Resistance Training for Runners - How I am incorporating resistance training into my routine
Resistance Training is probably the most often overlooked item in an endurance athletes program. Usually, time restraints, fear of gaining weight, or fear of getting injured lead runners to shy away from the weight room. However, there is a great deal of evidence that shows that you are doing yourself a disservice by skimping on strength training.
The traditional approach to strength training for endurance athletes followed the Principle of Specificity of Training and prescribed high reps with light weight. At first thought this makes sense, after all, during distance running the body only uses about 40% of it's muscular capacity. This allows us to cover long distances without fatiguing too quickly. However, research has never supported the high rep light weight approach to strength training. Little to no effect has been observed in research on this type of training with improved running economy, power/speed, or injury prevention.
Fast forward to the 21st century...strength coaches and trainers are having their endurance athletes performing heavy squats and intense plyometric exercises, comparable to the type of training you'd expect to see a linebacker doing. Why? New evidence is showing that running economy, power, and even resistance to injuries improve when runners are trained with explosive movements and heavy weights.
At the end of the day, the takeaway is that your body needs to be strong to run distance or you will get injured and you won't reach your maximum potential. Running by it's nature is a repetitive movement that emphasizes a few specific muscle groups, leading to muscular imbalances in both overall strength and flexibility. These imbalances lead to poor form and injury. There is also research showing that runners may be able to improve their speed and economy by adding strength training to their routines.
As part of my program, I strength train 3x/week. I have adopted the modern approach, sticking to heavy and explosive movements as the core of my workouts. My program is built around squats, lunges, kettlebell swings, and plyometric movements. I have also started working hard to improve my core strength. In my years of focusing on powerlifting and bodybuilding, I ended up with an imbalance between my low-back strength and abdominal strength. My low back is strong and inflexible, and my core (by comparison) is weak. This lead to difficulty achieving the ideal slight forward lean when running, and minor low back pain on longer runs. I incorporate movements that target all aspects of my core including planks, leg raises, sit-ups and torso rotations. This added focus on core strength along with regular stretching and self myofacial release (using a foam roller) has helped me tremendously already in improving my running form and has completely eliminated back pain when running.
I frequently get asked what I think the top strength training exercises for runners are. Here is my list:
1. Squats - These are great for building power through the lower body, and also flexibility through the hips in those of us that are tight. I love using many variations including barbell squats, goblet squats (with a dumbbell or kettlebell), plyometric squats, and barbell pause and box squats. With these I tend to stick to heavy weights and lower repetitions (5-10).
2. Walking Lunges - These are fantastic for working the entire lower body and loosening up the hips in those of us that are tight. I perform several variations including dumbbell lunges, split jumps (in place plyometric lunges), and crossing balance lunges using the TRX (see video).
3. Kettlebell Swings - These are an explosive movement that build whole body strength and power, particularly through the posterior chain and core. The posterior chain is the powerhouse of strong running form. Swings are also fantastic for building cardiovascular endurance if sets are performed in rapid succession.
Here is a 3CLICK Video with a few TRX exercises geared towards runners:
The traditional approach to strength training for endurance athletes followed the Principle of Specificity of Training and prescribed high reps with light weight. At first thought this makes sense, after all, during distance running the body only uses about 40% of it's muscular capacity. This allows us to cover long distances without fatiguing too quickly. However, research has never supported the high rep light weight approach to strength training. Little to no effect has been observed in research on this type of training with improved running economy, power/speed, or injury prevention.
Fast forward to the 21st century...strength coaches and trainers are having their endurance athletes performing heavy squats and intense plyometric exercises, comparable to the type of training you'd expect to see a linebacker doing. Why? New evidence is showing that running economy, power, and even resistance to injuries improve when runners are trained with explosive movements and heavy weights.
At the end of the day, the takeaway is that your body needs to be strong to run distance or you will get injured and you won't reach your maximum potential. Running by it's nature is a repetitive movement that emphasizes a few specific muscle groups, leading to muscular imbalances in both overall strength and flexibility. These imbalances lead to poor form and injury. There is also research showing that runners may be able to improve their speed and economy by adding strength training to their routines.
As part of my program, I strength train 3x/week. I have adopted the modern approach, sticking to heavy and explosive movements as the core of my workouts. My program is built around squats, lunges, kettlebell swings, and plyometric movements. I have also started working hard to improve my core strength. In my years of focusing on powerlifting and bodybuilding, I ended up with an imbalance between my low-back strength and abdominal strength. My low back is strong and inflexible, and my core (by comparison) is weak. This lead to difficulty achieving the ideal slight forward lean when running, and minor low back pain on longer runs. I incorporate movements that target all aspects of my core including planks, leg raises, sit-ups and torso rotations. This added focus on core strength along with regular stretching and self myofacial release (using a foam roller) has helped me tremendously already in improving my running form and has completely eliminated back pain when running.
I frequently get asked what I think the top strength training exercises for runners are. Here is my list:
1. Squats - These are great for building power through the lower body, and also flexibility through the hips in those of us that are tight. I love using many variations including barbell squats, goblet squats (with a dumbbell or kettlebell), plyometric squats, and barbell pause and box squats. With these I tend to stick to heavy weights and lower repetitions (5-10).
2. Walking Lunges - These are fantastic for working the entire lower body and loosening up the hips in those of us that are tight. I perform several variations including dumbbell lunges, split jumps (in place plyometric lunges), and crossing balance lunges using the TRX (see video).
3. Kettlebell Swings - These are an explosive movement that build whole body strength and power, particularly through the posterior chain and core. The posterior chain is the powerhouse of strong running form. Swings are also fantastic for building cardiovascular endurance if sets are performed in rapid succession.
Here is a 3CLICK Video with a few TRX exercises geared towards runners:
Comments
Post a Comment