The strength training workouts are designed specifically for runners and the guided runs will make it much more fun to get in a speed workout! This program can be used by new runners or even half or full marathoners.

30 Day Breakaway Program Details

30 Day Breakaway is NOW available with VIP access on Beachbody on Demand (as of October 2020). Speak to your Beachbody coach or reach out to me for your personalized best options for purchase or to join our 30 Day Breakaway accountability training group that starts on October 19th.

Here are the high level details for the 30 Day Breakaway:

• Program length: 30 Days
• Workout length: 20-45 minutes (workouts include either strength only or strength + guided run)
• Workout Type: Strength training for runners and guided runs
• Equipment needed: Dumbbells, resistance loops, running shoes and foam roller

30 Day Breakaway Calendars

There are 3 calendars options for 30 Day Breakaway to fit the needs of various fitness and running levels:

1. 30 Day Breakaway Calendar – 5 Days Per Week (3 runs), 20-45 min/day. The basic calendar that includes 5 days a week of training with 3 days including a strength block AND a run block (totaling up to 45 minutes), 2 active recovery days and 1 complete rest day. (Each week is slightly different)
2. 30 Day Breakaway Time Crunch Calendar- 6 Days Per Week (3 runs), 20-25 min/day. This calendar is for people who do not have time to do 2 workouts per day. It alternates strength and run days and has just one day off, no recovery days.
3. 30 Day Breakaway Advanced Runners Calendar – 5 Days Per week (5 runs), 45 min/day. This calendar has a run every single time that you do a strength workout, with 1 additional speed run and a recovery run as compared to the basic plan.

Some Notes on the 30 Day Breakaway Workouts:

• 4 strength workouts per week (upper body, lower body, full body and core) which are 20-25 minutes each and designed with the runner in mind.
• All runs are 20 minute interval runs with various formats: tempo, intervals, progression run, fartlek intervals and every run is different. Runs are based on rate of perceived exertion (RPE) so they can be used for ANY level of runner – from a walk/runner to advanced.
• Runs audio can be downloaded for use without wi-fi or you can watch a video while running on the treadmill.
• 1 “rainy day cardio” workout to be used when you can’t run.
• 2 recovery workouts per week (stretching, mobility, foam rolling).

How Can Half Marathoners and Marathoners Benefit From 30 Day Breakaway

I admit, as a Beachbody coach who specializes working with distance runners, this program has actually been the toughest one for me to figure out, which is pretty ironic!! But, since I wasn’t sure exactly how the schedule would be set up, I hesitated to write my blog post about it until I had my coach early access to the program and workout calendar so I could give you my best tips and feedback!

I truly believe in the power of strength training for runners and I often find that runners do NOT do strength training because they don’t make it priority, aren’t sure how exactly to fit it in or don’t have much time. I think that 30 Day Breakaway is a great way to solve that problem.

I have 3 ideas for how runners can use 30 Day Breakaway:

1. Train for the 5K and follow either the basic plan or advanced runners plan as is. Runners can use this as a chance to work on their short distance speed, have some fun, and if desired, focus on weight loss.
2. Use the strength training and recovery workouts with their OWN runs and training plan and optional, nutrition plan. This would be particularly useful for a runner who trains with friends or a group and doesn’t want to use the guided audio or has a coach who gives them running workouts to use. This would also be my recommendation for a marathon runner.
3. Follow the basic 30 day breakaway plan and add run mileage to train for a longer distance race such as a half marathon. This would be a great option for someone who does not normally include speed workouts at all into their training and who needs guidance on how to do a speed workout. My plan is to create a second post very soon that will include specific guidance for how endurance athletes can do this. I am also planning to create a half marathon training schedule using 30 Day Breakaway workouts and will link to it here when it’s finished.

Is 30 Day Breakaway Good for Weight Loss?

All runners know that running alone will not lead to weight loss, especially if most or all of those miles are at a steady pace. I truly believe that weight loss is fastest and easiest to maintain when it includes a combination of: 1) Strength training, 2) High intensity intervals, and 3) Nutrition. This program includes EXACTLY that and I believe can be a game changer for runners with weight loss goals!

As a runner, following a balanced nutrition plan that gives you adequate calories to fuel your runs but also creates a slight calorie deficit is the key to healthy weight loss. 30 Day Breakaway comes with TWO nutrition programs – one is more portion based and good for people who like to know exactly what to eat and the second is more principles based and flexible. As your coach, I can help you make sure you have the best plan for you and have experience using both programs while training for half marathons.

I also believe that the high intensity intervals in the run workouts is going to help people amplify their results. There were people in the test group who lost up to 20 pounds in 30 days (this is an extreme example – if you are someone who is within a healthy BMI, expect healthy weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week).

What Kind of Runner is 30 Day Breakaway Good For?

At the end of 30 Day Breakaway you are going to feel EMPOWERED when you run that 5k!!

I believe that 30 Day Breakaway is a great fit for a runner who is stuck in a plateau and wants to shake things up & get guidance with nutrition so that they can make physical changes to their body while also improving their running! BOTH of our nutrition programs come with 30 Day Breakaway packages and I will be able to help you tailor these to your fueling need based on your mileage and/or weight loss goals.

Join me for my 30 Day Breakaway accountability group on October 19th!!!

I’d love for you to join our 30 Day Breakaway accountability group which is held in a private platform called BOD groups! My groups are full of runners of various levels and we have a great community! We are all about progress, NOT perfection and sharing the failures along with the successes so we can grow together. If you’d like to get more info, please fill out this form. And if you have any friends or family members who you want to inspire to do it with you, this could be the perfect program to share with them!

Happy Running!

Join My October 19th 30 Day Breakaway Group