Essential strength training exercises for runners

If you want to avoid injuries and at the same time improve your strength and speed, try to make this exercises your training routine.

All runners know, that just the running is not enough. If you want to improve yourself and become better and more efficient runner, you must start doing also non-running exercises. So add this essential strength training exercises to your daily routine, and you will become faster, stronger, and even more complete runner.

Single-Leg Squats

For the beginning, you must stand near any vertical objects, that will allow you to keep you balanced if you will lose it (like the door frame or a pole). Put one of your feets on the other's leg knee. 

Balancing on your foot, bend your knee and sit your hips back the same as if you were going to sit in the chair to about 90 to 115-degree angle in your knee. Remember to remain your squatting leg remaining flat on the floor.

After that, come back up to standing. If this is too challenging for you, do not put your feet on your knee, but hover it in front of you and allow your toes to lightly rest on the ground. Repeat this eight to twelve time for every leg in series. This exercise will help you to build your pelvis and improve your balance.

Keep your squats low and your standards high.

Single-Leg Deadlifts

To do single-leg deadlifts, stand on one leg (same side that you hold your barbell, kettlebell or other weight). Slightly bent your one knee, hinge forward at the waist and lift the opposite leg behind you for balance. Continue lowering your weight and keep them close to the tops of your legs until you are parallel to the ground. 

While returning to the upright position, try to engage your hamstring and glute of the leg. This should be also repeated from eight to twelve repetitions for every leg in one series (so 16 - 24 repeats). This exercise will help you to build the glute muscles, which you are using while running.

Core Work

This is very important, to stretch your core (not just abs, back muscles too) because these muscles are vital, and the running sometimes it's not enough.

If you want to stretch your core, there are a lot of different exercises. You can do the bicycle, reverse crunch, planks, crunches and much more. Just remember to do this training daily, and this will be very effective and you will notice the difference very soon.

Bodyweight Squats

To do bodyweight squats, you must stand with your feet hip-distance apart with your toes facing forward. Keep your back straight, with your neutral spine, and your chest and shoulders up. Try to look straight ahead.

After that, try to sit back, just like you are sitting in a chair. Allow your knees to drift beyond your toes. As you make a squat, focus on keeping your knees in line with your feet. 

After that, come back up to standing. Make eight to twelve repetitions in one series. If this will become easy for you, you can add some weight.

Conclusion

If you want to avoid injuries, you should take care of the strength of your muscles. I hope this essential strength training exercises for runners will help you with that. Good luck with your training!

My name is Wojtek and I am very happy that you came to my healthy lifestyle blog. In human life, health is probably the most important factor needed for happiness, so I thought I will make a contribution to this and try to promote healthy eating and sport.

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