Strength for runners
Strength Training for Runners
What strength work actually does for your running, when to fit it into your week, and 38 free 20 minute routines with a short video for every exercise.
- 38 routines
- 123 exercise videos
- Band, bodyweight, kettlebell, dumbbell or gym
What strength training does for a runner
Strength work does not raise your VO2max and it will not make you bulky. What it does is make every stride cost less energy. Across dozens of studies, runners who lift improve their running economy by roughly 2 to 8 percent.
Muscle conditioning: the parts that matter most
- Your calves. The calf and Achilles take the biggest load in running. Train them with a straight knee and a bent knee, because the bent knee version works the soleus, the muscle most runners skip.
- Quads and glutes. Single leg work like split squats and step ups suits running best, because running is one leg at a time.
- Hamstrings. Hinge movements like the Romanian deadlift build the back of the leg that drives you forward.
- Trunk. Hold your position under load with planks, carries and anti rotation work. Crunches and sit ups add little.
When to do it
New to running? Build a base of strength before adding jumps and hops. Plyometric routines suit runners who have trained consistently for a couple of months and can land a single leg hop with control.
The routine library
Every routine takes about 20 minutes: a 3 minute warm up, three rounds of the exercises back to back with 90 seconds rest between rounds, then a 2 minute cool down. Tap any exercise to watch how to do it.
Equipment
Focus
Questions runners ask
Should runners do strength training?
Yes. Research across dozens of studies shows strength work makes running cheaper, improving running economy by roughly 2 to 8 percent, and helps you hold your pace late in a long race.
How many times a week should a runner do strength training?
Twice a week. Do it after your hard run on the same day, ideally 3 or more hours later, and keep rest days as rest.
Will lifting weights make me bulky or slow?
No. Almost every study on runners found no change in body mass. Strength work makes the engine you have cheaper to run.
Should I run or lift first?
Run first, lift second. Lifting before a run has been shown to make next day running less economical. Running first costs nothing.
How long until strength training helps my running?
Give it at least 8 to 10 weeks of consistent work. Short blocks of 4 weeks before a race do very little.
Does strength training prevent running injuries?
The research in runners has not proven that. The honest reason to do it is performance: better economy and better durability late in a race.
Want strength built into your plan?
Ask the Coach members get these routines placed in the right days of their training plan.