Weight Training for Runners

I think it would be worthwhile to weight train twice a week. Good basic exercises, but if you can spare the time I’ve found 1.Copenhagen planks 2.Hip flexor strengthening and 3.Structured Plyometrics to be helpful.

All you need is heavy half squats and weighted sit ups once per week....

The abs are used when you retract your legs and stride forward.

I spent several hours looking this stuff up online a few weeks ago. A few takeaways I learned were that (according to the research):

1. Runners should lift weights twice a week, specifically on their hard days. So if Tuesday is track work and Friday is tempo, you lift those days.

2. Weight lifting should be done at least 3 hours after finishing the run. So run in the morning and lift in late afternoon or early evening would be the norm.

3. Warn up and cool down for 5-10 minutes of easy cardio, preferably non-impact.

4. Use 3 sets of 5-10 reps per exercise with about 60 seconds rest. Goal is to lift heavy.

5. Runners who consistently lift twice a week reduce injuries by one third. So, for example 3 injuries over a certain time period without lifting weights would have only been 2 injuries with weight lifting.

6. Lifting can improve running economy by up to 8%, but most will likely be in the middle (3-5%).

7. Try to prioritize compound exercises.

8. Upper body lifts prioritize chest, back, and shoulders for better running posture.

9. Routine should start with 1 squat, 1 hip hinge, 1 lunge, 1 push for chest, 1 pull for back, and 1 shoulder exercise. Over time, it's okay to expand the routine and do more than that, but it should at least be comprised of that.

10. During the taper, you taper weight training as well. So the routine stays the same, but instead of lifting twice a week, you only lift once a week.

B.s. Give us your personal bests, 100m to Marathon. Risk/reward with any lifting for events 1500m, and longer, but sit-ups, far more than once per week are not optional.

If you are using 60s rest then what you are lifting is not heavy. 3 x 5 w/120-150s rest. Or warmup/rampup to a single max set of 3-5.

Alan

No to situps. Double no to weighted situps. Your spine will thank me later.

Alan

A little bench press here and there is fine for an MD/distance guy, as an accessory, but I would not make regular benchpress a primary compound movement. Same for row. I do weighted pullups and chinups for back development.

I'm not one of those "anti-deadlift" kind of guys that screeches that it's an unsafe movement (it's not), I just don't think the carry over to running is as great as squatting. I do RDLs as an accessory, but never traditional deadlifts as a primary movement.

I'm going do my favorite thing and encourage someone I've never met to learn the Olympic lifts: the clean and jerk and the snatch. Gives me almost all the upper body I need as an MD guy, I get the rest from pullups and whatever bits I get from squats and weighted planks and other accessories.

Also, incorporate some jumps. Trap bar jumps with slow eccentric will build some work capacity and overall strength. Jumprope as a warmup for a few minutes can help with that lower leg stiffness on ground contact. Depth jumps to really teach you how to explode under load.

I did them for years...You must have a weak spine...

Excellent advice. "Learn the Olympic lifts," the key is to learn them properly. Too many people just look at a video or attempt without learning correctly. The skill, strength and athleticism you derive from olympic lifting is understated.

Look up Stuart McGill's work on core.

If you’re so educated on weight training why are you asking for advice?

Like dude seriously. I hate to be that guy AGAIN, but why do you come onto these boards asking for advice? You reject all of the good stuff from people with actual long term experience.

I'm 60 years, 6'3" and about 175 lbs.

"The New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle" identifies six basic movements (but gait is a seventh and we get it from walking or running).

for upper body:
1. push
2 pull (e.g., chin-ups and pull-ups (which are great))

for mid-section:
3. twist (I think this could be torsional as well as a fold, if I recall)

for legs:
4. lunge
5. squat
6. hinge (e.g., deadlift)

For 5, I like goblet squats. Three sets of 6 reps at 60 pounds leave me slightly sore the next day even though I do these each week.

For 6, I use a hex-bar, also known as a trap-bar, and to me it might be a bit safer than a traditional deadlift and doesn't scrape your shins or anything else the way a traditional barbell deadlift might:

These are basic movements and there are many, many ways to perform them.

7. A trainer once told me he believes there is a seventh basic movement: gait. That can be performed via walking or running.

It’s important for distance runners to engage in muscular endurance and hypertrophy strength training, which requires roughly 30-90 seconds rest.

Focusing on just muscular strength and power only (which requires more rest), will reduce and take away from athletes true potential of gains from the weight room. And that is to maximize gains for your running economy through weights, plyos and mobility/ flexibility, and increasing bone density to reduce injuries from taking place.

Any real professional strength coach for a professional individual or team knows this. That is horrible experience based, NOT fully scientific based, advice.

- Ran faster than Alan

People here don’t seem to understand (because they aren’t educated) that weight training for aerobic distance runners is not the same training for sprinters, a long jumper, a javelin thrower, a soccer player, etc. Or weight training for middle age adults is entirely different for someone between 15-25 years of age for aerobic distance training is ENTIRELY different.

You need to prioritize engaging specific muscle groups at different intensities in relation to what your competition goals are. And that changes in relation to periodization throughout the year, heck for Olympic level athletes their macrocycle is four years.

Going off of basic general stuff you see on the internet or from some older guys on a forum who aren’t successful high level, highly educated coaches with a high success rate of injury prevention in their program is, not a good way to go. Or if it’s not from a successful strength coach who has worked hands on with high level aerobic athletes.

Now, if you want GENERAL strength training advice from people who lift to stay in shape and to gain health benefits, go for it. But for PERFORMANCE and TRAINING specific benefits, I would not advise it. You will not receive the PROPER guidance.

Says who? Research shows thats strength training, explosive training, and plyometrics improve running economy by improving the contractile properties of the muscle.

Alan

Here's one. You want more?

Alan

Hobby runner here that also needs strenght for other sports, I just lift 10 min after my daily workout.

Day A:

Pick 2 to 3 of these:

- Hill sprints 8x10 sec

- Strides 6-8 x150m

- Single leg Jump 3x8 & Jump Squats 3x8

- Bulgarian Split Squat 3x8 & Hamstring curls on swiss ball 3x8

Day B:

3 Rounds of

- Pull ups

- Band Pull aparts or Face pulls

- Push up or Dips

- Hanging Leg lifts or Standing Abs wheel

Once you can do more then 8 Reps wear a Weight Vest or go uneven/1 arm.

For running I think the best are the weighted Bulgarian Split squats, single Leg hamstring curls and heavy abs.

3x 10 Reps standing ab wheel is more effektive then 100 sit ups.

Planks, clamsshells and all that stuff I did not find produktive.

3x8 or 10x8 sec of the basics is best and all one needs if you just need to be strong:

Pull ups

Rear deltoids

Dips / Push ups

Single leg squat variation

Post chain (hamstring/hip)

Jump forward

Jump high

Run uphill/upstairs

Run forward

Heavy abs (forward, side, rotation)

Ankle, Grip and or Neck work depending on sport....

If you need more car pushes/ sled dragging/ chopping wood/ lifting and carrying stones

+1 to Alan. Pretty much any high level athletic strength coach will prioritize strength and power output over muscular endurance. The endurance part is your running coach's job.

That said, assuming you're covering the strength/power aspect, I do believe there is room for some anaerobic/muscular endurance and hypertrophic training in the weightroom. We all know about Seb Coe's circuit training. Lydiard had his athletes skip and bound up a steep hill, that'll get your legs burning. Doing a few weeks of hypertrophy could help you meet your goals if you're prioritizing power output in the long run and gaining a pound or two is of no concern.