Should Distance Runners Life Weights?
Alright so here we go...why should distance runners lift weights? Well there's a lot of info here and in my opinion, I could talk all day about this exact topic. What I want to do is give you some bullet points that highlight the 'take-homes' so it's easy to remember and to get you hitting the weights much faster.
First off, I'm sure you're reading this for only a couple of reasons. You're interested in what I have to say or you are contemplating if lifting is right for you as a runner? Either way they are both good reasons to keep reading. Now let's dive into some history of distance running.
Long ago, when distance running started hitting the scene quite rapidly of course there were many people that caught on very quickly. Shoe companies like Nike and Adidas skyrocketed sales in the late 60's and 70's especially when Steve Prefontaine came around the track a few times, so did more sales and running interest in America. As this era began, so did philosophies and the 'how to's' of distance running. Well thus began the trials of miles and the miles of trials. Many big names like Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, and Dick Beardsley started the road marathons at an extremely elite level, but how did they get so good? They ran....a lot. Thousands of miles every year, equally well into the 100's each week for most of the year. Well over a few years, younger college runners or those just trying to make it in the distance running world looked at themselves and asked one of a couple things; ‘Do I want to become like them?’ The ones that said yes then figure in order to do that, they have to run 100's of miles each week. So it began. The only way to become like one of the best was to run more than the other or just plain and simply in order to get better at running is....well to run more. I won't even get into the different coaching styles of Arthur Lydiard and Jack Daniels, etc. That is far out of the scope of this post and for another time, BUT...the only way (in most people's eyes) to get better at running was to run more. I don’t blame the philosophy, especially the roots but as many coaches are finding nowadays, there are many different ways in which to perform better. Whether it be relative to any individual or at a high level.
Where did lifting come into play? Well to save you some time, the vast majority of the time it didn't. Except for push-ups and sit-ups. That should give you a pretty good idea of how things started and got this way. Why would anyone want to lift if the best runners in the world just ran a lot and their strength training consisted of push-ups, sit-ups and lots of hills for the legs? Well that's an easy answer when you put it like that. Lifting weights wasn't even a thought because no runner wanted to bulk up. Those that did lift or started once it became a bit more popular, their lifting was either through machines or when free weights were used you did 10-20 reps of each exercise at an extremely low weight to avoid bulking and weighing your running down with more muscle....yeah that hurt just typing that.
A distance runner or even a beginner who may even be afraid of considering themselves a 'runner,' has a myriad of reasons to begin lifting right away. The benefits are almost never ending in my opinion. Let’s get one thing straight before I continue. I love running. More than most, with an utterly extreme passion. I have just recently learned a lot over the past few years following college, from my own experiences as a runner and as a coach. I feel better and run better when lifting is a part of my training, and I am not the only one to feel that way. Let’s dive deeper.
Reasons to lift, for runners and the effects lifting has on performance:
Lifting provides structural integrity to the connective tissues of the joints
Reduced ground contact time so each step gets off the ground quicker and more efficiently
Rate of force development improves and each step you take will produce more force in the ground
Better range of motion at each joint, which provides for greater force production potential
Better muscle fiber recruitment to produce more power in the muscles directly related to running, such as the glutes, quads and hamstrings
Improved running economy making you a more efficient runner
Healthy for bone formation that could help keep you more injury free
Endurance athletes who are stronger can generally perform at a much higher level
Muscle elasticity and motor control improves
Among many others, not to get carried away…
So what types of lifting should a runner perform?
When runners started to lift it was typical to see 6-10 exercises, hitting all parts of the body and 10-20 reps. Here’s an example:
2-3 sets/10-12 reps of the following with 60 seconds of rest between each set:
Bodyweight squats or leg presses (machine)
DB Bicep curls
DB Shoulder presses
Leg curls
Leg raises
Push-ups
DB Rows
Planks (30sec)
Now I’m not saying this applies to everyone, but this was a huge part of the beginning stages. Lots of reps hitting all areas of the body. There is a time and a place for circuits in a lifting program. Now full body lifting I am a big proponent of for many reasons, and getting a runner prepped to do full body compound movements is essential for long-term health, growth and power production. It is important to get triple flexion (Ex: squats) a couple times each week to work on full body strength and power as well as getting the ankle and hip range of motion needed for a strong running stride.
Below is a quick example of a lifting routine focusing on strength & power. Still hitting all areas of the body but in less reps (you just need to take a bit more rest in this case).
Perform 2-3 sets of 4-5 reps for each exercise, and between each set rest 1-2 min (this could be done at home). If not then the use of barbells (BB) is strongly recommended. The movements that are not compound like exercise 3a can typically be done with more reps. For the sake of just following something if you're ready for a lift like this, is to just do 4-5 reps of each. Effective enough.
Superset each pair with no rest in between each exercise.
1a) BB Squats
1b) Squat Jump
2a) BB Bench Press
2b) MB Chest Throws
3a) DB Bent Over Rows
3b) MB Underhand Tosses
4a) DB Rotational Lunges
4b) Lateral Moving Planks x 30 sec total
The timing of a muscle contraction during a running stride is key for proper force production and overall running efficiency. The more efficient a runner becomes at faster speeds by utilizing oxygen properly and efficient biomechanics, the much better the runner will become. Very simple. Running economy, anaerobic threshold and velocity at VO2max are the primary physiological determinants of improving distance running performance. Many bodies of research and also runners who’ve experienced lifting in their running programs have shown that it can create a higher performance threshold through allowing the above elements to become more efficient. Power production allows for so much more room for improvement and is very underrated in the areas of distance running.
There is more than can be said here. Just want to be basic with this article.
So with all of that to say, it is pretty simple to see that lifting weights has positive effects on running performance. I don’t care what level of a runner you are, even if you don’t consider yourself a runner, lifting can help you become a better human and be more efficient in your movements including just getting up and sitting down. Which of course we inevitably do multiple times each day.
What if you don’t have time? Well, this could take awhile so I will probably post something in this area in the future but for now…replace a run or two each week or decrease the time of a run to get in 20 minutes of even a bodyweight circuit (despite my liking for lifting weights, anything is better than nothing). To start that is. Get in a rhythm and then add the types of lifts I had above. If that doesn’t work for you then maybe some more planning or rearranging of your schedule needs to take place. That’s up to you. I will promise this though, a consistent addition of lifting to your life and/or your running plan will greatly impact your life and running performance over the course of time. Don’t we all want to live life to the fullest anyways?
Happy running :)