Additional workouts for runners

While athletes tend to focus on cardiovascular fitness, incorporating weight training can significantly enhance performance by improving strength, power, injury resistance, and overall fitness…however, it’s important to focus on the parts that will add value. 

Focus on Functional Strength

Compound Movements: Incorporate exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. These include:

Squats: Great for lower body strength, targeting quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core.

Deadlifts: Enhance posterior chain strength, crucial for running, cycling, and swimming.

Lunges: Promote balance and unilateral strength, important for injury prevention.

Pull-ups/Rows:Strengthen the upper body and back, improving posture and upper body endurance.

Push-ups/Bench Press: Develop upper body pushing strength, important for overall balance.

Low to Moderate Weight, High Repetitions

Focus on lifting lighter weights with higher repetitions (12-20 reps). This approach builds muscular endurance, which supports prolonged aerobic activity without adding excessive bulk.

Incorporate Plyometrics

Dynamic movements should also be part of the warmup routine (static stretches for after the run). Plyometric exercises, like box jumps, burpees, and explosive step-ups, improve power and neuromuscular efficiency. These exercises can enhance running economy, sprint performance, and overall explosiveness.

Core Strengthening

A strong core is essential for maintaining form during long endurance activities. Include exercises like:

Planks: Variations of planks help in building static core strength.

Russian Twists: Enhance rotational strength and stability.

Leg Raises: Strengthen the lower abs and hip flexors.

Periodisation and Recovery

Periodisation: Organise training into cycles focusing on different aspects (strength, power, endurance) depending on your competition schedule. For example, emphasise strength during the off-season and switch to maintenance closer to competition.

Recovery: Include rest days and light recovery sessions. Overtraining can lead to fatigue and injuries, which are counterproductive!