This is why strength training is so important for runners

We tell you why strength training is so important for runners and what you have to pay attention to.

You love to jog? Sweat out your stress while running? Then you should definitely not forget about strength training for runners!

It is well known that strength training is not very popular among many runners. However, it makes perfect sense to integrate it regularly into the training plan.

Strength training for runners lets you get to the finish line faster, better and injury free!

Why strength training is important for runners

When you run, very large forces act on your joints - especially on your ankles, knees and hips.

Your muscles help you absorb these forces, preventing injury and pain.

Wow! With this training plan you run in 4 weeks already 5 km without a break!

If you do strength exercises as a runner, you will not only run better but you will soon run faster.

Strength exercises strengthen your entire body. You can use them to prevent injuries.

Many runners suffer from torn ligaments, stretched ligaments, heel spurs and various tendonitis.

You can counteract these very unpleasant side effects with targeted exercises.

Do you know the secret to never getting running injuries again?

Strength training for runners - the best exercises

Strength exercises for runners can be done with or without weight. We are big bodyweight fans and have therefore collected the best muscle building exercises.

This way you can get into runner training even as a beginner. As an advanced runner, you simply do more repetitions.

Beginners do each exercise 30 seconds and to 3 sets.

Advanced do each exercise 50 seconds to 3 sets.

With the strength exercises you train

• Hull
• Legs and buttocks
• Body tension

Lateral planks for more torso stability

 

• Lie sideways on the exercise mat.
• Lift your body off the mat.
• The elbow is under the shoulder.
• Make sure your body forms a line.

Forget all the other exercises! These 19 Plank variations will make you fit all around!

Planks for a strengthened torso

• Lie down on the mat. Place your elbows under your shoulders.
• Lift your body off the mat.
• Tighten the abdomen, legs and buttocks.

Attention: Do not let your back sag! You can prevent this by tightening your abdomen.

With these exercises you strengthen your torso!

Bicycle crunches for the abdominal muscles

• Lie down on the exercise mat.
• The hands are at the back of the head.
• Lift your legs off the floor.
• Now pull the right knee to the left elbow.
• Bring the leg back to the starting position.
• Now pull the left knee to the right elbow.

These are the most effective abdominal exercises 2019!

Beginner pushups as strength training for runners

 

• Place the palms under the shoulder.
• Put your legs down on your knees.
• Tighten your abdomen and buttocks.
• Lower the upper body until you almost touch the mat.
• And lift again.

Push-ups are the supreme discipline among all bodyweight exercises. Don't be desperate if you don't know any yet. You can learn them easily and with a little patience.

How to: Learn push-ups - the great guide

Squat for more strength in the legs

• Stand on the mat a little more than hip-width.
• The tips of the toes point slightly outward.
• Press the buttocks back and down.
• The knees do not come above the tips of the toes.

Normal squats are too boring for you? There is a whole range of variations of this classic exercise.

13 effective squat variations for a crisp butt

Lunges as leg strength training for runners

• You start with a lunge.
• The front knee must not come over the tips of the toes.
• Now pull the knee up with momentum.
• And then put it down again to the back.

Do the repetitions for 30 seconds per leg. Then switch to the other side first. 3 sets per leg!

So easy you come with 9 lunge exercises to toned legs and crunch butt

Strengthen hip flexors

• Lie on your back.
• Make sure you don't form a hollow back!
• Stretch both legs through.
• Now pull the right leg to the chest. The left leg remains stretched and on the floor.

After 30 seconds, change legs. 3 passes per leg.

Stretching the hips is especially important for runners. The focus should be on the hip flexor.

Better than gym! These are very good stretches for your hips

Mountain Climber as a strengthening exercise

• You start in the push-up position. Your hands are under your shoulders.
• The back is straight.
• Alternately pull the left and right leg to the chest.

Burpees as strength endurance training

• Squat down.
• Stretch your legs back until you are in the push-up position.
• Do a push-up.
• Bounce your legs to your hands so that you are back in the squat position.
• Make an explosive jump into the air.
• Stretch your arms through. Your first burpee is ready.

If you don't know how to do push-ups yet, simply lie down on the floor and straighten up from this position back into a squat position.

In a few minutes top fit thanks to High Intensity Interval Training

What is important in strength exercises for runners

First of all, ego should not play a big role in strength training. Because there will always be someone stronger than you.

If you have just started Strength training for runners you first have to get used to the new load.

So it's best to focus only on your goals and make sure each exercise is performed cleanly.

This will help you prevent overuse and various injuries (strains, overstretching or muscle fiber tears).

What really helps against sore muscles!

In addition to a clean technique, the following points are important in runner strength training:

• active and calm breathing
• stable trunk tension
• upright posture/straight back
• stable stand and
• correct design

Furthermore, you should really only concentrate on the exercises during the training. This means that for this time Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram and Co. do not play a role.

It's best to turn off your cell phone and turn it back on after your workout. Especially if you use it a lot every day and are online very often, you can do without it for these minutes.

How strength training works for runners

The best thing to do in runner strength training is to always perform new exercises to stimulate a wide variety of muscle groups.

Always make sure to give your body enough breaks.

Strength training and running on the same day is not recommended. Always alternate between endurance and strength to achieve the maximum effect.

You don't necessarily need weight for strength training for runners.

If you do feel like it and are advanced, the barbell is great equipment.

10 awesome barbell exercises for women!

It's more important to perform the exercises cleanly than to manage a lot of weight. After all, you still need strength to go running the next day.

How strength training makes you a better and faster runner

Strength training for runners will make you run faster over time.

Many athletes swing their legs outward while jogging or shuffle their leg on the ground. In both cases, the cause is a too weak Hip flexor.

If the hip flexor is weak, you can no longer lift the leg as desired. By shuffling, you compensate for the movement. Sooner or later you will get pain in your hips and knees.

Strength training for runners helps you strengthen the hip flexor. This avoids overloads as well as underloads. Both prevent you from running faster.

Through strength training for runners, you can specifically strengthen the hip flexor and hip extensor muscles and achieve incredible effects.

Another issue that can lead to injury while running is a lack of trunk stability.

The muscles in the trunk stabilize the spine. If they can't do that for some reason, you can get physical problems.

Often, this is pain in the lumbar region. To prevent it, you should regularly perform suitable strength exercises. This will protect your spine even under the high stresses of running.

More power through runner muscle building

When you build muscle as a runner, it strengthens your whole body. So that you can muster more strength when jogging and thus run better, farther and faster.

Over time you will get a better training result and you will increase more and more.

This is especially important if you have set a specific goal for yourself, such as completing 10 kilometers, a half marathon, or even a full marathon.

How to do your first triathlon!

Even if you regularly incorporate sprint elements into your sessions, you can benefit from strength training for runners.

Because through targeted exercises, you improve your explosive and fast strength, making your muscles more powerful.

Through strength training for runners, your body also experiences some different situations hormonally. It releases more testosterone and HGH-1. This helps build muscle and makes you look more athletic.

As a woman, you don't have to worry about becoming a Muscle Monster mutate. :)

For this we women have a too low testosterone level. However, it is sufficient for it to tighten and strengthen all problem areas (for example, abdomen, legs or buttocks).

Finally, you will also feel a sense of lightness through targeted strength exercises. You will find certain movements easier again and you will be able to walk better.

What you need to pay attention to during strength training

When you build muscle, you automatically burn fat. So in combination with running training you can not only strengthen your body, but also lose weight.

It is very effective to extend the jogging units with three to four small strength units.

First, you warm up for about 15 minutes and then perform the first Strengthening exercises by.

Here you should especially Arm-, Shoulder- or Trunk muscles load. After performing the strength exercises for runners for one to two minutes each, continue jogging at a brisk pace for about five minutes.

Depending on your fitness level, repeat this change a few more times. Over time, you will notice that you can do more in strength training for runners.

The only important thing is that you don't stress yourself or overload your body.

It is better to start slowly and then increase at a leisurely pace.

For example, you can start by running for five minutes per set and then increase the time slightly per month.

If you are also interested in Running competitions you should focus your training more on endurance shortly beforehand. Because during this time your body needs enough time to regenerate.

This is the only way you will be fit and rested on competition day. Afterwards, however, you can also incorporate more strength elements.

Strength training before or better after running?

Whether it's better to do strength training before or after your running session depends primarily on how much time you have.

If you are short on time, you should do the strength exercises first.

After the strength exercises, you then perform your endurance program.

Also a mix of strength and endurance well suited to build muscle.

Or you do the training for strength one day. And the next day you go running.

Our conclusion

Many runners simply don't like strength training and are at war with it. This is often because they find the unfamiliar load very strenuous.

Many are also afraid of gaining too much muscle mass. Yet they can definitely benefit from light strength training. After all, jogging puts enormous pressure on the ankles, knees and hips. Strong muscles can be very helpful in absorbing this pressure as well as possible. Therefore, it makes sense as a runner to regularly perform some strengthening exercises.

To browse further:

• Mega abdominal workout with scissor kicks
• Lunges with dumbbells - how to do them correctly
• Squats: How deep do they really need to be?

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