Strength Training Plan for Runners to Help Make You Faster and Stronger

by

Strength Training Plan for Runners

Running is great! It’s one of the simplest forms of exercise that you can do. You don’t need that much equipment and you can do it pretty much anywhere. However, the longer you have been running, the more you might realize that strength training is important. In fact, combining running with a smart strength training plan is a great recipe to not only make you a faster runner, but also help prevent a lot of potential injuries! The great thing is that you can even do many of these workouts at home.

You might have started running because you don’t like lifting weights. However, if you really want to not only get the best out of your running, but your overall health as well, you should really include a strength training regime alongside your running at least 2 to 3 times a week.

By lifting some weights, you will be able to not only strengthen your shoulders, arms, and legs, but your ankles and abs as well.

In addition, lifting weights can make everyday tasks such as carrying a heavy bag of groceries a bit easier!

With all that said, it is important to note, that a proper strength training plan for runners is not exactly the same as a typical gym goer. In this plan, rather than focusing heavily on pushing things away from your body through exercises such as bench press, we will focus much more on the muscles that will help keep you a balanced and healthy runner.

strength training plan

Upper Body Strength Training

Running is a predominantly lower body sport. Therefore, you might be wondering why we are including upper body strength training plan.

While it is true that in distance running, bulky arms are literally dead weight, it doesn’t mean that you should work your upper body.

In fact, proper upper body musculature not only helps your body become more efficient at using energy, it actually can help influence and improve the swinging motion of your arms.

This is extremely important because the way that your arms move while running has a big impact on the rest of the your body’s movement from the hips on down![1]runtastic – HOW UPPER BODY STRENGTH EXERCISES IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING

Push-Up

Muscles Worked[2]healthline – What Muscles Do Pushups Work?

  • Pectorals (chest muscles)
  • Shoulders (deltoids)
  • Back of your arms (deltoids)
  • Abs
  • Wing muscles (serratus anterior)

How to Do It

Start in a high plank position. Keep your body tight and straight from head to toe be engaging your core. Make sure your wrists are under your shoulders. Bend your elbows and slowly lower yourself to the floor. Before touching the ground push yourself back up. Makes sure that you don’t lift or drop your hips throughout the entire push up.[3]Runners World – 9 Essential Weight-Training Exercises for Runners

Recommended Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 15 pushups.

Alternative exercises

If it is too difficult for you try these alternatives:

  • Wall Push-Ups
  • Incline Push-Ups
  • Knee Push-Ups

If it is too easy for you try these alternatives:

  • Wide-Grip Push-Ups
  • Push-Ups with Feet elevated (decline push-ups)
  • Push-Ups with your hands on an unstable surface such as a medicine ball
  • One-Legged Push-Ups
  • Spiderman Push-Ups
  • Tricep Push-Ups
  • Diamond Push-Ups
  • Clap Push-Ups[4]Self – How to Do 16 Different Types of Push-ups

Bent Over Row

Muscles Worked[5]Livestrong – Muscles Involved in Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

  • Lats
  • Middle traps and rhomboids
  • Biceps
  • Erector spinae

How to Do It

Start in a standing position with a slight bend in your knees with a dumbbell in each hand and your palms facing your body. Bend over at the hips so that your arms are hanging straight to the floor. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells to your ribs. Make sure to pull your shoulder blades together at the same time. Let your hand return to the starting position.[6]Popsugar – I’m a Trainer, and This Is How Strength Training Complements Running

Recommended Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 12 repetitions

If it is too easy for you try these alternatives:

  • Body weight rows
  • T-bar rows
  • Cable rows
  • Hammer grip seated rows
  • Bent over barbell rows

Reverse Fly

Muscles Worked[7]Livestrong – What Is a Reverse Fly?

  • Shoulders (posterior deltoids)
  • Upper back (rhomboid and middle trapezius muscles)

How to Do It

Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Bend at the hip and keep your back straight. Your back should be nearly parallel with the floor and your hands and dumbbells should be hanging towards the floor. Using your back muscles lift the dumbbells out to the side of your body. It should form a “t” shape. When your arms are parallel with your body, let them return to their starting position.[8]Women’s Health – How To Do A Reverse Fly The Right Way

Recommended Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 12 repetitions

If it is too difficult for you try these alternatives:[9]openfit – How to Do a Reverse Fly, Plus 3 Variations to Try

  • Perform the exercise in a seated position. This helps reduce the amount of stabilizer muscles you need to engage.

If it is too easy for you try these alternatives:

  • Slow down the movement
  • Try the pterodactyl fly variation of this exercise to make you use your legs and core even more

Lower Body Strength Training

When you run, you obviously use your lower body a lot.

However, did you know that it is still important to focus on lower body strength training plan?

In fact, by strengthening your lower body and legs, you don’t only improve your ability to produce more force (which naturally makes you faster), you also make your body more efficient at using your muscles.[10]Chron – Does Lower Body Strength Make You Run Faster?

In other words, you spend less energy to go the same speed.

If that wasn’t enough, lower body strength training is also great at addressing the musculature imbalances that running produces. This means that you are less likely to get injured and therefore have more opportunities to go running!

Deadlifts

Muscles Worked[11]Dark Iron Fitness – What Muscle Groups Do Deadlifts Work? Five Variations That Will Blow Your Mind On What They Target

  • Butt
  • Quads
  • Inner Thigh (abductor magnus)
  • Calf Muscles
  • Hamstrings
  • Lower back (erector spinae)
  • Neck (trapsezius)
  • Muscle between jaw and shoulder (levator scapulae)
  • Rhomboids
  • Abs
  • Obliques

How to Do It

Stand with feet a bit wider than shoulder width apart. Bend over at hips and grab the bar slightly wider than your legs. Keeping the bar close to your body, exhale and straighten your legs. Once the bar gets back your knees, keep it against your thighs and straighten your back. After standing straight, reverse the movement to starting position.[12]Training Peaks – Five Ways Runners Can Benefit From Deadlifting Recommended Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 8 repetitions

If you can’t do regular deadlifts, here are a few alternative options:[13]Cheatsheet – If Doing Deadlifts Isn’t an Option, Try These Exercises

  • Dumbbell deadlift
  • One-armed dumbbell deadlift
  • Kettlebell swing

Lunges

Muscles Worked[14]Healthline – What Muscles Do Lunges Work?

  • Quadriceps
  • Hamstrings
  • Glutes
  • Calves

How to Do It

Stand tall with your hands at your side. Take a big step forward with your right leg. Lower your body until your right shin is vertical and right thigh is parallel with the ground. Pressing with your right heel, drive your body back up to the starting position. Repeat the same steps but with your left leg. This is one repetition.

Recommended Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions

If it is too easy for you try these alternatives: [15]Runner’s Blueprint – The 10 Lunge Variations You Should Be Doing

  • Weighted Dumbbell Lunge
  • Jumping Lunge
  • Backwards Lunge
  • Reverse Lunge and Kick
  • Lateral Lunge
  • Lunge with Rear Leg raise
  • Step-up and Lunge
  • Pulsing Lunge

Single-Leg Bridge

Muscles Worked[16]Livestrong – Muscles Being Worked in a Bridging Exercise

  • Hip flexors
  • Knee extensors
  • Core

How to Do It

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend your right leg straight up. Press with your left heel until your hips are off of the floor and in line with your right leg. Slowly go back to the starting position. Repeat the same movement on the opposite side. That is a single repetition.[17]Kinetic Revolution – SINGLE LEG BRIDGE: GLUTE EXERCISE FOR RUNNERS

Recommended Reps and Sets: 2 sets of 15 repetitions

Variations of this exercise include regular glute bridges. However, you can add variation to the regular glute bridges by doing[18]healthline – How to Perform 5 Variations of the Glute Bridge Exercise

  • Legs pointed outward
  • Pressing through your heels
  • Pressing through your toes
  • Weighted glute bridge

Core Strength Training

Strengthening your core is a very important part of running.

With a strong core, you are better able to transfer the kinetic energy from your foot hitting the ground to the rest of your body in order to propel your body forward.

If your core is weak, the kinetic energy gets wasted in the unnecessary wriggling and twisting of your body.

In addition, a core strength training plan helps improve stability and balance, which in turn helps reduce the chances of getting running injuries.[19]how stuff works – How Core Strength Training for Runners Works

Planks

Muscles Worked

  • Rectus Abdominus (your six pack abs)
  • Internal and external obliques (your side abs)
  • Transverse Abdominus (the part of your abs that support your spine)
  • Hips
  • Back
  • Glutes

How to Do It

Get in a push up position. However, rather than resting on your hand, rest on your elbows. Squeeze your core and glutes to stabilize your body. Make sure to keep you neck and spine in a neutral position. In other words, you should be able to draw a straight line from your head to your toes. Make sure to not lift of sag your hips.

Recommended Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 30 to 60 seconds

If the regular plank is getting too easy for you, consider these alternative to step it up a notch! [20]Podium Runner – 11 Plank Exercises To Build Core Strength

  • Pushup Plank
  • Side Arm Raise (in Pushup position)
  • Front Arm Raise (in Pushup position)
  • Forearm Plank
  • Pushup Plank Shuffle
  • Forearm to Pushup Plank
  • Spiderman Plank
  • Alternating Leg Lifts (Pushup)
  • Two-Point Pushup Plank
  • Alternating Leg Lifts (Forearm)
  • Two-Point Forearm Plank

Leg Raises

Muscles Worked[21]sworkit – HOW TO DO LEG LIFTS

  • Abs
  • Upper back
  • Lower back
  • Hip flexor
  • Glutes
  • Quadriceps

How to Do It

Start by lying straight and flat on your back with your hands by your side. Lift your legs straight up until your legs form a letter “L” shape with your body. Slowly lower your legs. Before you touch the ground, start raising them again. This is a single repetition.

Recommended Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Start lying faceup on a mat with hands next to hips for support. Lift legs straight up so body forms an “L.” Engage core and lower legs until feet hover just above mat. Slowly raise legs back to starting position and repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.

Leg Raise Variations[22]Coach – Leg Raises Build Strong Abs And Core Muscles

  • Single leg raise
  • Medicine ball leg raise
  • Weighted leg raise
  • Leg raise on dip station
  • Hanging leg raise

Single Side Weighted Sit-Up

Muscles Worked

  • Abs
  • Obliques

How to Do It

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend your right hand straight up in the air with a dumbbell in it. Perform a sit-up; however, while doing so make sure that your arm with the dumbbell continues to face straight up in the air. When you return to the starting position switch sides. When you complete a single sit-up with the dumbbell in each hand, you have completed single repetition.[23]MSN – One-arm Full Sit-up

Recommended Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 12 repetitions

Variations[24]Men’s Health – The 25 Best Exercises to Sculpt Your Obliques

  • Side Plank
  • Single-Leg Side Plank
  • Side Plank and Row
  • T-Rotation
  • Russian twists
  • Bear crunch
  • Cross-body mountain climber
  • Medicine-ball rotational toss
  • Bicycle crunch
  • Spiderman pushup

Parting Words

While running might be your main form of exercise, it doesn’t mean that you should forget about a strength training plan.

In fact, lifting weights won’t just make your stronger, they will also make you a faster runner and less likely to get injured when running.

Now that you know which exercises you should do to help aid your running, check out the following running plans to help get you faster.

Good luck!

References[+]