Running isn’t just about putting one foot in front of the other. Okay, literally speaking, it is, but realistically, to run well and run injury-free, you need to support your running training with strengthening exercises.
The issue most runners encounter—myself included—is which exercises? What is the best strength routine that will deliver maximum returns? According to certified coach Jude Palmer, the best strength routine for runners is the one you actually do.
“Everyone overcomplicates running and strength training,” the founder of Run Surrey Hills tells Fit&Well. “They think they need to commit several hours a week to it, following a big, comprehensive training plan,” or they don’t do any strength work at all.
“Ten minutes of basic strength training that you actually do is better than a load of overcomplicated exercises that you never do,” says Palmer, adding that as we get older, resistance training only gets more important to strengthen bones and reduce the risk of injury.
“Even if you just do squats and lunges, 10 minutes is better than nothing,” she says. “If you can consistently commit to 10 minutes twice a week, you’re going to see massive benefits.”
The best strength exercises for runners
Palmer, a veteran of running races across all terrains, says that the exercises she programmes for beginner clients and the exercises she does herself are typically the same, with the only difference being the amount of weight lifted.
“When I’m working with beginners, it’s always bodyweight squats, bodyweight lunges, press-ups,” says Palmer. “There is a lot of skipping, because that’s fun. If it’s fun, you’ll do it.
Palmer directs beginners to start skipping to support their running. Here’s a 10-minute jump rope workout if you want to try it yourself.
(Image credit: Getty Images / Westend61)
“Then, when you get really good at them, you can add some weights. I love a deadlift, squats with weights, reverse lunges, step-ups, burpees, then single-leg deadlifts, reverse flyes for posture and Russian twists for core.”
Palmer will typically alternate between lighter weight, high-rep sessions for conditioning—aiming for 10-15 reps per move, and heavier weight, low-rep workouts to build strength—lifting for six to eight reps per move.
“Mix and match these exercises to what you can fit in your week, rather than setting an unrealistic goal and not doing any of it,” she advises, noting that by the end of any training run or race you’ll feel the difference.
“No one ever gets to the end of a marathon and goes, ‘Man my heart is really tired’. They go, ‘I can’t walk—my legs are killing me!’ You need strong legs to be a strong runner.”
Palmer’s three-step strength training formula for runners
Even if you only have 10 minutes twice a week to commit to strengthening exercises, Palmer says following this three-step formula will ensure it’s time well spent.
1. Make it doable
Start with bodyweight exercises and only add the use of weights or accessories if that equipment is always readily available to you.
“Make it doable,” says Palmer. “Consistency is king—or queen. I always get people doing squats, lunges—really simple stuff, bodyweight exercises, rather than charging full tilt into lifting loads and loads of weight until you can barely move.”
2. Make it challenging
Once consistent, introduce progressive overload.
“Three weeks out of four, build up the sets, reps or load you’re lifting,” Palmer explains. In the fourth week, you can reduce your training load slightly to allow your body to recover and adapt.
“Make sure you’re doing the workouts twice a week—that’s when you’ll see the benefits.”
3. Don’t over-do it
Palmer says each strength session should provide enough of a stimulus so that you’re getting stronger, but not so much that it interferes with your running.
“Each session needs to complement the other,” she says. “Going too hard on one to the point you can’t do the next element of training defeats the purpose.
“It’s about consistency and building endurance.”
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