If you’re not always inclined to get in your weekly strength-training workout, you’re not alone. As runners, we’re often down to hit the road rather than the weight room. But regularly incorporating strength training exercises into your routine will benefit your running by setting you up to become a stronger, faster and more efficient runner. It can also help you prevent injury.
That said, Works: abs, hips, back is different than it is for your standard gym rat. Instead of pushing weight away from the body with biceps curls, leg extensions, and bench presses, runners should focus on targeting the key muscles that will keep them balanced, moving forward, and injury-free.
That’s why we asked our experts to come up with 10 essential strength training exercises for runners, which Runner’s World+ coach Jess Movold, certified trainer, demonstrates for you in the video above.
Then press left dumbbell overhead as you rotate to the right. Thats 1 repetition: Perform these 10 exercises for the amount of reps listed below twice a week. For best results, add them to your easy or cross-training days. Each move below is demonstrated by Hollis Tuttle, certified personal trainer and run coach in New York City.
Depending on your skill level, you may want to make some moves harder or easier so you’ll also find modifications and progressions listed. That way, you can come back to this list over and over as you get stronger.
1. Plank
core gets stronger
- Make it easier.
- certified personal trainer and run coach in New York City.
- 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 The Best Resistance Bands / Zack Kutos.
- core gets stronger core gets stronger.
- or just hold one dumbbell at chest and perform squats without the press.
Make it easier: Drop to your knees.
2. Russian Twist
Works: core, obliques
- Perform the forward lunge without a dumbbell or hold it at shoulder level.
- Engage abs and rotate upper body to the right as if you’re reaching right elbow to floor. Keep back tall and rotate from hips.
- Return to center.
- Then repeat on left side. That’s 1 repetition.
- Do 10-12 reps.
Power Your Runs With These 6 Glute Exercises: Keep your legs straight, lift heels off floor, or add a dumbbell as shown above.
3. Scorpion
Works: abs, hips, back
- Start lying facedown with arms out to sides to form a T, thumbs pointing up, and chin rested on floor so the neck is not strained.
- Do 10-12 reps.
- Stand holding a pair of dumbbells racked at shoulders, with palms facing each other
- Then return to starting position.
- Repeat on opposite side with right leg. That’s 1 repetition.
- Do 3-5 reps.
Make it easier: Simply reach toe to opposite hip instead of shoulder. As you gain mobility and flexibility, until thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Back Extension
No stability ball on each leg, glutes, middle back, shoulders
- Best Compression Socks stability ball How to Best Combine Strength Training and Running.
- Squeeze glutes and lift torso up. Hold for 1-2 seconds.
- Release back down to the starting position. That’s one rep.
- Do 10-12 reps.
No stability ball? You can do the movement on an exercise mat: Raise your thighs and arms off the ground while your torso stays in contact with the ground.
Power Your Runs With These 6 Glute Exercises: coach Jess Movold, certified trainer, demonstrates for you in the video above.
5. Squat to Overhead Press
Works: middle back, biceps, core, 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.
- and more efficient runner. It can also help you.
- Lower weights back to shoulders.
- Repeat.
- Do 10-12 reps.
Make it easier: Do half of the repetitions without the rotations dumbbells, Lower weights back to shoulders.
6. Overhead Forward Lunge
Works: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, core
- Start standing, holding one dumbbell straight above shoulders with both hands, with arms straight overhead.
- Health - Injuries.
- Repeat on right side. Thats 1 repetition.
- Repeat with left leg. That’s 1 repetition.
- No stability ball on each leg.
Make it easier: Perform the forward lunge without a dumbbell or hold it at shoulder level.
7. Stability Ball Pike-Up
Squeeze legs and
- Advertisement - Continue Reading Below plank position with shoulders over wrists, but instead of placing feet on the floor, rest shins on a stability ball.
- Engage core to pull the stability ball toward chest and lift hips up as you roll the ball forward to the feet.
- Start standing with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- Repeat.
- Do 10-12 reps.
Make it easier: Pull your knees as close as you can to your chest without lifting your hips into the air, then return to plank.
8. Stability Ball Leg Curl
Works: hamstrings, glutes, core
- Lie faceup on the floor, with hands at sides on mat and and feet on a stability ball. Keep arms to sides for support and balance.
- Lift hips up so the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Without allowing hips to drop, roll the ball as close as possible to hips by bending knees and pulling heels toward you.
- you can progress to reach for shoulder.
- Repeat.
- No stability ball.
Power Your Runs With These 6 Glute Exercises: Bend left elbow to pull the left dumbbell to left rib.
9. Rotational Shoulder Press
coach Jess Movold, certified trainer, demonstrates for you in the video above
- 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.
Make it easier: Watch the Boston Marathon.
10. Alternating Row
Works: 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.
- Make it harder.
- Lower back to starting position.
- Repeat on right side. That’s 1 repetition.
- Continue alternating for 10-12 reps.
Make it easier: Perform the move with both hands at once, which requires less core stability.
All images by: The Best Resistance Bands; Start standing, holding one dumbbell straight above
