If you’re trying to get quicker, stronger, or lose some weight, strength training will help you achieve your goals especially if you are a professional runner. Here is why strength training for runners is important:
Better Running Efficiency
Strength training will help you if you’ve ever had your form fall apart when you get tired at the end of a very long run or race. Strengthening your core will help you enhance and sustain your running style, resulting in greater efficiency in running.
For those preparing for a big tournament, such as a half or full marathon, this is particularly important because minor efficiency changes can make a big difference over all of those long miles.
Reduced Risk of Injury
Many running injuries are a consequence of muscle imbalances or weaknesses, especially knee and hip-related problems. When it comes to minimising the risk of injury, lower body and core exercises are extremely crucial. Stronger muscles in the core and legs ensure that you can retain your proper running form for longer, so you can decrease the risk of lower back pain or other complications associated with a poor running form or posture.
Not getting injured also ensures that you can remain motivated to keep running and be more likely to develop a daily running habit and continue to improve as a runner, beyond the advantage of avoiding pain.
Better Endurance and Decreased Fatigue
Strength training enables the body to deal with the pressure of running more efficiently. Before becoming fatigued, your muscles will be capable of working longer, which will help you retain your proper running form for longer. Improving your power during the last stages of a long-distance run will help you fight to hit the wall or cramping up.
Helps With Weight Loss
Strength training for runners improves metabolism by adding more lean muscle mass, which ensures that a runner burns more calories both during workouts and when at rest. Many runners notice that adding strength-training to their training schedule strengthens their weight-loss efforts and enables them to smash through a weight-loss plateau.
Faster Pace
Strength training improves your endurance and form which also translates to a quicker overall speed. Runners can see positive changes in their running times soon after they incorporate strength training in their training regimens. You don’t have to waste hours doing strengthening workouts. Plus, only two or three strength-training sessions of 15-20 minutes per week can develop more lean muscle mass than other sessions.
When to Do Strength Training for Runners?
There really is no right or wrong way to incorporate strength training into your routine, just bear in mind that consistency is of extreme importance. Choose a regimen that you can complete daily to optimise the benefits of strength training.
According to research weight training 2-3 times, every week for 8 to 12 weeks can show optimum results for runners.
Another strategy is to strength train, either right after or later on the same days as a rigorous running workout. This approach will enable you to take the next day off to heal completely. It is, however, not suggested for after a long run. Although, doing strength training when you are exhausted after a tough workout (interns, hills, tempo) seems rather counterintuitive, doing strength training on your day of rest does not give you enough time to rest and recover, as well.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A very common mistake that runners often make is doing too much too fast when incorporating strength training into their schedules. Many runners have a competitive mentality that can make them take on more weight or do advanced workouts with catastrophic results.
Bear in mind, that being a better runner is the purpose of your program. Becoming competitive in the weight room can result in days away from running because of injury and fatigue.
Irregular training is another mistake that runners make. It won’t have any effect on your running if you stick to a substantial strength training for runners program but only follow the program once every few weeks. Moreover, it could also put you at risk of injury.
Consider starting at a small level and building up slowly instead. Complete your exercises consistently and if time allows, add more exercises.
Conclusion
You can reap the benefits of strength training, whether you’re new to running, or you’ve been a runner for years. Some runners are reluctant to take part in strength training because they feel that it would make them heavier and slower. But strength training, instead, will make your running program more successful and more fun.
