When runners first think of strength training, they probably think that it does not pertain to them. Most long distance runners think that all you need to do is run. Running is the main focus but if you add a proper strength and conditioning program to your routine it will improve your strength, help prevent injury, and run faster.
In any athletic field whether it be football, baseball, track, golf and even long distance running, athletes have seen great success by adding strength training to their regimen. When you build more power you will be faster because speed is power. To get from point A to point B, whether it is a car or a person, whoever has the most power will most likely win the race. That is why so much emphasis is put on technique work. The better your technique, the more power you are able to utilize from your body. There is a conditioning component involved in that but if you are already running a lot, your body will adjust to the new speed you gain.
What to do in the gym?
The questions that most runners is what they should do at the gym. To be honest the best thing you can do is to hire a specialist to help you. A specialist will be able to tailor what you do at the gym to meet your specific needs. There are specific testing that we do to find out what is the area of biggest concern: strength, stability, or flexibility. Once we can figure that out we can structure your program so that it can target this and also work on the other aspects as well. With this type of approach you will see dramatic improvements in your performance.
For those of you that cannot hire someone under any circumstances take a weightlifting class or take up your local gym’s offer on a free session to just familiarize yourself with how to do things. You want to focus on improving core strength, flexibility, upper and lower body strength. Your lower body is more important but you still need to put some emphasis on your upper body. The body is a unit and it all works together.
Sign up for our newsletters and we will keep you updated with the latest on strength and conditioning. The improvements you make today will help you be at your best when you compete. If you keep doing what you always have done, you will get what you have always got! Give strength training at least six solid months of all your effort and you will be happy you did.
Sincerely,
The speed experts at DM Athletics
Leave a Reply