Jackdunloptherunner wrote:
So I'm training for the 800 and mile for track and currently run about 25 mpw. Every day after my run I do body weight exercises for about 30 min. (Pushups, squats, leg lifts, lunges, hip flexors, etc.). Does this even help my running or would it be more effective to bump up to 35 mpw and do more stretching and icing? I haven't really noticed the effect of the exercises, so I'm wondering if it's just a waste of time. Thanks.
I have been doing exercises prescribed by physical therapists for 12 years. Most all are body weight or are effective with body weight. Without physical therapy to help me tune up and discover my imbalances and injury etiologies, I'd be broken and unable to run. Exercises in this paradigm are the single most important non running factor in running. It enables me to continue running and raises the ceiling on training intensity and volume.
So the answer is yes and no. If you are doing body weight exercises and weight lifting at your own whim or the incomplete opinions of magazines and friends, your results will be limited. If you take the systematic counseling and recommendations of a professional as the guide, then you will see the best results you can get out of any non running activity, depending on your discipline and dedication.
Look at Emma Coburn's comeback. Apparently she had serious Achilles issues. Her instagram is filled with body weight work designed to alleviate her Achilles and strengthen her core. The results speak for themselves.