Runner's Strengthening
Runner’s strengthening should be high intensity and performed at least 2x per week. The goal is to increase the body’s resiliency to decrease the likelihood for injury. Remember, lifting heavy weights at low repetitions is the best way to build strength, even in runners.
Below is our list of the Top 5 Strengthening Exercises for Runners. Are you interested in learning more about how many sets and repetitions to do? Check out our Free E-Book.
Top 5 Strengthening Exercises for Runners
- Resisted Ankle Dorsiflexion
- Squat
- Heel Raises
- Box Jumps
- Single Leg Deadlift
Why Should I Perform Runner's Strengthening?
The goal of runner’s strengthening is to reduce the risk of injury.
The first step to avoiding running injury is to maximize the tolerance of the running tissues. When your tissues are stronger and more resilient, they can withstand force better and are less prone to injury. The best way to do this is through a strengthening program.
Implementing a strengthening increases your tissues ability to absorb force and protect you from injury. A recent study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined the ability of exercise to reduce overuse injuries. Researchers compared strength training, stretching, balance exercises, and a multi-modal program for effectiveness in preventing injury. The researchers found that individuals who performed strengthening exercises alone had the greatest reduction in injury. In fact, they found that strengthening exercises could reduce sports injuries by 69 percent! This number was far greater than those who performed stretching exercises.
To implement the greatest specificity, runners should be performing single leg, weight-bearing strengthening exercises with sufficient resistance to induce fatigue. These types of exercise meet all the criteria for a directly specific exercise.
As you will see in our strength program, you are allowed to, and you should, train in other ways besides this. However, if you are lacking in time or have a very specific goal for improvement within running, it is important to choose the most specific exercises.
