Claire Mc Hugh, 2024
Maximise Your Running Performance:
Essential Strength Training Tips for Injury Prevention
As established in our previous blog post ‘Running Injuries,’ appropriate and consistent strength training in runners prevents running injuries! It prevents injuries by strengthening connective tissues, muscles and bones. It can improve neuromuscular coordination, resulting in improved pace during running and encourages stride efficiency and coordination, so that you can run more effectively.
Running is a dynamic single leg sport and requires explosive power as well as muscle endurance. Therefore, a running program should include single leg exercises, plyos and heavy double leg exercises.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I BE COMPLETING STRENGTH TRAINING?
This is individual and having the appropriate rest between strengthening and running sessions is important. This will also differ based on goals, level of running and also the time you have available. A strengthening program has to work for the individual or else they won’t complete it.
However, every runner should aim to have at least 2 leg strengthening days in their program. Training the same muscle groups twice a week has been shown to triple the strength gain benefits compared to once a week.
START WITH A GOOD WARM UP
This is important prior to strengthening work and running itself. The main target here is to increase your heart rate, as well as blood flow to the muscle groups you are about to train.
KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
The quads, glutes and calves are three areas which need to be focused on when running. During a run the quads are loaded 2.7 x body weight, glutes 4 x body weight and the calf 6.6 x body weight. Taking these numbers into consideration, every runner should be strengthening these areas regardless of experience or level.
Initially in clinic we would focus on the testing of there areas, specifically their ability to be loaded unilaterally (single leg). Using your test results a strength program will be constructed to include large compound movements* AND single leg exercises (don’t forget the single leg exercises!).
Our favourite large compound movements for runners include the backsquat, hip thrust and deadlift.
In our eyes, a strength program for runners in a no brainer. It not only improved performance, but it PREVENTS injury, and we all know that it is better to ‘prepare and prevent, not repair and repent.’