QT: All Things Strength Training for Runners (Best Of-ish)

Diz Runs Radio · 1296 QT: All Things Strength Training for Runners (Best Of-ish)

This post was originally part of Episodes 703, 718, and 736 released in 2019 and is more or less copy and pasted from that post. The audio, however, is a new take on the topic.

Most runners (hopefully!) know that strength training is something that they should be doing.

Increased strength and muscular endurance are going to help you not only on race day, but they are also likely to help reduce your risk of developing a running-related injury.

It has come to my attention recently that there is a disconnect between knowing that strength training is a good thing and knowing what to do when it comes to getting stronger.

Over the next few months, I’m going to do several of these FAQ-style quick tip episodes dedicated to strength training.

Have a question or something you’d like me to clarify for you? Let me know!

And if you have a quick tip suggestion, leave it in this post from the FB group.

Logistics/Scheduling FAQs

For this first round of strength training FAQs, I’m going to focus on logistics/scheduling.

How much time do I need to devote to strength training?

Probably not as much time as you think.

One of the biggest reasons that runners resist adding strength training to their routine is a lack of time.

I get it. We are all busy. And very few of us have time to hit the gym for 45-60 minutes 4-5 times per week on top of our running and everything else we have going on.

Good thing you don’t need to dedicate that much time to your strength training, eh?

Honestly, if you can get 2-3 days per week for 10-20 minutes you’re good to do. And you don’t even need to hit the gym.

Would more be better?

Maybe.

But let’s not try to go from zero to hero, eh?

A couple of times per week is absolutely enough to make a difference for you and your running.

When should I do my strength training? Before my run or after? On days I don’t run?

I’m a fan of doing my strength training after my run.

You can do it before, but only if you’re going to run nice and easy.

Trying to do a high-intensity workout after doing some strength training means you aren’t going to get as much out of your speed/tempo work.

But won’t doing strength training after I run mean I’m lifting with tired legs?

Yes. But, if I may be so bold, so what?

Your goal is to be a better runner and not a bodybuilder, right?

Assuming that is the case, who cares if your legs are a bit tired going into your strength training session?

So you might not get quite as much from your strength training, but that’s fine. You’ll get more than enough to supplement your running, and that is the goal.

What about strength training on non-running days?

It depends.

How many days are you running per week?

If you’re running 2-3 days per week, you can probably do your strength training on your non-running days and be fine.

But if you’re running 5+ days per week, it’s better to keep those off days as recovery days.

Should I do whole body workouts? Just legs? One body part one day, another the next?

There is no reason to focus a strength training session on one specific body part.

At least, not for us as runners.

Whole body workouts are great. Mixing up an upper body day and a lower body day is great. A core focused day, assuming it’s the whole core and not just the abs, is great.

As long as you’re hitting all the major muscle groups in your body on a regular basis, you’re going to be ok.

Common Strength Training Myths

If you didn’t enjoy watching some Mythbusters on occasion, I don’t know what to tell you.

That show was fricking awesome! And not just because they pretty much blew something up every episode.

Some of the myths they tackled on that show were pretty obviously false. But every so often, they’d tackle a myth that was widely accepted as truth and prove it to be completely false.

And that’s what I’m doing today.

Myth: Too much strength training is going to lead to additional muscle mass/weight gain.

If you don’t read any more of this post, please at least read the following statement:

You will NOT gain mass/weight from strength training by accident.

Strength training is obviously a requirement to adding additional muscle tissue, but you know what else is required? Calories.

Lots of calories.

If you don’t dramatically increase your calorie intake, your body isn’t going to be able to build a bunch of new muscle tissue.

Could you burn a bit of stored body fat to provide the fuel needed to add some muscle?

But turning excess fat into muscle is hardly a bad thing.

And, perhaps more importantly, turning fat into muscle doesn’t result in you adding any weight to your frame.

Myth: Low weights/high reps is the best method of strength training for runners.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with lightweight or body weight exercises.

However, there is plenty of value for us as runners to lifting heavier weights as well.

What strength training does, in a relatively simplistic way, is rewire your brain.

The first change your body makes when you begin strength training is neuromuscular.

Meaning, your brain recruits additional muscle fibers to do the job.

So, the more resistance you use the more muscle fibers your brain recruits.

The more consistently you are strength training, the more ingrained these neuromuscular connections become.

What does this mean to you as a runner?

Say you’re doing some heavy squats, lunges, and other exercises that help your glutes to fire more strongly.

Now when you’re running, the connection between your brain and your ass is strong.

This helps keep your glutes engaged for your entire run, which helps you maintain good form and able to keep powering forward toward the finish line.

So, back to the myth.

Which is better at creating increased neuromuscular activation? Light weights or heavy weights?

Heavy.

Does that mean lighter weights and higher reps is useless?

Not at all.

Both styles of lifting are beneficial. Both are definitely better than none.

And, in a perfect world, you’d do a bit of both on a regular basis.

Myth: Strength training workouts need to be 30+ minutes in order to be beneficial.

So many people say they are too busy to add strength training to the routine.

I’m assuming the reason for using “busy” as an excuse is the idea that you need to spend X amount of time strength training in order to get any value from it.

Yall…

If you are getting after it, 10 minutes will kick your ass!

Don’t have 10 minutes?

That’s cool too.

Do a set of squats. Or pushups. Or pull-ups.

Drop down and do a 30-second plank.

The point is, you can get a benefit from doing your strength training in chunks that are, literally, less than a minute in duration.

The key? Doing those little chunks regularly.

If you do one minute of strength training a week, that probably isn’t going to move the needle very much.

But 10-15 chunks a day, every day?

That’s a substantial bit of strength training right there!

And I don’t care who you are or how busy you might be, you have way more than 10 one-minute blocks available to you every day.

Don’t Overthink It

This may be the most important tip I can give you.

You have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to strength training.

So don’t worry (too much) about doing everything perfectly.

Some is always better than none.

So just get started!

No gym membership? No weights/equipment? Not a problem!

I have a handful of strength training routines in the archives, so start there!

Or dial up YouTube and search for strength training for runners and you’ll have hours of options at your disposal.

Stop thinking. Start doing.

Today.

Strength training myth busting and FAQs for runners! #runchat Share on X

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