The Official Letsrun Strength Training for Runners Thread

I wonder if before we get people in the weightroom, we should get them simply doing BODY WEIGHT exercises, such as planks, push-ups, body squats, leg lifts, wall sits, lunges, pull-ups, etc.

It is only after they have a general fitness that we could or should progress to the weightroom and/or single leg exercises & single leg plyometrics.

Single leg from the start ,mitigate , fix or prevent muscle imbalance from the start.

Alan would it be possible to email you directly for some help with designing a strength training plan ?

GSM? wrote:

I wonder if before we get people in the weightroom, we should get them simply doing BODY WEIGHT exercises, such as planks, push-ups, body squats, leg lifts, wall sits, lunges, pull-ups, etc.

It is only after they have a general fitness that we could or should progress to the weightroom and/or single leg exercises & single leg plyometrics.

Bumping this thread. What a great idea to have a definitive discussion.

In reply to the above comment, I think it’s a very good idea to reach a baseline for body weight exercises before getting in the weight room properly.

I had a friend who wanted to get in shape and went to a PT who had him doing deadlifts before he could even do 10 press-ups and a 1 minute plank. The dude got a hernia in a month or two.

good idea for a bump.

Strength training can be great, but theres a few too many skinny teenagers on these threads, who think they can just go out and put up some big lift sessions without any bad side effects. Prepare your body and build up people!!

Each of my three legs are very good at extensions and curls.

I'm good with a couple of 25 lb dumbbells.

Legolas wrote:

GSM? wrote:

I wonder if before we get people in the weightroom, we should get them simply doing BODY WEIGHT exercises, such as planks, push-ups, body squats, leg lifts, wall sits, lunges, pull-ups, etc.

It is only after they have a general fitness that we could or should progress to the weightroom and/or single leg exercises & single leg plyometrics.

Bumping this thread. What a great idea to have a definitive discussion.

In reply to the above comment, I think it’s a very good idea to reach a baseline for body weight exercises before getting in the weight room properly.

I had a friend who wanted to get in shape and went to a PT who had him doing deadlifts before he could even do 10 press-ups and a 1 minute plank. The dude got a hernia in a month or two.

He must have been doing "heavy" deadlifts. Learning the movement with a PVC pipe or light bar is a great intro exercise for anyone who wishes to train for strength. I have my middle school son doing this and learning olympic lifts as well with a light bar.

Burpee pushups are a personal favorite of mine for building strength that translates into speed. Block starts, training to be a sprinter makes you a stronger distance runner.

Runningart2004 wrote:

There is like 4-5 threads now on the front page all asking the same thing.

Why don't we start a thread and keep it at the top for easy access.

Here are some questions for you:

1. What key principles should you follow when creating a Strength Training program for runners?

2. What methods are most effective?

3. What methods are least effective?

4. Are you making this up or is your program rooted in science?

5. How would you create a program for a beginner? College athlete? Female considerations?

Alan

1. Proper technique and a reasonable progression. Individualized, are they Sprinters/Jumpers, Throwers, MD/Distance athletes. Are they beginners, intermediate, or advanced? Gender identity? Be consistent and frequent.

2.Speed and power on max velocity days, circuits or strength endurance on more metabolic running days. Don't expect to be able to lift your heaviest, most explosive, or most effectively after a highly demanding track workout, it won't go well. Strength focus early, transitioning to power early to mid- season. Be consistent and frequent.

3. Doing the opposite of 1. and 2. And thinking every athlete needs the same ratio of stimuli as the next.

4.I'm making it up, based of Science

5.While BW exercises are good. Pushups and especially Pullups are too difficult for most beginners, light dumbbells do wonders for pressing and rowing...until you can do pushups and pullups in a high enough number with good form, then you add weight to that. BW squats and lunges tend to be far too easy even during circuits, add light resistance, whatever you have available. Progress to more advanced versions of planks, being able to plank for a minute...or 5...isn't going to do much for you, it's baseline stuff.

College athletes should be able to handle all the advanced stuff by the time they come your way, most will have holes in their game, fix them by progressing like you would a beginner.

Excellent post, I agree with everything especially #5 where you advocate dumbbells for upper body exercises rather than pushups. However I love assisted pullups.

I do these strength building sprints running up parking garage ramps .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWnxrzS_xrY&feature=emb_logo

I agree with a lot of this. I think it’s important to note that there is a season for everything. You shouldn’t do plyos and power training all year round. Heavy resistance training should be a year round part of training. Maybe not always the focus but always touched on. I like the series done by barbell medicine :