Strength Training for runners
For the past few years, leading up to Christmas I have completed a fun little commitment of advent running. Advent running is completing 30mins of running everyday leading up to Christmas day, just like a regular advent calendar but without the high sugar intake.
I have always loved running, however increasing from a few 400m, 800m and 1600m runs to approximately 5km runs every day is one hell of a jump, for anyone to take! Every year I am getting better at prepping my body for this jump…and surprise, it’s not by running!
It’s through Strength training! More specifically, single leg & posterior chain strength training.
What is the Posterior Chain?
So firstly, what is the posterior chain & what does it do? The Posterior chain refers to the structures at the back of the leg and spine, these include the calf muscles, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, latissimus dorsi and the erector spinae muscles.
Think of your posterior chain muscles as the powerhouse of your body, these muscles are big, strong and explosive. So, imagine now you trained them to be even stronger & more powerful than they currently are, think about the explosive output they could do with running, jumping & change of direction activities! It’s exciting to think about it, powering up hills, dodging rocks on trails and motoring past other runners if you choose to race.
While strengthening my posterior chain has seen huge results in my running speed, capacity and physical performance, my real reason for strengthening my posterior chain in the lead up to the large running volume increase has been the benefits it has on my joint stability. Having these posterior chain muscles strong has increased the stability of my knees, hips and spine. The benefits in making these joints strong is a decreased risk of overuse injuries, acute injuries and quicker recovery time between runs.
How do you train your posterior chain?
Simple answer: Head to the booking page and book a Personal training session with me.
More specific answer:
Deadlifts: conventional deadlifts, sumo deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, Russian kettlebell swings, single leg deadlifts.
Upper back strength: ring rows, strict pull ups, single arm dumbbell rows.
Single leg strength: lunge, Bulgarian split squat, step ups, walking lunge.
Foot, ankle & lower leg strength & stability: sled push/pull, tibialis raises, calf raises.
Honorable mentions in Strength training for runners is also: abdominal strength and pushing strength.
For regular runners wanting to improve their strength I understand you want to put your running first, Runners love to run! The work you do in the gym should support that mission and not detract from it. Managing your strength training volume is key. Focus on strength training that is moderate in volume, 2-3 days a week and increase that ONLY if you have the time & want to see greater strength gains.
Runners are historically imbalanced; parts of their bodies are elite and other parts are underdeveloped. Your strength training program should be focused on 2 main things:
Making the most vulnerable and essential body parts for running Strong and Resilient.
Develop quality baseline strength in the unused areas of the body.
I hope this has given you a little insight into how you can improve your running, whether you are an ultra-runner, park runner or interested in starting to run. Feel free to make contact with me if you have any questions or want to chat about starting strength training.
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