Identify your weaknesses and work on them

Walt Reynolds explores the benefits of strength training for runners.

Most runners think that strength training is something carried out in a weight room or gym utilising various pieces of equipment (barbells, dumbbells, weight machines, etc.). However, the truth is that strength training is any physical activity that emphasises the application of resistance to the muscular system. For runners, these activities include conventional exercises (presses, squats, pull-ups, etc.), running, specific strength exercises such as step-ups and one-leg squats, plyometric or "jump" training, callisthenics, injury preventing gymnastic exercises (walking on toes or heels), and throwing, twisting, and swinging activities with a medicine ball.

Are these activities beneficial for runners? Scientific research strongly suggests that conventional strength workouts can decrease the risk of injury in endurance athletes. This can promote higher performances by fostering more consistent training. Also, work carried out by celebrated Finnish researcher Paavo Komi indicates that strength programs can heighten maximal running speed, and more recent studies suggest that strength training can enhance the running economy by about 3%, enough to shave about a minute from 10k times. We also know that plyometric training can help strong runners become faster, e.g. utilise the strength in their legs more quickly. Finally, strength routines help some runners add a few muscular contours to their bodies and emerge from their "skinny stick" physiques.

Many runners fear that strength training has a "downside", large undesirable gains in muscle mass, which create more "dead weight" to be lugged around during running. This fear is based more on myth than reality. The truth is that significant increases in muscle mass require specialised training methods and a massive commitment of time and energy, far more than most runners can spend on strength training alone.

A program to develop leg strength

Of course, the way to benefit from strength activities is to increase their difficulty and specificity over time. For example, you could start developing more leg strength for running by doing basic two-legged squats, with only bodyweight for resistance, for two to three weeks. Then, you could progressively increase the difficulty and specificity of the exercises in the following manner:

Weeks 4 to 6, you could carry out two-legged squats with greater resistance (while holding a barbell or dumbbells)
Weeks 6 to 8, you could complete one-leg squats with light to moderate resistance (doing one-leg squats is more specific to running than two-legged squats, since full weight is on only one foot at a time, as it is during running)
Weeks 8 to 11, you could move on to uphill runs while wearing a weighted vest to strengthen the "push- off" phase of your running strides
Weeks 11 to 13 (overlapping the weight-vest period), you could add in two-legged forward hopping, to enhance power production during landing/ rebounding during running
Weeks 13 to 15, you could move on to one-leg forward hops (since you would be landing on only one foot at a time, the specificity would increase, and the intensity (difficulty) would double)
In Weeks 15 to 17, you could emphasise downhill running to learn to control and enhance the rebound phase of the foot strike.

A simple program like this will add some strength and power to your legs, but the key problem is that there are nearly an infinite number of strength exercises and almost as many workout programs. How do you select the exercises and program which is perfect for you? How do you coordinate your strength program with your running routine?

Pinpointing your weak links

Those are difficult questions to answer because the truth is that there is not a single set of strength exercises, which is best for all runners. That is because, if you are like most runners, you have unique strengths and weaknesses. For each of your weaknesses, there is a handful of strength-training exercises that will make you stronger. Your job is to identify your weaknesses and strengthen them.

But how do you pinpoint your weak links? If you are recurrently injured in one part of your body, that area is unnecessarily weak and needs to be bolstered. Or, if you find that you have decent foot speed, but you are always breaking down with a variety of different injuries, then you may need to develop fundamental overall strength (and flexibility). On the other hand, if you are seldom injured and have good endurance but little speed, your need is for a resistance program that will "teach" those strong muscles of yours to function more quickly (e.g. your program needs to emphasise power training). Sometimes, working with a knowledgeable coach or trainer will help you identify things you should stress during strength training. It helps to know that there are just four basic types of strength training for runners, each of which can assist you in accomplishing a specific goal. The four types are:

General Strength and Conditioning Exercises: These activities include many of the conventional weight-training exercises such as presses, squats, pull-ups, push-ups, abdominal crunches, bar dips, various rowing movements, and the like. Also included in this category are some of the less conventional exercises like medicine-ball throws and twists and various activities for the "core" muscles (abdominals and low back). These traditional exercises provide strength throughout your body to protect your muscles and connective tissues from the repetitive stresses and impacts of running
Running-Specific Strength Training: This category includes exercises that more closely imitate the biomechanics and motor patterns required for running. The exercises include step-ups, speed squats, one-leg squats, jumping lunges, hill running, weighted runs (while wearing a weight vest), and resistance runs (with rubber tubing, a parachute, or a weight sled providing the resistance). This specific type of strength training, less familiar than general strength training to many athletes, is becoming increasingly popular in the sports-training community because it provides "specific strength", and more strength to carry out the movements needed in a particular sport. When you carry out running-specific strength training, you get stronger while running, not just while seated at a weight machine
Reactive or Speed-Strength Raining: This type of training, often referred to as plyometrics, includes various types of hopping, bounding, and jumping exercises that teach your muscles to generate more force and generate force more quickly. The goal, of course, is to develop more powerful "push-offs" when you are running. Reactive training fosters a high degree of strength in the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones since the impact forces are usually higher than they are during regular running workouts. Reactive training also stretches muscles, tendons, and ligaments vigorously, promoting greater elasticity and efficiency of movement. A key point to remember, though, is that reactive training cannot be included in your training routine without preparation. It is built on a foundation of general and running specific strength training and must start slowly with low-level hopping and jumping. Otherwise, the forces generated during reactive training will create injured, not more powerful, parts of your body
Preventive Gymnastics Exercises: This is no doubt a new area of training for you. When most Americans hear the term gymnastics, they think of gymnasts performing dangerous flips, twists, and stunts on the balance beam, parallel bars, or rings. In the European training community, however, the term gymnastics is synonymous with strengthening, rehabilitative, or restorative exercise or therapy. For runners, the function of preventive gymnastics is to strengthen the feet and lower parts of the legs to minimise the risk of injury in those areas. Gymnastics exercises differ from general and running-specific strength exercises in that their effects are more localised, and their intensity is lower. They are carried out more frequently than other forms of strength training. Several gymnastics exercises, including walking on toes and heels, skipping on toes forward and backward, "toe pulls," zigzag bounding on the toes, and running barefooted on sand, grass, or hills, can be carried out nearly every training day, often as part of your warm-up or cool-down.

Co-ordinate your training

It is not enough to throw a few exercises together, add some weight on a bar, and start lifting. A comprehensive, optimal strength program will include work in each of the four categories described above, with an emphasis on your weak points. At the same time, your strength program needs to be coordinated with all of the other training that you do, and it must complement, not detract from, your running. After all, you are training to run better, not lift weights better.

For example, let us say that you plan to start serious strength training this March and that your most important races of the year will take place in September.

In March and April, you can focus on general strength and conditioning exercises. In mid-April, you would begin to add in some running-specific strength training, which would continue through mid-June
In early June, you would start up your reactive (speed-strength) training as the racing season gets into full swing, and in mid-June, you would make your running specific work more difficult. This combination of running-specific and speed-strength work would continue through the end of July.
In August, you would "fine-tune" your strength training, bolster any remaining weak links, and continue to focus on the speed-strength work, which will help "sharpen" you for your key September races.

Throughout this period, from March to September, you would carry out your injury preventing "gymnastic" exercises.

Article Reference

This article first appeared in:

REYNOLDS, W. (2003) Identify your weaknesses and work on them. Brian Mackenzie's Successful Coaching, (ISSN 1745-7513/ 7 / November), p. 4-5

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

REYNOLDS, W. (2003) Identify your weaknesses and work on them [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni7a4.htm [Accessed


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Most runners think that strength training is something carried out in a weight room or gym utilising various pieces of equipment (barbells, dumbbells, weight machines, etc.). However, the truth is that strength training is any physical activity that emphasises the application of resistance to the muscular system. For runners, these activities include conventional exercises (presses, squats, pull-ups, etc.), running, specific strength exercises such as step-ups and one-leg squats, plyometric or "jump" training, callisthenics, injury preventing gymnastic exercises (walking on toes or heels), and throwing, twisting, and swinging activities with a medicine ball. Are these activities beneficial for runners? Scientific research strongly suggests that conventional strength workouts can decrease the risk of injury in endurance athletes. This can promote higher performances by fostering more consistent training. Also, work carried out by celebrated Finnish researcher Paavo Komi indicates that strength programs can heighten maximal running speed, and more recent studies suggest that strength training can enhance the running economy by about 3%, enough to shave about a minute from 10k times. We also know that plyometric training can help strong runners become faster, e.g. utilise the strength in their legs more quickly. Finally, strength routines help some runners add a few muscular contours to their bodies and emerge from their "skinny stick" physiques. Many runners fear that strength training has a "downside", large undesirable gains in muscle mass, which create more "dead weight" to be lugged around during running. This fear is based more on myth than reality. The truth is that significant increases in muscle mass require specialised training methods and a massive commitment of time and energy, far more than most runners can spend on strength training alone. A program to develop leg strength Of course, the way to benefit from strength activities is to increase their difficulty and specificity over time. For example, you could start developing more leg strength for running by doing basic two-legged squats, with only bodyweight for resistance, for two to three weeks. Then, you could progressively increase the difficulty and specificity of the exercises in the following manner: Weeks 4 to 6, you could carry out two-legged squats with greater resistance (while holding a barbell or dumbbells) Weeks 6 to 8, you could complete one-leg squats with light to moderate resistance (doing one-leg squats is more specific to running than two-legged squats, since full weight is on only one foot at a time, as it is during running) Weeks 8 to 11, you could move on to uphill runs while wearing a weighted vest to strengthen the "push- off" phase of your running strides Weeks 11 to 13 (overlapping the weight-vest period), you could add in two-legged forward hopping, to enhance power production during landing/ rebounding during running Weeks 13 to 15, you could move on to one-leg forward hops (since you would be landing on only one foot at a time, the specificity would increase, and the intensity (difficulty) would double) In Weeks 15 to 17, you could emphasise downhill running to learn to control and enhance the rebound phase of the foot strike. A simple program like this will add some strength and power to your legs, but the key problem is that there are nearly an infinite number of strength exercises and almost as many workout programs. How do you select the exercises and program which is perfect for you? How do you coordinate your strength program with your running routine? Pinpointing your weak links Those are difficult questions to answer because the truth is that there is not a single set of strength exercises, which is best for all runners. That is because, if you are like most runners, you have unique strengths and weaknesses. For each of your weaknesses, there is a handful of strength-training exercises that will make you stronger. Your job is to identify your weaknesses and strengthen them. But how do you pinpoint your weak links? If you are recurrently injured in one part of your body, that area is unnecessarily weak and needs to be bolstered. Or, if you find that you have decent foot speed, but you are always breaking down with a variety of different injuries, then you may need to develop fundamental overall strength (and flexibility). On the other hand, if you are seldom injured and have good endurance but little speed, your need is for a resistance program that will "teach" those strong muscles of yours to function more quickly (e.g. your program needs to emphasise power training). Sometimes, working with a knowledgeable coach or trainer will help you identify things you should stress during strength training. It helps to know that there are just four basic types of strength training for runners, each of which can assist you in accomplishing a specific goal. The four types are: General Strength and Conditioning Exercises: These activities include many of the conventional weight-training exercises such as presses, squats, pull-ups, push-ups, abdominal crunches, bar dips, various rowing movements, and the like. Also included in this category are some of the less conventional exercises like medicine-ball throws and twists and various activities for the "core" muscles (abdominals and low back). These traditional exercises provide strength throughout your body to protect your muscles and connective tissues from the repetitive stresses and impacts of running Running-Specific Strength Training: This category includes exercises that more closely imitate the biomechanics and motor patterns required for running. The exercises include step-ups, speed squats, one-leg squats, jumping lunges, hill running, weighted runs (while wearing a weight vest), and resistance runs (with rubber tubing, a parachute, or a weight sled providing the resistance). This specific type of strength training, less familiar than general strength training to many athletes, is becoming increasingly popular in the sports-training community because it provides "specific strength", and more strength to carry out the movements needed in a particular sport. When you carry out running-specific strength training, you get stronger while running, not just while seated at a weight machine Reactive or Speed-Strength Raining: This type of training, often referred to as plyometrics, includes various types of hopping, bounding, and jumping exercises that teach your muscles to generate more force and generate force more quickly. The goal, of course, is to develop more powerful "push-offs" when you are running. Reactive training fosters a high degree of strength in the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones since the impact forces are usually higher than they are during regular running workouts. Reactive training also stretches muscles, tendons, and ligaments vigorously, promoting greater elasticity and efficiency of movement. A key point to remember, though, is that reactive training cannot be included in your training routine without preparation. It is built on a foundation of general and running specific strength training and must start slowly with low-level hopping and jumping. Otherwise, the forces generated during reactive training will create injured, not more powerful, parts of your body Preventive Gymnastics Exercises: This is no doubt a new area of training for you. When most Americans hear the term gymnastics, they think of gymnasts performing dangerous flips, twists, and stunts on the balance beam, parallel bars, or rings. In the European training community, however, the term gymnastics is synonymous with strengthening, rehabilitative, or restorative exercise or therapy. For runners, the function of preventive gymnastics is to strengthen the feet and lower parts of the legs to minimise the risk of injury in those areas. Gymnastics exercises differ from general and running-specific strength exercises in that their effects are more localised, and their intensity is lower. They are carried out more frequently than other forms of strength training. Several gymnastics exercises, including walking on toes and heels, skipping on toes forward and backward, "toe pulls," zigzag bounding on the toes, and running barefooted on sand, grass, or hills, can be carried out nearly every training day, often as part of your warm-up or cool-down. Co-ordinate your training It is not enough to throw a few exercises together, add some weight on a bar, and start lifting. A comprehensive, optimal strength program will include work in each of the four categories described above, with an emphasis on your weak points. At the same time, your strength program needs to be coordinated with all of the other training that you do, and it must complement, not detract from, your running. After all, you are training to run better, not lift weights better. For example, let us say that you plan to start serious strength training this March and that your most important races of the year will take place in September. In March and April, you can focus on general strength and conditioning exercises. In mid-April, you would begin to add in some running-specific strength training, which would continue through mid-June In early June, you would start up your reactive (speed-strength) training as the racing season gets into full swing, and in mid-June, you would make your running specific work more difficult. This combination of running-specific and speed-strength work would continue through the end of July. In August, you would "fine-tune" your strength training, bolster any remaining weak links, and continue to focus on the speed-strength work, which will help "sharpen" you for your key September races. Throughout this period, from March to September, you would carry out your injury preventing "gymnastic" exercises. Article Reference This article first appeared in: REYNOLDS, W. (2003) Identify your weaknesses and work on them. Brian Mackenzie's Successful Coaching, (ISSN 1745-7513/ 7 / November), p. 4-5 Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: REYNOLDS, W. (2003) Identify your weaknesses and work on them [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni7a4.htm [Accessed