Strength training for runners… Why is it Important?
Whether you’re new to running or have been running for a while, if you aren’t incorporating strength training into your program, you may be missing a key component to your injury prevention and performance enhancement. As a middle to a long-distance runner, there is good evidence that when you incorporate strength training into your training program you can improve your running efficiency and your overall time performance. It has also been shown to improve a runner’s maximum sprint speed, so think of that last push to the finish line! But what is a middle or long-distance runner? Middle distances are distances longer than a sprint, like 800m, 1500m and 3000m. Long-distance running is a larger range that refers to distances longer than 3km.
It used to be a common thought process that for endurance athletes, the ideal sets and repetitions for strength exercises would be higher repetitions at a lower weight. For example, 2-3 sets of 15-18 repetitions, which targets muscular endurance, would be more beneficial for endurance athletes historically. However, in recent years more research has been looking at the benefits of strength training at higher weights and lower repetitions, for example, 3-4sets of 9 or fewer repetitions, or about 80% of your maximum.
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