How to get into strength training
“I know I should be strength training, but I don’t know where to start.” I’ve heard it many times before. At this point, it’s indisputable that incorporating strength training into your running routine has many benefits such as faster performance times, decreased risk of injury, ability to run more miles, and improved running efficiency. For master’s athletes and the more casual runner, strength training can improve balance, improve/maintain muscle mass while aging, and decrease fall risk. Sounds pretty good right?
Try your best to not get overwhelmed with the amount of information on social media about all the things you “need to be incorporating into your routine”. Strength training can start very simple, yet be very effective if done consistently over time (this is true for most things in life). The most important thing is that you get started. Most of us don’t need perfectionism. We just need to do it and to start somewhere.
“But what if I hurt myself with poor lifting mechanics?” I’ve very rarely treated a runner for a strength training injury, especially if you’re lifting lighter weights and going through very basic movements. This is where most people should start. You wouldn’t start running by doing 200m hard intervals on the track without a running foundation built on easy miles right? Same thing with strength training. On occasion, I have treated runners who’ve tweaked their backs with kettlebell swings, back squats, and deadlifts, but most of the time it involved lifting heavier loads than they were ready for. Back to my point —> even if your squat or lunge form isn’t perfect, you’re safe to do it with light weight and you’re still strengthening important muscles and getting range of motion benefits. IF down the road, you are interested in lifting heavier, it doesn’t hurt to schedule a few sessions with a physical therapist or personal trainer to help you improve your form!
Now, how do you make strength training fit into your routine? Ideally, you want to lift the same day as your running workout. The idea is that you then keep your easy days easy and as true recovery. In reality and my own experience, it hasn’t always worked well for me that way. During marathon season, I’m often running high mileage weeks with Tuesday being a faster interval day with a second run in the evening. Saturday is generally a long run workout. Strength training on those days can be challenging, especially if I’m already running twice a day. I also don’t want to do my strength workout post 22 mile workout because I too fatigued to get quality lifts in. Instead, I will opt to sometimes lift on my easy days to spread out the training load. It works for me during marathon season. Am I trying to set an PR’s in the deadlift during this time? No. I’m focused on running hard and strength training is to supplement that.
In summary, perfectionism when it comes to strength training is over rated. If you want to get into strength training, get started with the basics. Pick 5 exercises that target different muscle groups, do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps to start out with. Do it 2x/week.
Resources:
-Check out this blog of a few basic strength exercises for runners that I’ve recorded with Coach Mario Fraioli. It’s a simple list to choose from!
-If you are interested in a more structured strength program with specific exercise progressions, check out my strength & conditioning page for more info!