When it comes to improving performance, runners are most often focused on increasing mileage and training volume. That’s not a bad approach: logging more miles is one way to become a better runner. But there’s something else you could do: strength training .
In general, strength training helps maintain or increase muscle tissue and improve bone density over time, as well as helping to reduce injuries. When applied to a runner, strength training will help increase speed, power, and neural adaptations . If you’re not used to lifting weights, this type of work might be intimidating, but here are 8 golden rules to get you started with strength training .
8 Golden Rules for Strength Training
1 For a new exercise use only your body weight
To learn the correct technique of an exercise, it is always best to start by doing it without overloading it. Once you have learned to move your body weight, move on to light weights. Even starting with little will be a significant stimulus on your journey to increasing strength. Technique, balance and range of motion are the most important things when starting out.
2 Hold the position
Isometric exercises also benefit runners’ strength and stability. These movements require contracting a specific muscle or group of muscles and holding it in the same position for a longer period of time (think plank ).
Isometric exercises lasting 30 to 60 seconds, such as lunges or single-leg balance, help strengthen your muscles, connective tissue, and core . This type of training can also help you maintain proper posture, making you more efficient and preventing overuse injuries to your knee and IT band.
The glutes, quads, and hamstrings are the engines of the runner. What about the other leg muscles? People often neglect everything below the knee, but they are wrong.
The calves and tibialis anterior (the muscle on the front of the shin) are very important in running. The former lifts the heel and provides much of the power needed to run, while the latter helps with dorsiflexion (the action of the toes lifting toward the shin). Holding onto a wall for balance, perform calf raises and toe raises without adding weight. Do two to three sets of 10 reps each, increasing over time.
4 Exercises That Are Good for Running
Incorporate exercises into your routine that work multiple muscle groups and complement running movement patterns rather than single-joint exercises. This means doing exercises like squats.
A study published in Frontiers in Physiology indicates that multi-joint exercises may provide greater improvements in physical performance, thanks to a greater increase in cardiorespiratory fitness and maximum strength, compared to single-joint exercises.
5 How to Schedule Strength Training
Strength training is most effective when done two or three times a week between races , and once or twice a week in the lead-up to competition. Its purpose is to support your running, not to make it harder. This means that starting a strength program too close to race day can hinder your performance and even increase your risk of injury.
Also, increasing your lifting volume too much along with your running volume can be counterproductive. If you’re significantly increasing your mileage during the week, you may want to keep the weight you lift to a manageable level. However, when you’re easing off on mileage, that’s a good time to increase the weight.
6 Engage the mind
Make sure you are not just performing the movements, but feeling the correct muscles being activated. It is crucial to perform each repetition with good form, focusing on the quality of the movement rather than the quantity of repetitions.
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