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Sarah ran half marathons consistently, but her times had plateaued just above the 2:00-hour mark. She was already following a strict running regimen, convinced that more miles and speed work were the key to breaking through. However, after assessing her mobility and movement patterns, it became clear that her strength and stability weren’t adequate to support the running volume and intensity. Over the next several months, she integrated a personalized and progressive strength training program, and the results were undeniable—Sarah shaved 10 minutes off her half marathon time, finishing her next race just under 1:53.

Contrary to common knowledge, strength training didn’t make her bulky and slow. Instead, it made her a more efficient, robust, and more resilient runner. This story perfectly shows how runners can improve their performance and longevity by incorporating strength work into their training plans.

Debunking Common Misconceptions About Strength Training for Runners

Myth 1: "Strength training will make me too bulky and slow me down."

Reality: Strength training for runners is designed to increase “functional” strength—not necessarily large amounts of muscle mass. Getting “bulky” requires a lot of intention, effort, and volume in the gym, which would not be happening if running is the priority. By building stable, strong movement patterns, runners can improve muscle efficiency and running economy without adding unwanted size.

Myth 2: "I don’t need to lift weights because I run enough."

Reality: Running alone is not the best approach to being able to run more long-term. Strength training can support your running pursuits so that you can run faster and be more resilient, with much less of the nagging aches and issues often seen with overuse or too much running volume for a person’s current capacity.

Myth 3: "I’ll get injured lifting weights."

Reality: Strength training can reduce the risk of injury when done correctly and following a principally-based program. Properly selected exercises address imbalances and weaknesses that can lead to injury and enhance muscle resilience.

Why Runners Need Strength Training

Strength training for runners is essential in maintaining proper form, generating power, and improving running efficiency. Let’s break down how strength training benefits runners explicitly:

1. Power and Speed: Stronger muscles generate more force with each stride, which improves running economy. This means you'll expend less energy to run at the same pace.
   
   
2. Endurance: Strengthening muscles improves their ability to sustain effort over long periods, enabling you to maintain good form and avoid fatigue during long runs.
   
   
3. Injury Prevention: Runners are often plagued by repetitive stress injuries like knee pain, shin splints, and Achilles tendinitis. Strengthening key muscle groups, especially the glutes, hamstrings, and calves, can mitigate these risks by promoting muscle balance and joint stability.
   
   

Evidence-Based Benefits of Strength Training for Runners

Numerous studies show that adding strength training to your routine can enhance both performance and longevity in running:

• Improved Running Performance: Research has shown that runners who include strength training see improvements in running economy (Fletcher et al., 2010) and endurance (Hunter et al., 2014). This means less fatigue and faster times.
  
  
• Injury Prevention: Strength training helps correct muscular imbalances that lead to common injuries, such as patellofemoral pain and IT band syndrome (Hewett et al., 2006). Runners can reduce their risk of overuse injuries by targeting specific muscle groups.
  
  
• Enhanced Muscle Recovery: After long runs or intense intervals, strength training can speed up recovery by strengthening muscle fibers and connective tissue, reducing soreness and muscle damage (Peñailillo et al., 2014).
  
  

How to Incorporate Strength Training into Your Running Routine

If you're ready to reap the rewards of strength training for yourself, here's how to start:

1. Assess Your Needs: Ideally, work with a qualified coach (we know a few) to assess your range of motion, stability, and relative strength across all movement patterns. Identifying potential limitations in your hips, thoracic spine, core, and single-leg stability and strength will help guide your strength program.
   
   
2. Target Key Areas:
   
   
   • Hip Mobility: Improve your hips' range of motion and strength to enhance stride length and form.
   • Single-Leg Strength: Exercises like Lunges, Single-Leg Step-Downs, Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts, and Bulgarian Split squats are great options for strengthening the lower limb muscles that stabilize each leg and generate force during running.
   • Core Endurance: Incorporate exercises like planks, side planks, and deadbugs, and carry variations to build postural endurance and support your running mechanics.
   • Single-Arm Pushing and Pulling Strength: Single-arm Dumbbell and Cable Pressing and Pulling variations can help you create more power and strength from the upper body while running.

3. Start Slow: Begin with two strength training sessions per week, focusing on full-body resistance exercises emphasizing single-leg movements, core stability, and upper-body postural endurance. Once you’ve developed great form, overload each movement progressively each week. Here’s an example of what a week of training could look like:

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Strength Session 1 

A) Prep - 3 rounds, for quality:

5/side Dead Bug to Side Plank Clamshell Roll - 3-sec hold @ top

5/side Spilt Squat @ 2311 tempo

10-20-sec Active Hang

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B1) Goblet Split Squat @30X1 x 8 reps/leg, rest 1:00

B2) Chest-Supported DB Row @20X2 x 10-12 reps, rest 1:00

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C1) Foam Roller Hamstring Curl @30X1 x 8-10 reps, rest 0:30 

C2) Push-up @30X1 x 8-10 reps, rest 0:30

C3) Single Arm Farmer Carry x 30m/arm - tough, rest 1:00

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Strength Session 2

A) Prep - 3 rounds, for quality:

10 Alt Hamstring Bridge March - nice and controlled

5/side Side Plank Rotations - hold 3-sec @ top

10 Prisoner Good Mornings @ 3111

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B1) Staggered-Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift @ 30X1 x 8 reps/leg, rest 1 min

B2) Half Kneeling Single Arm Dumbbell Press @ 20X1 x 10-12 reps, rest 1 min

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C1) Front Rack Kettlebell Cyclist Squat @ 2020 x 8-10 reps, rest 30-sec

C2) Chin-Over Bar Hold x 20-30-sec, rest 30-sec

C3) Half Kneeling Pallof Hold x 0:45 sec/side, rest 1 min

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Conclusion: Strength is Often the Missing Link for Runners

Strength training is essential to significantly enhance your running performance and minimize common limitations of running alone. By implementing this consistently, you can improve your running economy, boost endurance, and recover faster from strenuous training sessions. Whether you aim to run a personal best or stay injury-free, adding strength training to your regimen can make a significant difference.

If you're ready to start incorporating strength training to enhance your running performance and keep you running long-term, schedule a free strategy session with one of our professional coaches. Here, we’ll learn more about your goals, training history, and injuries and introduce you to our comprehensive assessment process to help you crush those goals most effectively.

References

• Fletcher, J. R., Esau, S. P., & Macintosh, B. R. (2010). The influence of strength training on running economy and performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(4), 939-946.
• Hunter, S. K., et al. (2014). Effects of resistance training on endurance performance and running economy. Sports Medicine, 44(3), 319-330.
• Bahr, R., et al. (2017). Muscle strengthening exercises in the prevention of sports injuries. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 27(4), 403-410.
• Hewett, T. E., et al. (2006). Strength training to prevent running injuries. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 20(3), 593-597.
• Peñailillo, L., et al. (2014). Effects of strength training on recovery and muscle damage in runners. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 9(4), 620-626.

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