Strength workouts for runners (lower body)

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MikeRunsDaily2021
MikeRunsDaily2021 Posts: 68 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Best recommend workouts for runners looking to get faster? Feel free to share. Thanks.

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  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
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    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    Best recommend workouts for runners looking to get faster? Feel free to share. Thanks.

    Get faster at what distance(s)? The answer will vary significantly for wanting to get faster at a 100M sprint vs a marathon as an example.
  • MikeRunsDaily2021
    MikeRunsDaily2021 Posts: 68 Member
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    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    Best recommend workouts for runners looking to get faster? Feel free to share. Thanks.

    Get faster at what distance(s)? The answer will vary significantly for wanting to get faster at a 100M sprint vs a marathon as an example.

    Looking more for half marathon and full marathon distance
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 878 Member
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    So if you want to increase your pace for long runs --- base mileage is a big factor...so simply getting more miles in (at any pace, even slower) will help increase your overall pace for a race.

    Intervals - Add in 2-5 minute intervals of fast running (I for example run ~5-6 mph...so if I am doing this I'll run at ~7-7.5 mph) for intervals. I am not training for anything other than a regular ole' 10K tho.

    Hill work. Find some hills. Simply incorporate them into your route or you can also do speed work on hills as well.

    As far as strengthening I stick to deadlifts, squats, glute bridges, hip presses, fire hydrants, ad/abduction stuff, and leg press.

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Can't recommend anything specific, but I want to say it's difficult to balance lower body strength training with something like running out cycling. You're probably going to have to do whatever you settled on at a lower volume than recommended, nutrition will be more important to you than to most, and you'll need to really pay attention to recovery. If you do a lifting program (which is a good idea in general) you'll probably want to adjust it and do less lower body work.

    Don't let that discourage you; you'll be faster because of it, and you'll agree with fewer injuries and less pain and soreness.
  • DoubleG2
    DoubleG2 Posts: 121 Member
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    As I recall from your previous posts, you're a sub 3:30 marathoner - which for us mere mortals is pretty gazelle-like. From my experience as a much slower runner (race pace ~7:45/min for anything shorter than 10 miles) the 5 primary compound lifts have been a revelation. Improved running mechanics likely due to stronger core and back, quicker foot turn over, and less strain on my hip flexors during long runs. Whether I'm faster is debatable, but I FEEL like my performance is better with faster recovery. I'll find out in a few weeks - signed up for a 10K.
  • MikeRunsDaily2021
    MikeRunsDaily2021 Posts: 68 Member
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    Thanks for the recommendations everyone. Just to clarify I am trying to get to a 2:35 marathon this fall but believe it will require doing the basics better. I don’t have much of a strength program and realize it could help me out greatly to develop something to incorporate into my running. Basics in moderation are key.
  • CarsonSurfs
    CarsonSurfs Posts: 75 Member
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    I saw my biggest gains from consistently logging 50+ miles per week for about 2 years. That's when I chopped almost 15 minutes off my marathon PR (3:26 to 3:12). Those miles consisted of strides about once a week, alternating fartleks @ HMP one week, tempo @ HMP to MP the next week and a fast finish long run every 3 weeks or so, just to get used to running at MP when I was tiring.

    I did all this while doing no strength training, but I think that anything that works the core and lower extremities would not hurt. The only caveat is that lifting heavy may inhibit your ability to get in the mileage that you want to run due to muscle fatigue.

    YMMV
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
    edited August 2021
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    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    Thanks for the recommendations everyone. Just to clarify I am trying to get to a 2:35 marathon this fall but believe it will require doing the basics better. I don’t have much of a strength program and realize it could help me out greatly to develop something to incorporate into my running. Basics in moderation are key.

    You want to incorporate strength training to get to a 2:35 marathon in the Fall of 2021, like in a couple months? IMO, you should have started your strength training about a year ago.

    To be honest at this point, don't think you have enough time for it to make any difference. Just continue your marathon training plan and start strength training after you have recovered from the race for a couple weeks.

    Best of luck.
  • MikeRunsDaily2021
    MikeRunsDaily2021 Posts: 68 Member
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    @Theoldguy1 your right, won’t help me know. Looking for a plan for next year. Looking to get to 2:30 then.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
    edited August 2021
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    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    @Theoldguy1 your right, won’t help me know. Looking for a plan for next year. Looking to get to 2:30 then.

    A 2:30 time puts you in the top 3% or so of marathon finishers, pretty rare air. Given your ability and goals I'd talk to your running coach if you have one or someone in your running club or local running store and get recommendations for a personal trainer that specializes in strength trainjng distance athletes. Get a few sessions with them to get an individualized program.

    Your ability and goals are IMO past the point for a cookie cutter program.

    Good luck.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,089 Member
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    When I was in track back in school, our coach incorporated a little bit of strength training at the end of our practice sessions (so the muscle fatigue wouldn't impact our running for the day). Focus was lower body only, never looked for high weights, but rather explosiveness.

    The coach's focus was to improve our push-off power, aka second half of our stride when we're pushing our leg (and the ground) behind us. Consequently our biggest muscles of interest were glutes and calves. We played around with squats, but most of what we did was single-leg, such as weighted lunges, step-ups and calf raises.

    Granted, we were running sprints up to a mile at most, so don't know how much (if any) this would translate over to longer distances. But I expect it would help with any uphill work for marathons involving hills, as well as the final push at the end.
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
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    My trainer says that he finds many runners neglect their core strength.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    Best recommend workouts for runners looking to get faster? Feel free to share. Thanks.

    That will depend greatly on your running program.

    Both running & strength should mesh for the individual.
  • MikeRunsDaily2021
    MikeRunsDaily2021 Posts: 68 Member
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    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    @Theoldguy1 your right, won’t help me know. Looking for a plan for next year. Looking to get to 2:30 then.

    A 2:30 time puts you in the top 3% or so of marathon finishers, pretty rare air. Given your ability and goals I'd talk to your running coach if you have one or someone in your running club or local running store and get recommendations for a personal trainer that specializes in strength trainjng distance athletes. Get a few sessions with them to get an individualized program.

    Your ability and goals are IMO past the point for a cookie cutter program.

    Good luck.

    @Theoldguy1 thanks for the feedback. I am currently a runner with no coach and actually without a running group. I’ve always been a solo runner and so finding a running coach might be the only logical step.

  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
    edited August 2021
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    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    @Theoldguy1 your right, won’t help me know. Looking for a plan for next year. Looking to get to 2:30 then.

    A 2:30 time puts you in the top 3% or so of marathon finishers, pretty rare air. Given your ability and goals I'd talk to your running coach if you have one or someone in your running club or local running store and get recommendations for a personal trainer that specializes in strength trainjng distance athletes. Get a few sessions with them to get an individualized program.

    Your ability and goals are IMO past the point for a cookie cutter program.

    Good luck.

    @Theoldguy1 thanks for the feedback. I am currently a runner with no coach and actually without a running group. I’ve always been a solo runner and so finding a running coach might be the only logical step.

    That's amazing to me you're at the 2:30 - 2:40 ish level without any coaching or a strong group to train with.

    Congrats.

    I'd search for running clubs in your area and see if the president can recommend a coach. And/or reach out to the track program at nearby universities and see if they can recommend coaches working with high level recreational runners. A local running store may also be able to provide recommendations.

    Once you find a running coach you could work with them a bit and the should either be able to give you an appropriate strength training program or refer you to a trainer that can.


  • CarsonSurfs
    CarsonSurfs Posts: 75 Member
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    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikeRunsDaily2021 wrote: »
    @Theoldguy1 your right, won’t help me know. Looking for a plan for next year. Looking to get to 2:30 then.

    A 2:30 time puts you in the top 3% or so of marathon finishers, pretty rare air. Given your ability and goals I'd talk to your running coach if you have one or someone in your running club or local running store and get recommendations for a personal trainer that specializes in strength trainjng distance athletes. Get a few sessions with them to get an individualized program.

    Your ability and goals are IMO past the point for a cookie cutter program.

    Good luck.

    @Theoldguy1 thanks for the feedback. I am currently a runner with no coach and actually without a running group. I’ve always been a solo runner and so finding a running coach might be the only logical step.

    I made dramatic improvements after I hired a coach. I had little idea how to properly train. My coach was remote. We would email and have the occasional phone call. I give him my goals and he would send me detailed training plans in 3 week blocks. I never had to think about it. Just follow the plan. I highly recommend you give it a try, especially at your level (didn't note that you are already sub 3 before my first post. Reading. It's fundamental, lol).

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