The Importance of Strength Training as a Runner

Running is a very high-impact sport. But what does that mean exactly?

When we run, we land with 1.5-3x our body weight with every single step. To manage that force, we need both durability in our musculoskeletal system and neuromuscular control. Our bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles need to be durable and resilient enough to absorb all that force without getting hurt. Our brain-to-muscle connection also needs to be up to par so that we can distribute and propel that force in an appropriate manner, both efficiently and safely. 

While running makes you better at, well, running, it doesn’t necessarily do much in either the strength gains and coordination departments quite like consistent specific strength training will. Strength training, when dosed appropriately, will:

-improve your muscular strength and bone density, which leads to: 

-improved overall tissue durability, aka the ability to withstand larger forces for a longer period of time, which leads to:

-improved running economy, aka the ability to use less overall energy at a given pace

Who doesn’t want faster running to feel easier? Who wouldn’t want to negative split their marathon or beat their decade-old 5k PR or run multiple half marathons in a year? While the primary thing impacting those results would be highly specific run training, it’s not a stretch to say that strength training would also contribute immensely.

It’s important to note, however, that while there are many benefits to your running with consistent strength training, there are many things that strength training won’t have an impact on. We know from high quality research that strength training will NOT:

• -fix your gait pattern

• -directly prevent injuries

• -directly make you faster

If you have a firm understanding of how strength training can benefit you and clear expectations about which areas of your running it will impact, then that’ll hopefully make it much more easy to stick with a consistent routine. 

If you want further guidance on how to properly periodize your strength training, progress it through a racing season, or just simply don’t know where to start, check out our many different strength training plans HERE.