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Build a Better You: Strength training for runners
Strength training improves endurance, speed, power, efficiency
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Strength training is important for everyone, but it also looks different for everyone. A program will hit every muscle in the body, but for runners, some are more important than others.
A strong core, for instance, helps runners maintain balance and form. A few areas that strength training helps with include:
- Weight management.
- Improving balance.
- Managing chronic illnesses.
- Increasing bone density.
- Improving quality of life overall.
The lower body is the primary focus for runners. Strong hamstrings and quads allow runners to move with power and speed. Strong glutes are essential for stride power and injury prevention. The hips hinge during every movement runners make and need to be strong. It might not be as big a part of the running motion as leg and core muscles, but the upper body does play a role. Especially when sprinting, runners use their upper body strength to drive forward.
All strength training will help, but for runners with limited time, focus on these movements.
Squats
Squats are absolutely essential for building running strength. They use the quads, glutes and hamstrings, as well as the often overlooked but important calf muscles.
Deadlifts
These are great for building the hamstrings, which act like a strong elastic band with each running stride, propelling the body forward.
Lateral lunges
All variations of lunges are great for running strength, but lateral lunges are a necessity. Lunging to the side still gets your glutes and quads, but they also require balance, which works at the core. In terms of the glutes, side lunges target the smaller gluteus minimus and medius muscles, which are essential for running form and preventing knee pain.
Pushups
This is one of the best overall strength training moves for anyone. For a limited time, pushups give you a lot from working arms, shoulders, back and abs.
With the right reasons to strength train and the best exercises, now you have the challenge of creating a routine. Follow these tips to maximize the limited time they might put into lifting.
- Use fewer reps with heavier weights for faster, more significant strength gains.
- Focus on compound, functional movements.
- Add power to these moves to make them more fun, dynamic and beneficial. For instance, do jumping squats or box jumps instead of strict squats.
- Consider planning routines that fit into a run. For instance, you can run intervals at the track with bodyweight strength moves between each one. This is more appealing to many runners than a strength session in the gym.
What strength training can do for runners includes all the above and more.
Prevent injuries
Weight training strengthens muscles, connective tissues and joints. It corrects imbalances in the body. Together, these factors reduce the risk of injuries from running.
Speed will increase
Everyone runs at their own pace, but every runner wants to go as fast as they can. Strength exercises can help you get faster by making your movements more powerful and improving coordination.
Improved running efficiency
Strength training helps you run more efficiently so that you can run longer. Fatigue will be reduced. With greater strength, you can run farther but also fatigue less quickly.
Better recovery
Your body can better tolerate the blows and stresses of a run when it is strong. You’ll recover faster from each run and be able to do more.
If you’re a runner, I challenge you to strength train twice a week to see what a difference it makes for your endurance, speed, power and efficiency.
Isabela Joyce is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist at The M.A.C. She can be reached at IJoyce@the-mac.net.
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