STRONGER , FASTER , FURTHER
Mention the words strength work to a runner and images of bulging biceps come to mind ... but none of us can picture ourselves dragging around that much extra ‘ muscle baggage ’ on the run . Nevertheless , for endurance runners , strength is one of the important motor skills , but you certainly won ’ t look like Arnold Schwarzenegger anytime soon just by incorporating strength work into your training .
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 , because our lifestyles are actually 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 over the other 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 .
Not all strength work is equal
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 ( 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 training 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 . 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 .
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 that are causing 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 , as it assists us in maintaining an efficient body posture throughout our event .
Once we ’ ve addressed our base weaknesses , we can then 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 varying 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 , before slowly increasing the weight .