Best Strength Workouts for Runners: The Coach-Approved Guide

Have you ever experienced the frustration of training hard, putting in the miles, and still not seeing the progress you'd expect—or even feeling like you're stuck? 

This is often an indication that you need to change-up what you're doing in your running regime. There are many factors that one could look at modifying—for example how much rest and recovery you are taking—but one of the key differentiators for runners is the addition of a targeted strength training routine.

A common misconception that running harder or longer will produce the goods almost always leads to stagnation, frustration, and yes, even nagging injuries. 

Runners push through pain, hoping that more miles or harder workouts will lead to improvements, only to find themselves sidelined by injuries or poor performances. 

The key to breaking through these barriers and becoming a stronger, more efficient runner may lie not in running more, but in a smart, well-balanced strength training routine tailored to your individual needs.

By incorporating targeted strength workouts, you can improve not only your running form and efficiency but also build the foundation for long-term performance gains and injury prevention.

Today, we’re going to explore the critical role strength training plays in enhancing running performance, improving efficiency, and preventing injuries. We’ll be focusing on how targeted strength workouts—focused on stability, power, and endurance—help runners achieve better results while reducing the risk of overuse injuries. 

The article will also highlight and explore the dynamics of a balanced training approach, which is fundamental to supporting your body to perform while remaining injury-free. We will introduce you to GENEFIT, a first-of-its-kind endurance sports app that combines your genetic information with your training data to provide personalized training insights, helping you achieve superior performance results.

Let’s get moving. 

Strength Training for Runners: The Foundation of Injury Prevention and Performance

Strength training plays a pivotal role in a runner's overall performance and longevity. 

While running may seem like it’s all about the miles, building strength is crucial to enhancing endurance, preventing injuries, and pushing your limits safely. 

It’s not just about increasing power or muscle mass—strength workouts help you develop the stability and resilience needed to support your body through those long runs, speed  intervals, and uphill slogs.

Why Strength Training is Important for Runners

Running may primarily work your cardiovascular system, but it also puts significant strain on your muscles, joints, and connective tissues. Strength training helps condition these areas to handle the repetitive impact that running demands. This means you’re not only getting faster or going further, but you’re also making sure that your body can keep up with those demands without breaking down.

Here are a few key reasons why strength training is vital for runners:

• Injury prevention: Stronger muscles help absorb the shock that your joints would otherwise bear during a run, reducing the risk of overuse injuries like shin splints, IT band syndrome, or runner’s knee.
• Improved energy: A balanced strength training plan can enhance how efficiently your body uses energy, making you a more efficient runner.
• Stability and mobility: Strength exercises target areas like your hips, core, and ankles, improving your balance and reducing the risk of awkward movements that can lead to injury.

The Importance of Progressing Strength Workouts Slowly

One of the most common mistakes runners make is jumping into strength workouts too quickly or progressing too fast. 

Much like increasing your running mileage, it’s important to build strength gradually to avoid injuries. When you slowly introduce strength training into your routine, your body adapts safely, building a solid foundation that will support your running.

Here’s how you can progress strength workouts for optimal results:

• Start with bodyweight exercises: Incorporate exercises like squats, lunges, and planks to build a strong base.
• Increase intensity over time: Once you’ve mastered the basics, add resistance bands or weights to challenge your muscles further.
• Track your recovery: Give your muscles time to adapt between strength sessions, ensuring you have adequate recovery time to prevent overtraining.

Balancing Running and Strength Training for Synergistic Gains

The key to maximizing the benefits of strength training is balancing it with your running workouts. Strength and running should complement each other, working together to enhance your overall performance, synergistically. 

By alternating between running and strength sessions, you allow your body to recover and rebuild while making sure each workout type supports the other.

Here’s how you can balance both effectively:

• Plan complementary workouts: On or before high-intensity running days, keep strength training lighter and focus on mobility or stability work.
• Harness the benefit of active recovery runs: Plan a short, low-intensity run the day after a heavy leg strength workout to avoid over-stressing the leg muscles while facilitating recovery.
• Avoid burnout: Overloading your schedule with hard runs and heavy lifting can lead to exhaustion or injury. Pay attention to how your body feels and adjust accordingly.

The Power of a Personalized Approach

While general strength training principles apply to all runners, no two bodies are exactly the same. 

Factors like genetics, your running experience, injury history, and biomechanics can influence how you respond to different types of workouts. 

In fact, research from the Genes and Athletic Performance study shows that 66% of sporting performance is determined by your genetics. 

A tailored running/strength training plan—one that evolves with your progress and adapts to your individual needs—can make a huge difference in your long-term running success.

At GENEFIT, we harness the power of genetic information, modifying your training data to provide fitness metric insights and daily recommendations unique to what your body thrives off.

Advantages of Personalized Workouts for Runners

Every runner has their own set of strengths, weaknesses, and goals, making it clear that a one-size-fits-all run training plan can only take you so far. With a personalized approach, you can align your workouts with your body’s unique needs, addressing specific imbalances and maximizing performance gains.

GENEFIT offers valuable tools to help runners achieve this by using session scores and fitness metrics like load-balance to guide workout intensity and duration. With features like the injury risk alert, GENEFIT helps you identify when it’s time to dial back your workout, keeping you on track without risking burnout or injury.

By ensuring a well-rounded training plan that balances strength and running, you can not only enhance performance but also reduce injury risks. Strength workouts that complement your run training can improve stability, power, and endurance, giving you the edge you need for long-term success.

Here are some of the best benefits of having personalized strength workouts for runners: 

Enhanced Performance

Integrating personalized strength training into your running routine helps build and maintain the muscle groups essential for optimal performance. This can lead to:

• Improved Muscle Endurance: Strengthening key muscles such as the core, glutes, and legs helps maintain proper running form and reduces fatigue.
• Increased Power Output: Exercises targeting explosive movements and fast-twitch muscle fibers can boost your speed and power, making it easier to tackle sprints and hills.

Tailoring your strength training to focus on these areas can lead to faster times and longer distances, making your runs more effective and enjoyable.

Accelerated Recovery

Effective recovery is crucial for maintaining peak performance and preventing burnout. Strength training aids in recovery by:

• Enhancing Muscle Resilience: Stronger muscles recover more quickly from the stress of running, allowing you to bounce back faster.
• Reducing Inflammation: Low-intensity strength exercises focused on range-of-motion and mobility can assist recovery by boosting circulation which aids in toxin removal. Combining yoga or Pilates-type exercises with anti-inflammatory foods and good sleep can further support recovery.

A well-structured strength program can help you recover more efficiently, keeping you prepared for your next run.

Lowered Injury Risk

Injury prevention is a major benefit of strength training. By addressing muscle imbalances and weaknesses, you can:

• Strengthen Supportive Muscles: Focused strength exercises help build stability around the hips, knees, and ankles, reducing the risk of overuse injuries.
• Balance Your Training: A balanced strength regimen can correct muscle imbalances, which often lead to injuries such as stress fractures or tendinitis.

Incorporating strength training into your routine helps ensure that your body is well-equipped to handle the demands of running, keeping you injury-free and on track with your goals.

Incorporating Strength Training into Your Running Routine

Now that you understand the importance of strength training for runners and the power of personalized workouts, it's valuable to explore how to integrate it effectively into your training regimen.

Start Slowly and Build Incrementally

1. Prioritize Key Muscle Groups

Focus on strengthening the muscles that support running efficiency and injury prevention:

• Core Muscles: Enhance stability and improve running form.
• Leg Muscles: Build strength in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves to improve power and endurance.
• Hip Muscles: Strengthen hip flexors and abductors to reduce the risk of common running injuries.

2. Progress Gradually

Begin with lighter weights and fewer sets, gradually increasing the intensity:

• Start Small: Begin with basic strength exercises and low resistance.
• Increase Slowly: As your strength improves, incrementally add more weight and complexity to your workouts.
• Listen to Your Body: Adjust the intensity based on how your body responds to avoid overtraining and injuries.

3. Balance Strength and Running Workouts

Ensure that your strength training complements your running routine:

• Combine Workouts: Integrate strength sessions with your running schedule, focusing on different muscle groups on non-running days.
• Allow for Recovery: Ensure you have adequate rest between strength and running workouts to allow muscles to recover and adapt.

4. Focus on Recovery

Incorporate strategies to enhance recovery and prevent injuries:

• Rest and Restore: Allow sufficient time between workouts for muscles to repair and strengthen.
• Recovery Techniques: Use methods such as stretching, foam rolling, and proper nutrition to support recovery.

By focusing on these practical strategies, you can build a well-rounded training program that enhances your running performance and reduces the risk of injuries. Strength training, when done correctly, complements your running efforts and helps you achieve your goals more effectively.

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6 Great Strength Workouts to Improve Your Running Efficiency and Form

Incorporating a variety of targeted strength exercises into your routine can help you become a more well-rounded runner. 

Note: If you are currently struggling with an injury or even that uncomfortable niggle, it would be wise to consult your therapist before doing these exercises or consider seeing a Biokineticist to assess your biomechanical function to screen for muscle imbalances. 

Here are some strength workouts for runners to consider adding into their fitness routines. This can be an entire 6-move workout circuit, in itself. 

(We’d recommend starting with your own bodyweight and progressing to weights when you feel stronger and more comfortable.)

Reverse Lunge 

Reps: 10 to 12x reps (no weight), per side | 6 to 7x reps (with weight), per side
Set: 3 to 4

Muscle Benefits: Quads, glutes, and hamstrings

Reverse lunges are excellent strength workouts for runners because they effectively target key muscles such as the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings—which are crucial for powerful and efficient running. 

By engaging these muscles through a controlled, multi-directional movement, reverse lunges enhance overall leg strength and stability. Reverse lunges also help improve balance and coordination, reducing the risk of injury by addressing muscle imbalances and promoting better running form. 

Incorporating reverse lunges into a runner’s routine can lead to increased power, endurance, and resilience on the track or trail.

Single-Leg Deadlift

Reps: 10x per side
Set: 3 to 4

Muscle Benefits: Glutes, hamstrings, and lower back 

Single-leg deadlifts are highly effective for runners as they build strength and stability in the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back while enhancing balance and coordination. This exercise also helps correct muscle imbalances and improve proprioception, contributing to better running form and reduced injury risk.

Tricep Dips

Reps: 12x per side (no weight)
Sets: 3 to 4

Muscle Benefits: Triceps, deltoids, chest

Again, you don’t want to overdo working a specific muscle group. Incorporate tricep dips into your fitness routine to (obviously) strengthen your triceps, which enhances arm drive and stability during running. Additionally, they engage the shoulders and core, helping to stabilize the upper body and reduce the risk of upper body fatigue during long runs.

Dumbbell Row

Reps: 12x per side (low weight) | 6x per side (heavier weight)
Sets: 3 to 4

Muscle Benefits: Lats, deltoids, upper back

Similarly, dumbbell rows strengthen the upper back and lats, which are crucial for maintaining good posture and stability during running. By improving back strength, runners can enhance their overall balance and reduce the risk of injuries caused by poor running form.

Glute Bridge

Reps: 12 to 15
Sets: 2 to 3

Muscle Benefits: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back

Glute bridges strengthen the gluteus maximus, enhancing hip extension and power, which improves running efficiency and speed. They also boost pelvic stability and help prevent injuries by reinforcing the glutes and stabilizing muscles, reducing the risk of lower back pain and common running injuries.

Back Extension (Superman)

Reps: 12 to 15x per side
Sets: 2 to 3

Muscle Benefits: Lower back, glutes, hamstrings

Back extensions strengthen the lower back muscles, enhancing spinal stability and reducing the risk of lower back injuries, which is crucial for maintaining proper running form. By targeting the erector spinae and supporting muscles, they help improve overall posture and endurance, giving runners a strong foundation for sustaining efficient movement over long runs.

As you integrate these strength workouts into your running routine, consider leveraging GENEFIT's expertise to further enhance your training. GENEFIT offers personalised insights that tailor workouts to your unique genetic profile, helping you optimise your strength training for maximum impact.

By analysing factors such as your muscle recovery rates, injury risks, and overall fitness response, GENEFIT provides customised recommendations that can enhance the effectiveness of each exercise and ensure a balanced approach to your running and strength training regimen. This tailored approach can help you achieve faster results, improve your running efficiency, and reduce injury risk more effectively.

Discover workouts tailored to your natural strengths.  Get started with GENEFIT

Invest in Your Genetic Potential

Strength training is a vital component of a runner’s regimen, enhancing speed, power, and resilience. However, it's just one element of a comprehensive approach to athletic performance.

To achieve your full potential, it's essential to consider the bigger picture: integrating strength, endurance, nutrition, injury prevention, recovery, and environmental factors into your training plan. These elements work synergistically to elevate your overall performance.

As you progress in your running journey, pay attention to your body's signals and remain committed to a well-rounded training strategy. Tools like GENEFIT can offer valuable insights to tailor your strength training and other fitness components to your unique genetic profile. This personalized approach can help you make informed decisions and optimise your training for better results.

Stay focused, be patient with your progress, and remember that the synergy of a balanced, genetics-informed plan is key to unlocking your full athletic potential.

Happy trails. 

FAQs

What is the best strength training for runners?

A: The best strength training for runners is a personalized plan that takes into account your unique genetic profile, fitness level, and goals. By understanding your genetic strengths and weaknesses, you can focus on exercises that will give you the most benefit while reducing your risk of injury. 

How many times a week should a runner do strength training?

A: Runners should aim to incorporate strength training into their routine 2-3 times per week, with at least one day of rest between sessions. This allows enough time for your muscles to recover and adapt to the training stimulus. 

However, the exact frequency and volume of strength training will depend on your individual fitness level, goals, and genetic profile. It's important to listen to your body and adjust your plan as needed to avoid overtraining or injury.

Should runners lift heavy or light?

A: The answer to this question depends on your individual goals and genetic predispositions. In general, lifting heavier weights for fewer reps can help build maximal strength and power, while lifting lighter weights for more reps can help improve muscular endurance. However, the ideal weight and rep range for you will depend on your genetic profile and the specific demands of your running goals.

How do elite runners strength train?

A: Elite runners typically follow a well-rounded strength training program that includes a variety of exercises to target different muscle groups and energy systems. They may lift heavier weights to build maximal strength and power, as well as lighter weights for higher reps to improve muscular endurance. They also often incorporate plyometric and explosive exercises to develop speed and power, as well as stability and balance exercises to reduce the risk of injury. However, the specific details of their strength training plans will vary depending on their individual needs and goals, as well as their genetic profile.

Can strength training improve running speed?

A: Yes, strength training can definitely improve running speed, especially when it's tailored to your individual needs and goals. However, it's important to balance strength training with running-specific workouts and adequate recovery to avoid overtraining or injury with the help of genetic insights.