Essential Strength
By Ray Orchison
There are a number of reasons why runners need to incorporate elements of strength work into their training weeks ... and it has nothing to do with looking ripped !
Mention strength work to a runner and images of bulging biceps may come to mind ... but none of us can picture ourselves dragging around that much extra ‘ baggage ’ on the run . The good news is that you won ’ t look like Arnold Schwarzenegger anytime soon just by incorporating some strength work into your training – for that , you ’ d have to spend hours on end each week in the gym , with no long-distance training at all !
There are a number of reasons why runners need to incorporate elements of strength work into our training weeks . For starters , our western lifestyles do not lend themselves to keeping us strong and our muscles engaged . Just get yourself a pedometer and you ’ ll be shocked at how little you walk in a day . Our lifestyles are extremely sedentary . We drive to work , spend eight to nine hours sitting in a chair hunched over a computer , then drive back home to spend the evening in front of the TV . This lack of activity results in the weakening and shortening of key muscles as well as developing biomechanical imbalances .
Secondly , and this builds on from the first point , because running is a continuous repetitive motion sport , it is a great exploiter of imbalances and weaknesses . For example , if you have an imbalance in the strength between your left and right glute , you will be favouring one side with every stride you take . This will result in an overuse injury on the stronger side , and could rear its ugly head in any of the muscles from the glute down to the foot . It may also result in strained muscles on the weaker side of the body , as subconsciously our brain tries to match the stride length of the stronger side .
Thirdly , in order to run as fast as we can for as long as we can , we need muscles that have been developed and strengthened in order to do so . Kicking in the last 300m of a 1500m race requires sound strength endurance . Maintaining some sort of decent pace and body posture in the final quarter of a marathon requires core , strength endurance and functional strength .
Where do we start ?
The most important strength elements for runners would be relative and core strength . The importance of identifying your muscle weaknesses and imbalances cannot be overemphasised . In order to enjoy injury-free running , we must start here and strengthen those areas which will result in overuse and strained muscles . Our focus must be on the bigger muscles crucial to the running biomechanics . These include the glutes , hamstrings , calves and quads . If these big muscles are not firing , then we end up overusing the smaller muscles and developing all sorts of niggles and injuries . The core is also extremely important and assists us in maintaining an efficient body posture throughout our event .
Once we ’ ve addressed our base weaknesses , we can move on to the specific strength work that will bring about additional benefits and improvements in our race times . These would be elastic strength , strength endurance , and functional strength . Elastic strength is developed through bounding , Olympic lifting , uphill and downhill running , and plyometrics . Strength endurance is typically developed in the weight room . Weights should be based on 50-70 % of the maximum weight you could lift for a single , all-out repetition . Functional strength is accomplished through weight training as well as through running itself . This type of strength work should include different terrain , inclines and speeds .
The golden rule with introducing anything new is always to start slowly and gradually build from there . When incorporating strength work involving weights , start with light weights and first master the movement of the exercise , then slowly increase the weight .
Know the Types
There are a number of different types of strength work , for different purposes , such as :
• Absolute strength ( increasing total maximum strength ),
• Relative strength ( increasing strength relative to body size ),
• Power ( increasing work output over time ),
• Elastic strength ( potential for energy through the muscles and tendons ),
• Strength endurance ( capacity to continue exerting force during fatigue ),
• Core strength ( stability muscles of the trunk ), and
• Functional strength ( movement patterns of specific muscles required in motion ).
Focusing on or doing the wrong type of strength will bring about a different training outcome than what you might expect . For example , absolute strength would be a primary focus in events requiring strength , speed and power , such as sprinting or jumping . A distance runner would not be too concerned with absolute strength . Meanwhile , relative strength can be seen as the base work of strength training through which we rid ourselves of any muscle weaknesses and imbalances before moving on to event-specific strength work .
Ray Orchison is a South African-born running coach and therapist . He has completed the Comrades Marathon multiple times and also boasts personal bests of 33:55 for 10km and 2:48:00 for the marathon . He has completed USATF and NAASFP coaching courses , and provides personalised training programmes to his clients . Now based in Perth , Australia , you can find him at https :// runetics . com . au .
Images : Pexels
16 Balwin Jeppe Marathon 2024