How To Maximize Strength Training For Runners

Sometimes it is fun to discuss how to use good strength training to achieve specific goals for activities we like to do out of the gym. A very recreational or even competitive activity that a lot of people would come to see me to help them improve was their running. I like the challenge in helping people with a complex activity. Often, because weight is not used in something like running people don’t see it as a very complex movement, but is VERY complex!

For example, there is evidence that says that one will take on 3-4 times their own bodyweight or MORE during running. This is a big part of why so many people who go for running often end up with issues in the knees, hips, and low back. The main difference too between running and walking is that walking has about 60-70% of the time on a single leg where running is ALL on one leg. So, not only are you absorbing high levels of force on the body, but you are doing so on one leg!

Add in the fact that when we run we are also navigating all 3 planes of motion so our bodies have to be very good in creating strength, stability, power, all at once. If we can’t control elements like the frontal plane or excessively rotate we can lose running efficiency as well as set ourselves up to have joint issues. This means that running requires great cooperation of the feet, ankles, knee, hip, pelvis, and core as well as ALL the muscles and other connective tissue that run through these areas.

Unfortunately, I think all this information about using strength training for runners or runners trying to improve in the gym causes confusion and therefore, a lot of people end up not maximizing their training time. So, what can we focus upon to actually see strength training address what runners need to both improve performance and reduce injury risk? Let’s look at a few keys and if you like posts like this let us know and we will do more!

Foot Stability

Just being barefoot isn’t enough to really build a strong foundation with the feet. In actuality we want to create often a “short foot” when we are training. This builds strength of the feet and when we combine such ideas with that of “rooting” into the ground we teach the feet to be stronger and how to build greater resilience.

We don’t need to just stand in place and work on isolated foot exercises either. It is more productive for runners to take these skills in more dynamic actions where the foot has to create stability and force into the ground (something we will get into more shortly). A great way of doing so is using single leg and asymmetrical lower body exercises in order to do so, those like physical therapist, Jessica Bento show that can really help a lot of these qualities and more!

 

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These types of exercises help runners so much because not only do we have foot stability, but also the entire lower leg. No, you don’t have to sit there and work muscles like the tibialis anterior by itself. Such exercises also show how we combine strengthening the quads/hamstrings along with the glutes and core all at once. That is a much more efficient way of training runners and getting better results.

Multi-Planar Strength Training

I mentioned that running, even in a straight line, requires a lot of strength to resist frontal plane (lateral or side to side) forces as well as a really strong ability to control how much rotation we create. If we don’t accomplish either we expend unnecessary energy and make ourselves more prone to injury. Things that runners obviously want to mitigate, that is why exercises like these can be VERY valuable for the strength training of runners and anyone that wants to combine strength and stability training.

Power & Stability

I’ve noticed people get really confused on strength training for runners. How? Many people think the best exercises for runners are those that LOOK like running but they often aren’t even close. Below is a common kettlebell exercises that I see many people try to promote for runners but actually shows the great misunderstanding of running.

Exercises like these neglect the way we actually create speed during running. In order to run fast, we have to push A LOT of force into the ground, this is known as ground reaction forces. These forces help project ourselves forward, we don’t try to “throw” ourselves forward when we run.

This is why many athletes use exercises like power cleans and other explosive lifts that are moving just up and down, but help them run faster on the field and court. So, a BETTER way to combine elements of stability and power would be like those that Johnny Rhodes shows below. In such movements we have stability but also focus on creating those high ground reaction forces, this is how you make strength training for runners smarter.

There is more we could discuss, BUT if you nailed these concepts in your training your running workouts would be way ahead of the curve! If you want to find out more strategies like this and how we use great tools like kettlebells to accomplish them, don’t miss our upcoming Progressive Kettlebell Movement online masterclass HERE! Our early bird is going on right now and you also get our PKM online swing course for FREE if you sign-up during this period. Don’t miss this great educational event!