A Basic Strength Training Guide for Runners
Strength training? Ewwwwww.
WEEKLY WISDOM: STRENGTH TRAINING? UNDERRATED.
STRENGTH TRAINING? NEVER HEARD OF HER.
Running is unlike many other sports in that it's a high-force, repetitive, singular-plane-of-motion activity, making it physically demanding on the body. Any compensatory movements stemming from immobility or insufficient strength can eventually result in injury, something that, unfortunately, most of us have experienced. Despite this, most of us only want to run, since that's just how we lovely runners are. For a long time, I was this way. The thought of hitting the gym was both intimidating and disinteresting to me. However, it cannot be denied that strength training provides tremendous benefits for runners, and thankfully, this does not mean you have to go to a gym to lift weights beside the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. It can be as simple as doing 20-30 minutes of bodyweight exercises in your own home two times per week. Simply put, strength training is where we move in different ways—with resistance (which can come in various forms)—to strengthen our body, making us more injury-resilient. As a result, you can train with more consistency, a crucial component to long-term improvement.
CORE PRINCIPLES TO ABIDE BY
"Keep it simple, stupid!" Please don't be offended. That's just the saying. Keeping your lifts simple will go a long way. There is no need to get fancy. Remember that the primary objective of lifting should be to reduce injury risk. As such, you do not (and SHOULD not) go into the gym and start hammering heavy weights if you're an inexperienced lifter. Only after half a year or more of consistent lifting should you consider incorporating some lower rep, higher weight lifts. Secondly, stick to a small set of exercises from week to week. Don't compile a list of 20+ exercises and change your lifts up every time. I would recommend that you have two to three different lifts in total, then just rotate between those. You might compile a list of ten exercises, then do five of those exercises one day and the other five another day, then repeat. Once you become more experienced in the gym, you can consider adding complexity to your lifts, but even then, I'd argue it may not be worth your time unless you are working with a professional strength and conditioning coach who really knows what they're doing.
I like to break down strength training for runners into the following muscle groups:
Glutes
Quads
Hamstrings
Calves
Chest
Back
There are also utility exercises which hit smaller muscle groups (e.g., the adductors, hip flexors, ankles, core, etc.), which you shouldn’t underlook!
Generally, each of my lifting sessions looks like this:
Pre-lift warm-up
Five to ten minutes of mobility and muscle activation.
This is very important for preparing your body for what’s to come. Do not skip this, please! I like to spend this time opening up my hips—with exercises like the “world’s greatest stretch”—and getting them activated (along with my core through exercises like the banded split stance Pallof press and kettlebell suitcase carries).
Lift
A warm-up super-set1 hitting the calves, adductors, and hip flexors.
A super-set hitting the glutes and quads.
A super-set hitting the chest and back.
A super-set hitting the glutes and hamstrings.
A plyometric circuit to develop reactivity/springiness.2
Post-lift
Walk a bit, then hit the sauna for 10-15 minutes.
GENERAL RULES OF THUMB
Stick to eight to ten repetitions per exercise for a maximum of three sets. This would equate to a total of 24-30 reps per exercise.
Aim for two to three lifts per week of 20+ minutes each. If you’re going over 50-60 minutes, you’re probably doing too much and entering a state of diminishing returns with increased injury risk.
Where lifts should be placed in a week is up for debate. Some advise lifting at the end of a workout day to keep the hard days hard and easy days easy. Others recommend lifting the day following a workout day, but at that point, you’ve made what should be an easy day a not-so-easy day. Personally, I lean towards the former, but, of course, the choice must work with your schedule. Regardless, it is widely agreed that you should not lift the day before a workout given that can negatively impact it. Remember, strength training should be supplemental, not detrimental! However, if you have no other choice than to lift the day before a workout, keep it light. Nine times out of ten, it’s better to do something than nothing.
If strength training is negatively impacting your runs on a consistent basis by making you overly sore, fatigued, etc., you need to back off in your lifts. Drop sets and/or reps. If you’re really in a hole, scratch the next lift altogether.
Progress lifts smartly and slowly. Do not crank up the intensity after each and every lift. Once you’re feeling fairly comfortable with your current strength training rotation, you can dial things up a notch by introducing more weight, exercise variations, higher-resistance bands, moving to single-leg, etc.
RECOMMENDED EXERCISES
Here are some important things to note:
SL means single leg. Assume that for any SL exercise, you should do it on both sides.
Any exercise with an asterisk (*) can be done with a resistance band; these bands can be bought in sets on Amazon for cheap. Any banded exercise can be progressed by leveling up to a higher resistance band.
Many of the exercises are great bang for your buck as they hit multiple muscle groups (squats are a great example!).
AT-HOME EXERCISES
If you're a relatively inexperienced lifter or don't want to go to a gym, here are some great exercises:
Planks (standard, side) - Core
You can progress these by going longer, adding in rotation, introducing SL lifts, etc.
Shoulder taps are a great plank variation.
Side-lying clamshells* - Glutes
Side-lying SL lifts* - Glutes
Fire-hydrants* - Glutes
Glute bridges (and SL)* - Glutes
Start with the traditional glute bridges, then progress to SL and eventually add holds at the top.
Hamstring bridge holds* - Hamstrings, glutes
Start with shorter holds of three seconds and work it up gradually.
Squats (and SL)* - Glutes, quads, hamstrings
Heel-raised squats* are a great variation.
Touchdown squats - Quads, glutes
All you need is a step.
Runner’s step-ups - Quads
All you need is a step.
Bulgarian split squats - Quads
You really only need a chair for this!
Lunges (forward, reverse, sideways) - Quads
Start simple, then consider adding in other elements like rotation and holds at the bottom.
Leg raise over an object (e.g., kettlebell or dumbbell) - Hip flexors
These are MUCH harder than they look. Start with a smaller object (e.g., a kettlebell), then progress to taller objects (e.g., a short foam roller).
Start simple with this basic calf raise, then progress to harder variations by going to SL raises, introducing an elevated platform, adding weight, etc.
SL Romanian deadlifts - Hamstrings, ankles, feet
Copenhagen plank holds - Adductors, core
These are QUITE hard, so follow this progression. Do NOT go straight to the one I linked, please!!! If you have a chair, you can do this one at home. Certainly, you have a chair. No excuses! :)
Push-ups - Chest, a little back
Of course, all of these exercises can be done at the gym, too, hence why I’ve omitted them from the below list.
GYM EXERCISES
If you have access to a gym, here are some great exercises to incorporate:
Standing banded pallof press (standard and split stance) - Core
Pallof squat - Core, glutes, quads, hamstrings
Kettlebell suitcase deadlift - Core, glutes, quads, hamstrings
Kettlebell suitcase carries - Core
Dumbbell plank drags - Core
Romanian deadlifts - Hamstrings, ankles, feet
Don’t bend over too far! Once you feel a good stretch in your hamstring(s), return to the upright position.
Slider hamstring curls (and SL) - Hamstrings, glutes
Start with both legs and omit bringing the feet back to the starting position during contraction. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with that, you can start introducing holds at the end-range, SL curls, and other, more difficult variations.
Hamstring Swiss ball curls (and SL) - Hamstrings, glutes
These are tricky and can make you really sore! I would first get comfortable with the slider hamstring curls, then work these in.
Start with both legs. Once you’re comfortable with that, you can introduce harder variations, going to SL curls, holding at the end range, etc.
Standing hip flexor raises - Hip flexors, glutes (to some extent)
Start with a 10lb kettlebell, then go from there. Alternatively, these can be done with a resistance band, in which case you’d progress by moving to a thicker band!
Kettlebell goblet squats (both flat footed and heel-raised) - Glutes, quads, hamstrings, core
Barbell back squat - Glutes, quads, hamstrings, core (a lovely exercise!)
I recommend that you first get comfortable with kettlebell goblet squats.
Kickstand RDLs - Glutes, core
Trap bar deadlift - Glutes, quads, core
This is somewhat advanced, so I’d stay away from this until you’ve gotten your weight up with free weights and the barbell back squat.
Dumbbell bent-over rows - Back
There are also single arm dumbbell rows.
Flat dumbbell bench press - Chest
Pull-ups - Back
Here is a great progression video!
EXAMPLE LIFT ROUTINES
Feel free to rotate between the three lifts outlined below!
FOR THE GYMGOERS!
Lift one:
10 minutes of mobility and hip and core activation
3x(8 standing hip flexor raises (each leg), 30-second Copenhagen plank holds (each side), 8 SL squats)
3x8 sideways lunges with pull-ups and push-ups between sets
3x8 barbell back squats
One to two sets of a plyometric circuit with 20-30 seconds rest between exercises and 90 seconds rest between sets:
50 pogo hops
50 SL pogo hops on each leg
Lift two:
10 minutes of mobility and hip and core activation
3x8 SL calf raises
3x(8 SL slider hamstring curls w/ a 3” hold at end range, 8 SL RDLs, 8 touchdown squats)
3x8 reverse lunges with pull-ups and push-ups between sets
3x8 trap bar deadlifts
One to two sets of a plyometric circuit with 20-30 seconds rest between exercises and 90 seconds rest between sets:
50 pogo hops
10 dumbbell jump squats w/ two light dumbbells (5-10lbs)
Holy crap, talk about an absolute THIRST TRAP of a video. But it gets the point across. LOL.
10 box jumps
For us runners, we don’t need a super tall box to jump on, nor is that specific to the activity. The box in the video is a good height.
Lift three:
10 minutes of mobility and hip and core activation
2x10 standing hip flexor raises
3x(8 SL calf raises, 8 touchdown squats)
2x(10 dumbbell bent-over rows, 10 dumbbell bench presses, 30-second Copenhagen plank holds (each side))
3x8 barbell back squats
Two to three sets of a plyometric circuit with 10 seconds rest between exercises and 90 seconds rest between sets:
10 left-sided rotational medicine ball slams
10 right-sided rotational medicine ball slams
FOR THE HOME STAYERS!
Lift one:
10 minutes of mobility and hip and core activation
3x(8 leg raise over an object (each leg), 30-second side lying plank adductions, 8 SL squats)
3x8 sideways lunges with pull-ups (if available) and push-ups between sets
3x10 squats (add a band for added difficulty!)
One to two sets of a plyometric circuit with 20-30 seconds rest between exercises and 90 seconds rest between sets:
50 pogo hops
50 SL pogo hops on each leg
Lift two:
10 minutes of mobility and hip and core activation
3x8 SL calf raises
3x(8 hamstring bridge holds, 8 SL RDLs, 8 touchdown squats)
3x8 reverse lunges with pull-ups (if available) and push-ups between sets
3x8 SL squats
One to two sets of a plyometric circuit with 20-30 seconds rest between exercises and 90 seconds rest between sets:
50 pogo hops
10 jump squats
Lift three:
10 minutes of mobility and hip and core activation
2x10 leg raises over an object
3x(8 SL calf raises, 8 touchdown squats)
2x(10 dumbbell bent-over rows (if you’ve got weights)3, push-ups, 30-second Copenhagen plank holds (each side))
3x8 heel-raised squats
One to two sets of a plyometric circuit with 20-30 seconds rest between exercises and 90 seconds rest between sets:
50 pogo hops
50 alternating split pogo hops
50 SL pogo hops on each leg
Alright, if I confused the heck out of you (oopsies!), here are the key takeaways:
Strength training reduces injury risk which ultimately leads to more long-term improvement.
You do not need a gym to build foundational strength.
Focus on repetition of simple movements, avoiding the flashy exercises.
Start slow, stay consistent, and progress smartly.
If you have further questions, please ask me of course! See my contact information at the bottom of this post; I would love to help.
Next up on All Things Running… AI’s place in the running landscape.
LINKS/RESOURCES
My strength training document (this is a little outdated but the general principles still apply)
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If you want personalized coaching and/or training advice, I’d be happy to help. You can email me at jacobreesmontgomery@gmail.com or send me a direct message on Instagram.
A super-set involves a series of two or more exercises, which hit different muscle groups, that are done with minimal rest between exercises, but longer rest between sets. They can be a HUGE time-saver, which is why I like them so much.
I’m not going to get into plyometrics in this post as that could be its own post entirely, but I do provide some examples later on!
Pull exercises are kind of tricky in a home. Sorrrrry! If you can’t do them, it’s fine! You’ll live to see another day. I promise. :)