As a runner, I’m sure you hear all the time how important strength training is. It makes us stronger, faster, and more resilient runners – decreasing our chance of injury and improving overall performance.

But what are the most important things to be hitting during your strength sessions?

Strength Blueprint

So today, I thought I’d give you a strength blueprint that you can use as a guide.

A. Full body warm-up mimicking movements you’re going to perform

So if you’re doing back squats, maybe you do body squats or some kind of bodyweight lunge pattern to simulate that movement with no weight.

B. Pillar core strength

Things like birddogs, deadbugs, and farmer’s carries. Runners can also benefit from rotational core exercises like woodchops.

C. Power

Some kind of plyometrics is important for runners because it helps increase our fast-twitch muscles allowing us to respond faster when we run.

D. Main lift(s)

Squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press

E. Accessory work

Single-leg work is VITAL for runners. Movement in different planes of motion. Running is performed in the sagittal plane so adding things like lateral lunges or curtsy lunges gets us moving in different planes of motion (frontal and transverse). This is where I’d also put vertical pulling as well (i.e. pull-ups or lat pull-down). Start your accessory work from most compound movement (i.e. push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, single-leg deadlifts, etc.) to single-joint exercises (i.e. bicep curls, tricep extensions, etc.) 

The specifics

Honestly, it depends. There are endless ways you can write sets and reps and progress your strength training. If you’re newer don’t ramp up volume too fast. If your goal is to increase strength you’ll want your reps to be in the 1-6 range, for hypertrophy (that’s muscle growth) 8-12, and for capacity 12+. Most runners will want to be in the 1-6 and 8-12 range for optimal strength gains.

You want to progressively overload your muscles over a period of months which just means putting more stress on the msucles. This can be done a number of ways: increasing weight used, increasing reps and/or sets (i.e. overall volume), slowing down tempo (increasing time under tension), etc.

Putting it all together

And this is where I plug getting yourself a coach. It’s just not as simple as it looks on paper. Whether that coach is me or someone else, make sure they are certified in some kind of strength training capacity. Not all running coaches are also strength coaches. Make sure you ask so you know you’re getting a coach who has the proper knowledge to help you make those gains. Because let’s not waste time in the weight room, right?

Need help putting this all together? 

Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.