What if you didn't need to spend an ENTIRE HOUR on strength training?
It leaves more time for running... ;)
I kept scrolling.
and scrolling.
through this runner's strength exercises.
They were doing ALL of these?
"How long does it take you to do all these?," I asked.
"Oh, about an hour and 15 minutes."
"Do you like doing all of them?"
"Not really. But I bought this 12 week program, so I've been trying to follow it..."
"How are you feeling while doing it?"
"Not much different..."
I know for some of you, this is your story.
And man, I applaud you for sticking it out.
Your commitment to an 8-12 week program program "made for runners" to avoid injury because you LOVE running that much...WOW.
Because let me tell you: I would not be that patient.
I secretly, I don't think you should either ;)
YES: True strength takes time, WEEKS, to build
But TRUTH BOMB: you should feel a difference in 2-3 weeks.
Whether it's building a strength base or fighting a niggle that's an echo of an old running injury...
sometimes less is more.
and
More is just more.
A lot of runners will compile a looooooong list of strength exercises that they should do, mean to do, will eventually organize into circuits to do...
(me. I'm guilty, as a new runner and not a PT yet...)
And it rarely gets done.
So let me do the hard work for you.
Let me GIVE you a more challenging strength base building circuit that you can use even right now while you increase your fall mileage.
(if you're a runner with some lifting experience, then this circuit is for you!)
Because it's never to late to work on your strength base.
So let's hop in.
Full Body Strength Circuit for Stronger Runs
Circuit:
3 sets each // Medium & HEAVY weights
Step Ups with Front Raise
12 Reps ea leg X Medium (*maybe light)
RDL with opposite foot on wall
8 Reps ea leg X heavy weight
Forward Lunge with Row
8 Reps ea leg X Medium eight
Squat with Front Rack
8 Reps X HEAVY weight
Stronger Runs in 20 Minutes or Less
Step Ups with Front Raise
trust me, I know you'll be cussing me out while you're doing these but..
THE REASON: I know you can step UP with a heavy weight. But I realize you probably don't want to use a heavy weight for a front raise.
Hence, the lighter weight but higher reps. This isn't an excuse to NOT load your legs; I'm just giving you the option of loading them up heavier with the remaining exercises in the circuit ;)
So in the mean time, instead of thinking of this exercise as a "lift heavy" one, think of it as a single leg balance and core -stability challenge in a position that looks like running up a hill ;)
RDL with Opposite Foot on Wall
I've been playing with this exercise in the clinic and on myself...
THE SECRET: keeping one foot on the wall is nice for those of us who want to lift heavy, but also fall down. This is a nice way to bridge that struggle and still build hamstring strength.
that being said, you have to push your foot into the wall. Or at least have some traction between your foot and the wall. Trust me, I've had plenty of patient's feet/foots? slide off the wall.
But this exercise is great at building hamstring strength, challenging single leg stability which is crucial for running, and double dips as it engages the glute on the opposite leg to. Dare to Train Differently and work smarter, not harder ;)
Forward Lunge with Row
Watch. Your. Heart Rate.
PRO TIP: lunges are a runner's best friend. So is a strong back, especially for the runner who wants to run fast. BUT...with a compound exercise like this one, I personally found my heart rate would sky rocket. So I needed to lower the weight to more of a medium one and make sure to REST between sets.
Because I understand sometimes life is nuts and we have to make good on the time we have to strength train. And compound exercises like this can be beneficial to getting the most out of your strength days. (more on compound exercises below.)
But it's important to not sacrifice the gains and purpose of the strength exercise for rushing through and finishing. So. Take. Your. Time.
Squat with Front Rack
No, don't wimp out and do a regular goblet squat ;)
THE KEY: trust me, I've endured the special pain that are front racked squats. But damn if they don't build quads of steel, a strong stable core, and challenge your balance in a different way.
I was skeptical on how front racked squats would be beneficial to runners, but after playing around with them for 4 weeks, I think they can become a viable, *short term!* replacement for bulgarian split squats. (don't cheer too loudly.)
But you have to go heavy. And you can still do this with dumbbells, but also be mindful of needing to front rack your weight, and still be able to safely lift it. Kettlebells and barbells tend to work best for this exercise, but don't give up! Experimenting with a new exercise is often enough stimuli to begin creating new strength gains. You got this!
WRAPPING UP
Starting to see how 4 exercises can deliver more bang for your buck than an endless, overwhelming list?
NOW DON'T PEACE OUT YET...
(unless you ready last week's blog...entirely!;) )
I've included some exercises in this week's base building strength circuit that I normally wouldn't because they're compound exercises.
Compound exercises are exercises that include more than one body like the step up with the front raise and the lunge with row.
These are NOT bad exercises.
(truth bomb: there are rarely bad exercises. Only, "this is not the best exercise for a specific purpose"...)
The trouble runners get into with compound exercises:
in our effort to be clever and work all the strength, all the time in one workout...
it can accidently turn into a HIIT workout: hot, breathless, sweaty cardio session with weights.
This is NOT the purpose of this circuit!
If you're running, you're probably getting enough cardio.
You don't need harder cardio.
You need strength.
Compound exercises can still be uber effective for runners...
if you watch your heart rate.
Yes, it will elevate.
No, I don't know what heart rate is "good" for you.
It's different for each person.
The lesson here: it's ok to use compound exercises because I know life is busy and I'd rather you do some strength rather than nothing.
THE KEY: let yourself recover between sets.
Don't rush and race through all the exercises.
Rest.
These are golden rules for any lifting session, not just this circuit.
I hammer this into RACE READY, my 16 week strength program for marathon runners, built with runner-specific strength exercises that help you build the exact strength you need to run your strongest, best, and injury-free training cycle so you can have your best race yet. So get ready: that waitlist and spring races are coming!
But let me get you some practice in the meantime. I have a FREE STRENGTH GUIDE for runners ready for you. (don't worry; this is the old school pdf download. because sometimes low tech is the best ;) grab that HERE!.
And until next time running fit fam,
Dare to Train Differently,
Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit
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