Strength Training For Runners!
Happy Monday! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! My weekend consisted of driving through small towns in Texas, getting my heart ripped out by the Avengers, and some awesome bike riding around Houston. Not a lot of running happened this weekend however we will focus on that for today’s post. Strength training is very necessary for runners but if you don’t do it right, it can start causing issues in your running. Just like everything, there’s a balance!
Strength training for runners doesn’t mean you have to have a super specialized gym membership. I’m working with a coach who provides super simple strength routines that can be done in a short amount of time and don’t require any extra weight! If you already have a routine going, I would keep it up as long as it doesn’t impact your running. If you’re too sore to run or you fatigue easily, it would be time to reassess your goals. “You can do anything, but not everything.” If you’re in the middle of a training cycle, now is not the time to go hard with the weights. I’m guilty of this because I get crazy FOMO when I see my friends doing Power Cleans and while I CAN do them, if I do too much weight, it will wreck my legs and just kill my run the next day.
Strength Training For Runners Tip #1: Timing
Timing is truly everything. Each Sunday I like to lay out my weekly workouts and adjust everything else around my running plan. If I want to hit the gym and want to do a hard workout, I’ll tend to pair it with a hard running day (speed work or hill training). This way I’m not pushing my legs without proper recovery time. Keep easy days easy and hard days hard.
Strength Training For Runners Tip #2: Know Your Limits
If you have a cross training program in place, know when to scale back. I’m a HUGE fan of indoor cycling but I know certain types of classes will kill my quads. I don’t want to wear my legs out early in the week and risk not doing my best on my runs. I’ll choose classes that will give me a good workout but won’t wreck my legs. When it comes to lifting, I won’t lift to failure because again, it puts more stress on my body to recover and I certainly won’t be 100% by the next morning. Know what your body can handle and scale back accordingly.
Strength Training For Runners Tip #3: Workout Your Whole Body
Runners tend to focus on our legs. However having a strong core and upper body is vital to proper form! Even if it’s just adding planks to the end of your runs, core work is necessary! Some days I’ll follow up an easy run with a quick core and arm workout. This has helped my form tremendously and has reduced the amount of hip issues I’ve dealt with that came from a weak core.
Strength Training For Runners Tip #4: Even A Little Goes A Long Way
I’ve touched on this already but even bodyweight workouts are great for runners! The idea of adding strength training to your running schedule is to reduce the opportunity for injury. By working out all the muscles in your body, you reduce the risk of having muscle imbalances. Small quick workouts will get your muscles working and will improve your running form. Coach Kyle has so many neat mobility workouts that will do wonders for your running! Here’s one of his quick workouts that you can throw into your schedule. Give it a try and see how it improves your running!
What’s your favorite type of workout you like to do besides running?
