Strength, power and conditioning workout for a runner

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speedyruns
speedyruns Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm a 43 year old trail and ultra runner, most of my runs are hilly, I regularly have total ascent on my runs up to 3500 feet or more on occasion, I run distances up to 40 miles. After suffering a few niggling injuries recently, I'm adding more conditioning to my training regime in a bid to lessen the risk of injury, improve my core and posture, and to help make me a better climber and more powerful on hills. However, I need to recover from both my long runs and my gym sessions so I can only really train 4 times a week.

In an average week, I aim to do a mid distance run and a long run plus 2 conditioning workouts at the gym. As someone who has avoided the gym in the past I'm not that experienced or knowledgeable, but I have devised the following program to follow in the gym. Please give me your opinions.

Workout 1
Squat 3x5, start at 30kg
Bench Press 3x5, start at 30kg, or push ups 3x20
Barbell Rows 3x5, start at 30kg
Abductor machine 3x10, 30kg
Adductor machine 3x10, 30kg

Workout 2
Overhead press 3x5, start at 30kg
Deadlift 1x5, start at 40kg
Stage jumps 2x20
Single leg explosions 2x20 each leg
Plank, 3x1 minute

I plan to increase my compound lifts by 2kgs each week, I really have to be careful not to kill my legs so I can't run, but I also think I need to make sensible and gradual gains on the weights I'm lifting

Thanks..

Replies

  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    I am not near as much of a runner, but I found it actually helped me be less sore if I warmed up with a 30-45 minute run before lifting, and then took a day off.
    As for your gym routine, I'll let others chime in. Never had a gym membership myself :tongue:
    I'd increase the weights if you quit having to work hard at your last set, form being more important than bragging weights, and you can't always plan how you respond to training...
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Seems ok. Better than most self-designed routines. You might try the ab wheel for core instead of the plank.

    What are you injuries, and what caused them?
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Compounds pretty standard. Perhaps a couple accessories of barbell lunges or barbell step-ups. These both have helped with my running as well as me playing catcher for baseball.
  • speedyruns
    speedyruns Posts: 8
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    What are you injuries, and what caused them?

    Recently, calf strain, lower back pain (usually after hill climbs) and a foot tendon injury.

    Thanks for your help folks.

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