By Zach Erickson, Wellness Director, MS, CSCS
Mankato Family YMCA
Winter in Minnesota is usually the “off-season” for runners, making it an ideal time to incorporate weights into their training. Lifting now will give you the extra kick you’re looking for on the home stretch come race season.
#1 Decrease Your Risk of Injury
As you run, the force of about 3 times your body weight is placed through each leg. Having the muscular strength and stability to absorb that force with each step will minimize the load through your joints and reduce your risk of pain or injury.
#2 Improve Muscle Activation
Strength training is a great way to improve muscle activation and recruitment. Strengthening muscles in isolation, then progressing to multi-joint and running-specific exercises can retrain muscle recruitment patterns and make sure all the right muscles are contributing to your run.
#3 Improve Biomechanics & Running Economy
Biomechanics is a fancy term for how you produce movement. Strengthening the muscles that support your body in ideal alignment while running can improve your biomechanics and result in a more efficient use of energy. In other words, improving your movement pattern means less wasted energy and faster running times! Even trained distance runners have shown improvements of up to 8% in running economy following a period of resistance training.
Here are 2 strength workouts for you to incorporate into your running routine. For a personalized and progressive program, contact Zach Erickson at the Mankato YMCA – zerickson@mankatoymca.org
Session 1: Perform 3 Rounds Each Block (For best results, do twice a week)
Block 1
- Single-leg Romanian Deadlift x6
- Body Weight Squats x10
- Barbell or Dumbbell Hip Thrust x10
(1-2 minutes rest)
Block 2
- Banded External Shoulder Rotation x12
- Push-ups x8
- DB Row x10
(1-2 minutes rest)
Block 3
- Russian Twists x 8
- Dumbbell Alternating Curls x10
- Dumbbell Skull Crushers x10
Session 2: EMOM 20
Every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 20 minutes, perform 8 squats, 6 Push-Ups, and 6 lying leg raises. If there is any time left in each minute, rest until the next minute starts. Your Score is the number of rounds finished in 20 minutes, with the best possible score being 20 rounds. For the rounds to count, they must be performed every minute on the minute.
- Body Weight Squats x8
- Push-ups x6
- Lying Leg Raises x6
