Do Runners need to Strength Train?

I agree rest is crucial. But, along with rest all the fastest runners have some form of strength in their weekly routines.

i've been thinking about this A LOT lately. specifically, what exactly IS that level of strength that is "good enough" for you to perform optimally off a program of just running (and maybe a few ancillary exercises that can be done outside of the gym) and no formal lifting program. last spring i ran 800, mile, and 5K PRs off a program of 65-70mpw and 3-4 hard lifiting seesions a week centered around squats, deadlifts, and rack cleans. over the summer/fall i cut out the formal lifting, consistently ran 75-90mpw, and ran 10K and HM times that were "better" performances (based on mcmillian calculator, iaaf tables, etc.) than anything i ran in the spring. i've decided to get back in the gym for track season, thinking i "need" the lifting to run fast 800-5K. yesterday i went into the gym for the first time in 6+ months and did squats/deadlifts, 5 sets of 3-5 reps. took it easy but 3x185 was pretty comfortable for my final set (when i was lifting HARD & consistently last spring i'd finish i the 215-225 range). FYI i am 5"10 140. does being untrained but being able to move this amount of weight after no training for 6+ months mean i am i "strong enough" without formal lifting? am i wasting my time lifting? should i just keep the focus on what is working, or do i need some more strength/explosiveness for the faster stuff on the track?

sparky polastry wrote:

It depends on how strong you are already. To run at a competitive level, you don't need to be a power lifter, but you do need a threshold level of strength. Some runners have it naturally and can just run, while others will need to work at it to stay healthy and continue to improve.

Precious, Precious ...

You aren't E. African and neither are 99.99% of Letsrun readers and posters. You are all genetically and likely pharmaceutically challenged relatively speaking and need to do everything possible in order to make up the difference.

To me this would show that the strength training paid off. It's all a part of the base to run fast and hard!

Just came upon this. Some good stuff going on here arguing for both sides. But, I have to take the side of it can't hurt to be stronger!

I do hips/glutes for injury prevention and some upper body and abs. But I think lifting almost invariably adds weight, which is a problem. I think the new plyo/lifting paradigm is not grounded in anything but anecdotes. People must have a lot of excess energy.

runner who professes wrote:

But I think lifting almost invariably adds weight, which is a problem.

I thought that a number of coaches including Salazar said that male runnners typically don't gain weight with a proper lifting program. I though he said some females do, but he think it may help them. I remember Steve Magness also said something about how it it is difficult for most distance runners to put on mass because of a protein deficit and if the timing of strength workout is done properly, distance running inhibits the mTor pathway needed for hypertrophy. Plus I always heard high weight low rep build more neural adaptions that hypertrophy gains.

i definitely wasn't able to put on weight as a 800/1500/5K runner hitting 60-75mpw with 3-4 intense lifting sessions & 1-2 plyometric/explosive exercise sessions per week...i had to put down 3500 calories just to maintain weight/strength on that program. no way i could stuff my face enough to actually gain weight. i do agree on the potential excess energy expenditure problem though. i would get too caught up in how much weight i would put up during lifting sessions, or how high i was jumping in my accessory exercises (max single leg jumps touching the bball rim was part of my program), etc. instead of worrying about being fresh for running workouts. definitely going to scale back the lifting a tad this spring & summer, want to use it as means to help me run faster and NOT a means to an end (squatting more or whatever) in itself. was is Jumbo Elliot who emphasized KISS (keep it simple stupid)? i think that's sage advice when designing a lifting program.

runner who professes wrote:

I do hips/glutes for injury prevention and some upper body and abs. But I think lifting almost invariably adds weight, which is a problem. I think the new plyo/lifting paradigm is not grounded in anything but anecdotes. People must have a lot of excess energy.

Bullet the Blue Sky wrote:

This is starting to feel like a very spammy conversation on the part of the strongerrunner "advocates". Just sayin'.

This. The give away is that he should have at least provided links to other websites so it's not so obvious.

Lydiard and I always disagreed here. Lydiard argued that weight-training would make you slower by increasing muscle mass.

But weight-training does not increase weight unless you eat more than you burn off.

Caveat: I have never met or had a discussion with Arthur Lydiard but I did read about him in Runners' World once.

I am not seeing many advocates of the strongerrunner. Seems pretty well rounded with a lot of decent suggestions on whether strength training goes well with running or not. Personally, I think it depends on the runner, some take the strength training well, others no. If you like to strength train, Do It!