Movement

Centr Team

Love running? Then you need strength training

Whether you’re a treadmill, trail or track runner, you need strength training. Join Luke for Centr’s 6-week Strength For Runners program.

Key muscles to target in a strength training workout for runners

Leg day is the only thing that matters for runners, right? Nope – your total body needs to work as one cohesive unit to achieve peak running performance.

Here are the muscles you should regularly target:

1. Lower body: Focus on quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves for explosive power, propulsion and stability.
2. Core: Strong core muscles are crucial for maintaining running posture, full-body stability and reducing fatigue.
3. Upper body: While often overlooked by runners, your back and arm strength in particular contributes to efficient running form and forward drive. Don’t neglect your chest or shoulders, either!

Essential strength exercises for runners

Any strength training you can do will benefit your running overall. But our expert trainers have chosen every exercise in the 6-week Strength For Runners program for a reason: because specific exercises can improve specific aspects of your performance.

For instance, have you ever heard of the soleus muscle? It forms part of your calf and carries most of the load when you’re running. And the best way to work it is with bent knee or seated calf raises.

These are the types of exercises you should focus on for running performance.

1. Unilateral exercises: Exercises such as single-leg Romanian deadlifts or alternating reverse lunges can help to address muscle imbalances, while also improving your balance.
2. Bodyweight core: Exercises like planks, scissor kicks and Russian twists target your core for increased stability and control. They also help to build the mind-muscle connection between your core and other parts of the body, like your hips and legs.
3. Weight work: Dumbbell exercises such as suitcase squats and presses don’t just build strength, they increase muscle endurance – helping you to go the distance.
4. Mobility work and stretching: From VMO dips to downward dog and shoulder circles, mobility work is essential to release muscle tightness, support larger muscle groups, maximize flexibility and reduce injury risk.

How to structure a strength training program for runners

To create a strength training program that benefits your running, we recommend:

• Work out 3 times a week, alternating strength training days with your running days.
• Warm up before every strength workout – we recommend using movement prep that will prepare your body for both working out and running.
• Keep strength workouts efficient and effective – 30 to 40 minutes is plenty.
• Aim to do 3 sets in a strength round, with 8 to 15 reps of each exercise.
• Use medium to heavy weights for big compound exercises to build strength, and light to medium weights for higher reps to build endurance.
• Follow the progressive overload principle, increasing weight as you get stronger to continue challenging your muscles.

You may need to adjust your strength training frequency or routine based on your running goals, for instance if you are preparing for a marathon you may taper off strength training as you get closer to race day.

Want more guidance? Check out our Strength For Runners program here.

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How to avoid common strength training mistakes

Attention all runners! Keep those miles ticking over by avoiding these common mistakes many runners make when strength training.

Overtraining: Don’t try to cram all your run training and strength work into one day. With the Strength For Runners program, we recommend alternating strength workout days with running days, as in the weekly plan below.

Neglecting your upper body: An unbalanced body is more prone to injury, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle. Your upper body is a lot more crucial to running performance than you might think. For instance, strong shoulders help hold your posture upright, strong biceps drive you forward by putting more power into each stride, and strong lats are crucial for good running form.

Poor form: We know running is what you really want to be doing, but don’t rush your strength workouts in order to get back to the track. Focus on good technique and steady tempo to maximize the benefits of your strength training and reduce injury risk.