Strength training for running
At Rock Solid we get a ton of runners who come in to work with our Fitness Coaches. Some of them are looking to improve their 5k time, others have aches and pains and hear we are the best place to help get rid of them. Runners are some of our favorite athletes to work with as they are not scared to push themselves and understand that hard work is what elicits improvement in your body and your performance. There are tons of reasons to be strength training for running, but there are two main ones:
#1. The most important benefit of strength training for running is the decreased chance of injury. In a sport where overuse injuries are so prevalent, stronger muscles, tendons and ligaments are of the utmost importance to keep you healthy and able to run.
#2. The second benefit of strength training for running is increased performance. Both top speed and endurance can be increased through lifting weights. Speed can be increased because of the muscles’ increased force output, and endurance can be increased through better running economy. A stronger muscle has to use less energy to propel a runner across the ground than a weaker muscle, and stronger muscles can help you hold good posture, even when you’re tired.
So what should a strength training program for running look like? You should train the muscles in their legs, upper body and midsection one to two thirty minute training sessions per week.
A strength training for running workout at Rock Solid would include:
Workout 1:
Leg Press
Hip Adduction
Calf Raise
Chest Press
Mid Row
Low Back Extension
Abdominal Crunch
Workout 2:
Leg Extension
Leg Curl
Hip Abduction
Dorsiflexion
Shoulder Press
Pulldown or Chin Up
Rotary Torso
These two workouts cover nearly all the muscles in the body, including the major muscles in your upper and lower legs, hips, midsection and upper body. The exercises should be performed in a slow and controlled fashion, and to muscular failure for the safest, most efficient and most effective results.
Now there are two very common objections people offer against strength training for running: one is a myth, and the other is just being misinformed.
First, the myth: “I don’t want to lift because I don’t want to get big and bulky; it will slow me down.” This is not true! Fat is what makes you big and bulky, and as we established earlier, muscle will actually help you run faster!
The misconception is: “There’s no time to lift between all of the running that I’m doing.” This is a poor excuse. It is similar to the person not saving money because they can’t afford to. In reality, they can’t afford not to! Go back to benefit #1: increased resistance to injury. Injuries are so common in runners and weight lifting is the best way to help prevent those injuries.
