Whether you like it or not, running is something you should try to get better at. It is the ultimate form of minimalist cardio, something we are born to do and maybe one day; the ability to run may save your life.
No matter what you are doing or where you are in the world, having the ability to run 5-10km will allow you to get a quick workout in without having to put too much thought into it. Plus, I always find it’s a great way to check out a new area when traveling.
Having coached thousands of people over my career, I have noticed that running is often something that people are most afraid of. There are many people that I have worked with who would rather knock out 50 burpees than go for a 400m run.
On the other hand, of those people who are regular runners, very few of them commit to strength training long term.
It seems like the majority of people are either in the gym camp or the running camp, not both. Those who are in the gym camp (especially a form of functional fitness) are certainly better off than those who are just in the running camp.
That’s not to say that running is bad or not beneficial, there is just so much functionality missed from only training running. As hard as it may be for runners to swallow; if they did less miles and added some strength training to their running, they would become better runners!
Adding strength training into a runner’s routine will undoubtedly decrease the chance of injuries. When we run, our joints and muscles do a lot of very repetitive motion and only work in a very short range, leaving us vulnerable to injury.
Strength training will take our muscles into new ranges and build the tissue making them more “bulletproof”. That in-turn will give us a more powerful running stride and combined with running itself; enable us to go longer distances at better paces – a runner’s dream!
Strength training doesn’t automatically mean you need to use weights. Most people may need to use weight to get the required stimulus to get stronger, there are a lot of exercises that can be done bodyweight initially. Some areas a runner would want to focus on for better running would be:
- Postural Endurance
- Posterior chain strength endurance (Romanian Deadlifts, Single Leg Deadlift variations, Russian KB Swings)
- Upper Back Strength Endurance (Ring Rows, Pull Ups, Face Pulls)
- Single Leg Strength
- Lunge variations (deep split squats)
- Step Ups
- Curtsy Squats
- Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Stability
- Sled Pushes & Pulls
- Poliquin Step Ups
- Tibialis Raises
- Calf Raises
It’s very important that runner’s don’t neglect their strength training. Your knees, ankles, hips or back don’t need to hurt when you run. Those areas likely need some extra attention as the exercises above suggest.
How to Get Started
If your sport or preferred method of training is running, then adding 2-3 sessions of strength training will provide all the benefits you need. 20-40mins can be plenty of time to get what you need done.
You want to focus on the areas I mentioned above but don’t neglect the rest of your body. Upper body pushing movements as well as core exercises will also add to your running performance, but more importantly, you will also keep those muscles from wasting away over time.
Here are two workouts you could add to your running program:
Workout 1
A) 3 sets
12 Bulgarian split squats each leg
12 SL Romanian Deadlift each leg
B) 2 sets
15 Inverted Rows
15 Hands Elevated Push Ups
C) 2 sets
30 Jump Lunges
15 Slow Hanging Knee Raises
Workout 2
A) 5mins walking backward up a hill or pulling a sled
B) 2 sets
20 Tibialis Raise
20 Calf Raise
5 Deep Split Squat Each Leg
C) 3 sets
10 DB Romanian Deadlift
20 Russian Step Ups
D) 50 Russian Swings (break as needed)
The reason I believe functional fitness to be the best method of training for almost anyone is because over the course of 2-3 sessions each week, you’ll accumulate enough sets and reps in a variety of movements to ensure all areas of your body are training sufficiently. Then you can add your running workouts (or any other sport/training you enjoy) over the rest of the week.
Runners, give it a shot and see how you feel after a couple of months of consistent strength training!