Want to improve your running? Strengh training it is!
Strength training isn’t only for those who want to have more visible muscles or for all those fit girls/boys. Nope, it’s also a great tool for runners.
And I have to admit, I wasn’t a big fan in the beginning… but now I love it!
Really, it has helped me so much. And in this blog I will (try 😉) to convince you about the benefits.
Ready? Here we go!
The most important reason of all
If, at any point, you don’t have the time anymore to continue reading, at least you got to read this: strength training can reduce the risk of injury.
I am not saying that when you do strength training you have a 0 posibility of getting injured, BUT it does decrease the risk significantly. And if you are already injured, the right exercises can help you get back to running in no time.
Did you know that every time you run, you put 250% your body weight as extra force on your joints an ligaments? Strength training not only helps strengthening your muscles (duh) but also your joints and ligaments will become more powerful and hence better adapted against the impact of your body.
Another important benefit…
it makes you faster! Yes it does.
And there’s an easy explanation for that: the more powerful your muscles are, the more powerful your push-off moment will be hence the faster you will go.
And once you have gained some experience with strength training, I would hardly recommened also incorporating some plyometric training into your routine. This type of training will increase the max power of your muscles and thus increase the force that you can put during your push-off moment.
Last, but not least important!
Incorporating strength training into your training routine will give your muscles more endurance and this is especially interesting for endurance runners. Because this will help them keep their form and thus their movement ‘in place’, even when they are getting tired.
Just look at the end of a marathon. You can clearly make a distinction between the people who have been during strength training and those who haven’t.
Personal note
When I first started running, I barely did any type of strength training. During my university years, I often went with friends to the gym and I really saw my running improving. Then I stopped for a while due to travelling and hello injuries.
Once I started doing strength training again, the injuries stopped. And every time I did them less frequently, they came back again.
So the lesson I learned: NEVER SKIP YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING.
But I get you, you prefer running. And I do too, but just because I don’t want to see you getting injured too I have designed a strengh program that is focused on improving your running.
And to make it even better: it is the same program that I also used to get better during and after my injuries.
So if you are ready to take your running to the next level, click the button below for more information.
