The best strength training moves for runners

Didn’t think anything could beat your runner’s high? Well as it turns out, you can turn that high up a notch by turning to the gym weights zone for some of your training. Aquanation personal trainer (and marathon runner trainer), Chris Pattison is here to help you improve your runs with strength training.

How important is strength training for runners?

“Super important,” says Pattison. He says although the gym was once the domain of sprinters and middle-distance runners but now endurance athletes and long-distance runners are getting in on the fun.

“Resistance training is perfect for injury prevention because if your breakdown the mechanics of running and repeat that motion over and over again, there’s a lot of muscles working together, and some will get overused more than others,” explains the personal trainer.

He adds that as these muscles get tired and tightened, which causes the hip flexors to do a heap of work. “It’s super common that people say their hips get tight when they run, they not only get tight but running puts pressure on your pelvis and it can pull your pelvis forward which puts pressure on your lower back and hamstrings and you get this flow on effect,” the personal trainer warns.

You’ll become a stronger athlete

Here’s where resistance training comes in. “Core strength and stability is probably the main area to work on for runners, so we’re talking hip flex flexors, abductors, lower abdominals, back extenders, glutes - strengthening this whole area means we can perform an exercise like running more safely over and over again,” Pattison says.

And although marathon runners may avoid weight training due to a fear of getting heavy from lifting weights, Pattison reassures marathon fans that is certainly not the case. “If you’re a marathon runner you will just be growing and strengthening their muscles, and this will benefit your stride length and you’ll become more efficient on your runs because your core is strong and you’re not wasting energy.”

So basically, you won’t be wasting energy by twisting or becoming unbalanced because “if you can strengthen and stabilise your core, you can get longer strides because you can propel yourself further in less time,” points out the personal trainer.

 And try not to get deterred by the initial tightness you might feel on your runs when you begin including resistance training. “Initially when you start weight training you might feel tight on your runs, but as you get used to it and have an effective post workout routine you’ll benefit your run,” Pattison says reassuringly.

 You’ll get your heart pounding (in a good way)

Pattison explains that the beauty of interval training circuits is that they push your heartrate up to a level of 90 percent of your heartrate. He says that in comparison, the heartrate of endurance athletes “will sit at a pretty constant level at around 80 percent of that max heartrate and it’ll just stay there.”

But if you want to improve your run, cardiovascular fitness is key. “An interval training circuit your heartrate will jump, and dip and it will push your heartrate, so if you can get comfortable for shorter periods of time, when you do your run and your heartrate is at that constant level it will feel easier,” Pattison clarifies.

 How often should you do resistance training?

For Pattison, this all comes down to your goal but would still recommend a minimum of two. He explains that way you can still get plenty of kilometres under your belt along with your new training regime. “You could increase that in your off season if you’re training for an event and drop it closer to the event, for a casual runner though two sessions a week will bring improvements.”

If you’re still not totally keen to hit the gym, think about your running goals. “People that love running may not necessarily love the gym, but if you really want to get the most out of your run sneak in some resistance training.”

Of course, for some runners, the gym is foreign territory. That’s where a trainer comes in. “You could get away with a general strength program to start off with and get comfortable with the movements,” says the personal trainer. However, Pattison adds that “once you speak to a trainer they can give you moves that directly relate to your running including leg strength, hamstring strength, glute strength a little bit of calf work and core stability which is the most beneficial.” 

With strength training perhaps not initially your jam, remember if it’s tailored to your running you might enjoy it more too. Or as Pattison puts it, “you’ll understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.”