Strength exercises for runners help you run faster, more efficiently and avoid injuries. Convincing runners to incorporate more strength training in a busy (and exhausting!) schedule is sometimes a hard sell, but please bear with us.
Lifting weights can make you a better runner in a few different ways. You’ll run more efficiently, making faster times feel easier. You’ll run strong, making powering up a hill or kicking up your speed at the end of a race feel smoother. And you just might lower your risk of that muscle weakness (like in the glutes) leading to pain (like in the knee).
Your strength training routine should include core stability moves, unilateral (or one-sided) exercises and exercises that work the back of the body, which will help you to maintain good running posture. This is where that efficiency will come in, enabling you to run faster with the same amount of energy. Some of the exercises need no equipment, just your body and body-weight. Some exercises may use a yoga mat say or home gym gear strength equipment like dumbbells or kettlebells.
1. Plank – Reps: 3-5
- Start on all fours. Lower onto forearms with shoulders directly over elbows.
- Step feet back to straighten legs and form a plank position.
- Draw shoulders down and back—not hunched. Engage abdominal muscles tight to keep hips in line with shoulders so body forms a long, straight line.
- Squeeze legs and glutes for support.
- Hold this position for 45-60 seconds. Gradually add time as your core gets stronger.
- Rest and repeat for 3-5 reps.
2. Core twist – Reps: 10-12
- Start seated with knees bent 90 degrees, heels on floor, and hands clasped in front of chest.
- Engage abs and rotate upper body to the right as if you’re reaching right elbow to floor. Keep back tall and rotate from torso.
- Return to center.
- Then repeat on left side. That’s 1 repetition.
- Do 10-12 reps.
3. Squat to overhead press – Reps: 10-12
This works the following: glutes, quads, hamstrings, lower back, upper back, shoulders.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells with both hands racked at shoulders.
- Send hips back and down to lower into a squat until thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Drive through feet to stand back up, and as you do, press the dumbbells overhead, biceps by ears.
- Lower weights back to shoulders.
- Repeat. Do 10-12 reps.
4. Rotational shoulder press – Reps: 6-8
This works the following: shoulders, triceps, core.
- Stand holding a pair of dumbbells racked at shoulders, with palms facing each other.
- Press right dumbbell overhead as you rotate from hips to the left.
- Lower the dumbbell as you rotate back to center.
- Then press left dumbbell overhead as you rotate to the right. That’s 1 repetition.
- Continue alternating for 6-8 reps.
5. Alternating row – Reps: 10-12 per side
This works the following: middle back, biceps, core.
- Start standing with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- With a microbend in the knees, hinge at hips and lower the torso until it’s nearly parallel to the floor.
- Keep arms straight while bending at hips so the dumbbells hang straight down. This is the starting position.
- Bend left elbow to pull the left dumbbell to left hip.
- Lower arm back to starting position.
- Repeat on right side. That’s 1 repetition.
- Continue alternating for 10-12 reps.
Strength exercises for runners don’t need a lot of extra equipment or time but will pay off in faster times and less injuries.
The 10 best strength exercises that every runner should be doing for more speed and fewer injuries
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