Strength Training Runners
By Owen Anderson Ph.D. - Running Research News
and Walt Reynolds - certified27
Strength training runners for running can improve power, reduce the risk of injury and
increase your speed. Check out this program designed especially for runners. We’ve put
together the 10 best strengthening exercises in a program that will specifically enhance your
running performance. They can be done in a gym or at home. For two of these exercises,
you’ll need a piece of resistive tubing. This is available from pharmacies with extensive
home-therapy sections. Also from companies that sell sports-medicine products.
You should be able to complete all 10 exercises in 20 to 25 minutes or less.
For maximum benefit, do them before you run. These exercises will not tire you so much that
you can’t run well afterward. In fact, they may “wake up” your muscular and nervous systems
and lead to higher-quality training.
If you practice these 10 exercises faithfully. Within a few weeks, you’ll notice improved
coordination during running and more explosive push-offs whenever your feet strike the
ground. As your muscles become more powerful, the risk of injury should decrease, and your
running speed will improve significantly. Best of all, you’ll have some PRs to show for your
efforts.
1. Hip Hikers - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Buttocks and muscles that control the hip joint
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The buttocks and hip muscles control and stabilize the
pelvis and hip joint. During the touchdown and takeoff phases of the running stride. Hip
hikers strengthen these muscles and ultimately prevent unnecessary hip motion, improving
your running economy.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Stand sideways on a step or low bench with your weight on your
left leg and your right leg unsupported over the edge of the step. Keep both knees locked so
that your legs are perfectly straight throughout the exercise. Lower your right heel toward the
floor by tilting your right hip down. Don’t bend your left leg at the knee! Then raise or “hike”
your right hip as high as it will go. Lower and raise the right hip 12 times before switching to
the left hip. Perform two sets with each hip twice weekly, on nonconsecutive days.
2. Resisted Leg Swing - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Hamstrings
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The hamstrings stabilize the hip and knee joints when the
foot is in contact with the ground, provide propulsive force during push-off and control the
forward swing of the leg as the knee drives forward. Resisted leg swings will strengthen the
hamstrings.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Anchor one end of a piece of resistive tubing to an immovable
object. For best results, the attachment point of the tubing should be at hip height. Place the
other end of the tubing around your left ankle and stand about 4 feet from the attachment
point (facing it) so that the tubing is stretched. Shift all of your body weight to the right leg
and stand on your right foot only. Raise your left thigh so that it is parallel to the floor.
While keeping your left knee flexed, move your left leg through what feels like a normal
running motion for a set of 10 repetitions. Your left foot should not touch the floor at any
point during the cycle, and you should maintain full weight on the right foot. Perform two
sets per leg, two days each week on nonconsecutive days.
3. Toe Presses - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Muscles of the calf and Achilles tendon
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The calf muscles absorb shock during footstrike and
stabilize both the ankle and knee during the ground-contact phase of running. The calf
muscles and Achilles tendon also help to rock the foot forward just prior to toe-off. Toe
presses build up this whole area of the leg.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Stand on a step or low bench with your weight on the ball of your
right foot and your right heel hanging down below the edge of the step. Your left leg should
be bent and unsupported. Hold onto a handrail or wall to maintain balance, and rise up on the
toes of your right foot as high as you can, keeping the right leg straight. Then lower your
right heel below the level of the step until you feel a stretch in your right calf. Repeat the
exercise 15 times before switching to the left leg. Do two sets of toe presses per leg, three
days a week on nonconsecutive days.
4. Toe Pulls - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Muscles of the feet and toes
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The muscles of the feet and toes maintain the strength and
resiliency of the arch and provide a strong base of support during the ground-contact phase of
running. Doing toe pulls regularly should lower the risk of plantar fasciitis and decrease your
ground-contact time during footstrike, boosting your stride rate.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Stand barefoot or in socks with your feet about 2 inches apart.
Shift your weight slightly onto your left foot while flexing the toes of your left foot upward
and pulling the toes of your right foot downward and back. Your right foot should slide
forward 1 to 2 inches as you pull strongly with your right toes. Next, shift your weight
slightly to your right foot, and flex your right toes upward while pulling down with your left
toes, causing your left foot to creep forward. Starting slowly and gradually increasing the
tempo of movement, repeat this right-left cycle until each foot has pulled you forward 30
times. Complete two sets of toe pull, three times a week on nonconsecutive days.
5. Bench Sit-Ups - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Buttocks and hamstrings
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The buttocks muscles and hamstrings stabilize the hip and
knee joints and help to propel the body forward during running. Performing bench step-ups
intensifies this propulsive action.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Begin from a standing position on top of a bench of about knee
height, with full body weight on the left foot and weight shifted toward the heel. Let your
right foot hang freely, slightly behind your body. Lower your body in a controlled manner
until the toes of the right foot touch the ground, maintaining all of your weight on your left
foot at all times. Return to the starting position by driving downward with the left heel and
straightening the left leg. Maintain an upright posture throughout this exercise, and keep your
hands at your sides. Repeat 10 times before switching to the right leg.
Do three sets with each leg twice a week on nonconsecutive days.
6. One-Leg Squats - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Quadriceps muscles, or “quads”
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The quads stabilize the knees, help to swing the leg forward during running and are especially active during hill running.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Stand with your right foot forward and your left foot back, with
your feet one shin-length apart from front to back and hip-width apart from side to side.
Place the toes of the left foot on a block or step that is 6 to 8 inches high, and keep most of
your weight on the heel of the right foot. Bend the right leg, and lower your body until the
right knee makes an angle of 90 degrees between the thigh and lower leg. Return to the
starting position, keeping your trunk upright and your hands at your sides. Repeat the
exercise 10 times before switching to your left leg. Complete three sets on each leg twice
weekly on nonconsecutive days. Compared to traditional two-leg squats, this exercise is
much better for runners because only one leg is weight-bearing at any one time the same as
during running.
7. One-Leg Hops - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Muscles of the hip, thigh, lower part of the leg and foot
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: These muscles stabilize the body and push it forward during
running. Performing one-leg hops will make you a more explosive runner and increase your
stride length.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Start from the same position used for one-leg squats, with the toes
of the left foot supported on a 6- to 8-inch block or step. Hop rapidly on the right foot at a
rate of 2 to 3 hops per second (25 to 30-foot contacts every 10 seconds). Force the right foot
to strike the ground in the mid-foot region and then spring upward rapidly as though your
foot were touching a red-hot stove. The right knee should rise 4 to 6 inches as the left leg and
foot remain stationary throughout the exercise, and your hips remain level and virtually
motionless, with very little vertical displacement. The motion should come from your right
leg. Perform 30 hops on the right leg before switching to the left. Begin with one set of hops
on each leg twice a week on nonconsecutive days. After three weeks, increase to two sets per
leg.
8. Abdominal Stabilizers - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Abdominal and oblique trunk muscles
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The abdominal muscles stabilize the trunk during running.
Abdominal stabilizers will eliminate energy-wasteful movements of the upper body and may
reduce the incidence of side stitches.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Sit on a bench or chair with your legs extended in front of you and
your knees slightly bent. Recline your upper body from the hips about 45 degrees, keeping
your chest up and your shoulders back. Raise your right arm to an overhead position while
lowering your left arm, and alternate back and forth until each arm has been raised 30 times.
Maintain a rigid position with your upper torso and legs at all times. Only your arms should
move during this exercise. Do three sets two times a week on nonconsecutive days.
9. Glute-Lumbar Stabilizers - Strength Training Runners
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Lower-back and buttocks muscles
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The lower-back and buttocks muscles maintain proper trunk
position during running, prevent excessive forward lean and limit unnecessary rocking
movements of the trunk. Glute-lumbar stabilizers will strengthen these key muscles and
make you a more efficient runner.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Lie face down on a bench, padded table or bed. Extend your legs
straight behind you and position yourself so your hip bones are at the edge of the table and
your upper body extends beyond the table. Brace your feet under an immovable object or ask
someone to hold your ankles while you do this exercise. With your upper body extending
straight out beyond the table, raise your right arm while lowering your left arm. Alternate
back and forth until you’ve raised each arm 30 times while keeping your legs and upper body
in a rigid position. Do three sets of glute-lumbar stabilizers two to three times a week on
nonconsecutive days.
10. Resisted Ankle Pulls
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Shin muscles (front of the lower leg)
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The shin muscles stabilize the lower leg, ankle, and foot
during both the swing and ground-contact phases of the running stride. Strengthening these
muscles with resisted ankle pulls will produce a more powerful toe-off. It should also
minimize the occurrence of shin splints and decrease the risk of stress fractures in the lower
part of the leg.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Anchor one end of a piece of resistive tubing to an immovable
object, and attach the other end to your left foot just above the toes. Sit with your left leg
extended in front of you (on a line with the tubing) and your left foot about 4 feet away from
the attachment point of the tubing. The tubing should be stretched at all times during the
exercise.
Alternately flex and extend your left ankle 20 times while keeping your left leg straight.
Repeat the exercise with your right leg. Do three sets of ankle pulls for each leg, three to four
times a week on nonconsecutive days.
Strength Training for Runners can improve power
By Owen Anderson Ph.D. - Running Research News
and Walt Reynolds - certified strength and conditioning specialist
Strength training for running can improve power, reduce the risk of injury and increase your
speed. Check out this program designed especially for runners. We’ve put together the 10 best
strengthening exercises in a program that will specifically enhance your running
performance. They can be done in a gym or at home. For two of these exercises, you’ll need a
piece of resistive tubing, available from pharmacies with extensive home-therapy sections or
from companies that sell sports-medicine products
You should be able to complete all 10 exercises in 20 to 25 minutes or less.
For maximum benefit, do them before you run. These exercises will not tire you so much that
you can’t run well afterwards. In fact, they may “wake up” your muscular and nervous
systems and lead to higher-quality training.
If you practice these 10 exercises faithfully, within a few weeks you’ll notice improved
coordination during running and more explosive push-offs whenever your feet strike the
ground. As your muscles become more powerful, the risk of injury should decrease, and your
running speed will improve significantly. Best of all, you’ll have some PRs to show for your
efforts.
