The 15 Best Strength Training Exercises for Runners
Beginners will improve their stride with these moves.
Whether you’re training for a marathon or just beginning your running practice, strength training is one important, if not the most important, component to improving and excelling at the sport. "Running is a not a lateral movement, and while it uses many muscle groups, it takes a mind body connection to engage your muscles in the correct way while on a run," said Gia Alvarez, a professional marathoner and founder of Juma Fit, a treadmill studio based in Tenafly, NJ. "Strength training on all planes will help you connect to your muscles and strengthen those that are weak. I get runners all the time complaining that their knees hurt, or their lower back. Strength training the correct muscle groups can help your form during a run to prevent such aches and pains."
As a bonus, there are plenty of strength building exercises that can be done with little to no equipment. Planks, bridges and squats are known to build overall stability. Adding in weights, kettlebells or resistance bands to your cardio-heavy workout has also proven to reduce joint pain and chances of injury. You’re sure to notice improved stamina and endurance, too.
While some might worry that weights would add too much muscle bulk that could interfere with your stride, training for gains is much harder than you might think. Unless you’re doing some heavy lifting and consuming a large number of calories, you’re likely not going to be the next big heavyweight. You don’t even have to reach for the heaviest barbells to see and feel results.
Start small by adding in lighter lifting, two to three times per week in order to see a clear difference in performance. "You don’t have to spend an hour strength training. Ten minutes can go a really long way," Alvarez adds.
Fitness experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Wellness Lab teamed up with Alvarez to bring you the most effect strength training exercises for runners. One thing, after completing this workout, don't forget to stretch! "As much as we talk about strength training, it's important to add that you should stretch out the muscles that you use after both strength training and running. I like to spend 15 mins or so stretching before I go to bed. A lot of recovery is done while you sleep, so going to bed with happy muscles is very beneficial," notes Alvarez.
15-minute Strength Training Workout Routine
- Pick six of the exercises from the list below.
- Do each exercise for 30 seconds (don’t forget to do each side if applicable). Rest 15 seconds between. You want to bring that heart rate down a little, but not too far.
- Repeat this circuit three times.
Rows
Rows are a great way to strengthen the upper back muscles, says Alvarez. When running, you have to engage your upper back in order to be able to keep your ribs and lungs open.
How to: Grab a mat and position yourself on your hands and knees, keeping a neutral spine, hold light to medium weights in both hands. Draw one arm up at a time, squeezing your should blade in, lower slowly and repeat. After doing reps on one side, switch to the other arm.
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Lat Pull Down While Standing
Upper back and abs come together for this exercise. Be sure to pull the abs in intensely, as though someone is going to poke you in the belly.
How to: Holding medium to light weights, engage your abs and straighten your arms overhead, palms facing out. Pull both weights down to your shoulders while pulling your shoulder blades together, then release them back up slowly.
Stability Ball Extensions
This move will help to keep your core strong while strengthening your lower back. According to Alvarez, these extensions are a total back movement, your core is more than just your abs.
How to: Lie face down on a stability ball, the ball should be under your stomach and hips, with toes anchored to the ground. Place hands behind your head and slowly raise your upper body a few inches, engaging your upper back and drawing your shoulder blades together like an upward facing dog yoga pose.
Lateral Band Walks with Arm Drive
This compound movement strengthens your hips, glutes and your shoulders. Alvarez likes this movement because it's also a great exercise for improving stability in the hips and knees by using the resistance band for the the side-to-side movements.
How to: Take a resistance band and place it around both legs, on your lower-mid thigh, above the knee. Stand shoulder width apart and place light weights in both hands. Get into a squat position, pushing knees out to a 45-degree angle and walk sideways, keeping the tension on the band throughout. Arms swing back and forth as though you are running while you step.
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Glute Bridges
Our core and glutes are where you get your power when running, strengthening these two parts of your body will help you become a faster and more stable runner. Glute bridges allow you to activate your gluteal muscles and your core at the same time.
How to: Lie on your back with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Keep your arms by your side, palms pressing into the floor. Lift your hips up to the ceiling while squeezing your glutes and engaging your lower abs. Hold for a few seconds, slowly lower your body and repeat.
Kettlebell Swings
A kettlebell swing is about total body control, says Alvarez, as much as we use the arms for the swing, it really focuses on the lower body. Your glutes, lower abs, quads and hamstring are all engaged to control the movement of the kettlebell, making this a full-body exercise. Be sure to squeeze your glutes at the top of the swing.
How to: Stand with your feet hip distance apart with a slight bend in your knees, toes facing forward. Place a medium weight kettle bell (if you do not have a kettle bell, you can use one medium to heavy weight) between your legs. Squat down to grip the kettle bell in both hands (bending your knees to lower your body). Thrust the hips forward and swing the kettlebell to chest height. Control the swing back down to the floor.
Side Lunge with Overhead Press
Side Lunges focus on your lower body and also use the inner thigh muscle. This exercise helps improve stability and balance by working your body in a side to side motion. Add in the overhead press and you're now working both your shoulders and your core.
How to: Start by placing your feet shoulder width apart, pointing toes forward and light to medium weights in both hands. Lunge, one foot at a time, sideways, bending the knee that steps into a side lunge. Keep your hips back while you are bending, almost as if you were sitting in a chair. Release the position by pushing off the foot that is in the lunge, back to a standing position Once standing, bring the feet together and simultaneously curl to press the weights overhead into a shoulder press. Lower weights and repeat on the opposite side.
Jump Squats
Propelling yourself from a squat up into the air is very similar to propelling yourself into a sprint. "It is a total body motion and it increases your heart rate," says Alvarez. Don’t be afraid to get some serious height with these jump squats but control the landing just as you would control coming to a stop.
How to: Start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Get into a squat position and transfer your weight to the balls of your feet. Using your hands to propel you off the ground, drive through the balls of your feet into a jump reaching your hands overhead. Land softly back to a squat position.
Reverse Crunch
The reverse crunch exercise works your rectus abdominis, a.k.a. the "six-pack" muscles, including your lower abdominals. It not only helps to create definition but also helps with stability. Strong lower abs support the lower back.
How to: Use a mat for this exercise to protect your back. Start by lying on your back with your legs together and extended to the ceiling, feet flexed. Keep your arms by your side, palms pressed into the ground. Engage your lower abs by drawing your belly button into your spine. Lift your hips 1-2 inches off the ground bringing your feet straight up to the ceiling, not towards your face. Hold the position for a breath and then lower to starting position and repeat.
Dead Bug Toe Touch
This is one of Alvarez's all time favorite ab exercise because all abdominal muscles are firing during a dead bug. The slower the better with this one, it’s all about core centric control.
How to: Lie on your back on a mat to protect your back and neck. Lift your legs at a 90 degree angle with knees directly over hips and arms extended to the ceiling. Slowly lower one arm behind your head while simultaneously lowering opposite leg to the floor. Press your lower back into the mat and draw both back to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.
Shoulder Taps from Plank
Upper body and core come together for a shoulder tap plank. This position works core, glutes, arms and shoulders. The key is be engaged at all times and to eliminate rocking side to side motion.
How to: On a mat, start in a full plank position, hands should be directly under your shoulders and feet hip width distance apart. Lift one hand at a time and tap it on the opposite shoulder. Then repeat on the opposite side.
Kneeling Shoulder Press
We’re focusing on the upper body for this kneeling shoulder press, says Alvarez, your shoulders are the key to a good, strong arm drive on the run.
How to: Starting from a kneeling position, engage your abs and glutes to stabilize you body. Hold medium weights in both hands with palms facing out and bring the weights to your shoulders.
Slowly press the weights overhead using your shoulder muscles, lower and repeat.
Single Leg Deadlift into Press
Balance is highlighted during a single leg deadlift. In order to balance you have to engage those abs and glutes! Add in the curl to overhead press and you are firing all the muscles – even your mind, according to Alvarez.
How to: Start in a standing position, with toes facing forward and light to medium weights in both hands. Shift all your weight to one leg and like a pendulum, simultaneously lift the opposite leg behind you and lower the upper body towards the floor, making a T with your body. As you stand curl both weights to your shoulders and press overhead. An advanced version of this is to balance on your standing leg while you press overhead.
Russian Twist
Obliques are the primary muscle used during a Russian twist, but this is a challenging, total ab burner.
How to: Sit on a mat with your knees bent and your feet planted on the ground or slightly lifted for a more challenging exercise. Hold a medium weight or weighted ball in both hands at your chest level. Lower your upper body towards the mat, until you feel your abs engage. Slowly twist your torso from side to side, without moving your legs, dropping the weight to each side of you while you twist. Complete the movement on one side before you start the other side.
Forearm Plank Hip Dips
Abs and obliques are firing during the hip dips. Make sure to keep your body in a straight line, staying engaged throughout the entire core.
How to: Start in a forearm plank position on a mat. Lower one hip down toward the mat, drawing in the lower belly and maintaining a straight line with your body. Come back to forearm plank position. Repeat on the opposite side.
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