How to Run Faster With Strength Training for Runners

Many runners and joggers tend to overlook the importance that strength has to do with their sport. Many improvements can be gained from participating in strength exercises for runners. Beyond the health benefits that strength training can provide, there is also the ability to increase speed. In order to run faster, incorporating some strength training into your exercise regimen will have more benefits than drawbacks.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Generate more force. Increasing the strength in your legs means that you will generate more force upon impact of the ground. Most runners don't know that it isn't the kick speed when their feet are in the air that makes them faster, but the force that is applied when the foot makes contact with the running surface.

2. Lift to increase strength, not size. Shying away from lifting weights was often preached in the past on the theory that you may not want to bulk up. While it's true that muscle weight is heavier than fat, adding some muscle will burn fat quicker and increase your running efficiency, whether for distance or for speed. Perform more repetitions while keeping the weight you lift low. This will help you focus your efforts on strengthening what you have instead of packing on more bulk.

3. Perform resistance training. Resistance training helps you to condition muscles on a broader spectrum. Most resistance training adds force to movement in every direction. This helps work your muscles more thoroughly. Some of the best running-specific resistance training involves using parachutes that slow down your progress or tying bungee chords around your waist and running until your forward progress stops.

4. Strengthen the entire body. Full body workouts help to train a runner's core and each major muscle group in the body. One of the best things about this type of strength training is that it adds muscle evenly through the body and can be performed effectively without interfering with running schedules. Many muscles are used for running, including the abdominals, chest, tricep, bicep and back muscles. Strengthening each will only help a runner to post quicker times.

5. Balance your needs. It is important to note that you will still need to focus the majority of your training on running. While strength training helps improve your balance and speed, you will need to utilize the correct formula of strengthening exercises and running. Focus most of your strengthening efforts from your core (lower chest) to your feet to have the highest impact on speed when running.

Tips & Warnings

• Only strength train three days or less a week. Your body will quickly adjust to the exercises and you will begin to notice increases in speed around six weeks after persistent training.
• While strengthening your muscles can help reduce the risk of injury, it is important that you stretch your muscles to keep them long and lean to benefit your running. You will also want to ensure that you do not overexert yourself when strength training.

References

• Running Planet
• Runner's World
• Cool Running

Resources

• Find more information here.
• Look for more helpful tips on running at this site.

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