Weight Training for Runners -
by Dale Comeau
Hello Vince and fellow Rocks!!
I have a link from New Balance on weight
training for runners if your
interested in putting in your news letter. Dale
(Thank you Dale, I'll put a permanent link to this piece in
our Training Schedule Section - Vince)
Strength Training for
Runners
Courtesy of Runner's World
by Owen Anderson, Ph.D.by Walt Reynolds
Strength-training can improve power, reduce risk of injury and
increase your speed. Check out this program designed especially
for runners.
We've put together the 10 best strengthening exercises in a
program that will specifically enhance your running performance.
They can be done in a gym or at home. For two of these exercises,
you'll need a piece of resistive tubing, available from pharmacies
with extensive home-therapy sections or from companies that
sell sports-medicine products. (Saunders Sports is one such
company; call 800-770-8920 for a catalog or to order resistive
tubing.)
You should be able to complete all 10 exercises
in 20 to 25 minutes or less.
For maximum benefit, do them before you run. These
exercises will not tire you so much that you can't run well
afterward. In fact, they may "wake up" your muscular
and nervous systems and lead to higher-quality training.
If you practice these 10 exercises faithfully,
within a few weeks you'll notice improved coordination during
running and more explosive push-offs whenever your feet strike
the ground. As your muscles become more powerful, risk of injury
should decrease, and your running speed will improve significantly.
Best of all, you'll have some PRs to show for your efforts.
1. Hip Hikers
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Buttocks and muscles that control
the hip joint
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS:
The buttocks and hip muscles control and stabilize the pelvis
and hip joint during the touchdown and takeoff phases of the
running stride. Hip hikers strengthen these muscles and ultimately
prevent unnecessary hip motion, improving your running economy.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Stand
sideways on a step or low bench with your weight on your left
leg and your right leg unsupported over the edge of the step.
Keep both knees locked so that your legs are perfectly straight
throughout the exercise. Lower your right heel toward the floor
by tilting your right hip down. Don't bend your left leg at
the knee! Then raise or "hike" your right hip as high
as it will go. Lower and raise the right hip 12 times before
switching to the left hip. Perform two sets with each hip twice
weekly, on nonconsecutive days.
2. Resisted Leg Swing
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Hamstrings
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The
hamstrings stabilize the hip and knee joints when the foot is
in contact with the ground, provide propulsive force during
push-off and control the forward swing of the leg as the knee
drives forward. Resisted leg swings will strengthen the hamstrings.
TO DO THE EXERCISE:
Anchor one end of a piece of resistive tubing to an immovable
object. For best results, the attachment point of the tubing
should be at hip height. Place the other end of the tubing around
your left ankle and stand about 4 feet from the attachment point
(facing it) so that the tubing is stretched. Shift all of your
body weight to the right leg and stand on your right foot only.
Raise your left thigh so that it is parallel to the floor.
While keeping your left knee flexed, move your left leg through
what feels like a normal running motion for a set of 10 repetitions.
Your left foot should not touch the floor at any point during
the cycle, and you should maintain full weight on the right
foot. Perform two sets per leg, two days each week on nonconsecutive
days.
3. Toe Presses
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Muscles of the calf and Achilles tendon
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS:
The calf muscles absorb shock during footstrike and stabilize
both the ankle and knee during the ground-contact phase of running.
The calf muscles and Achilles tendon also help to rock the foot
forward just prior to toe-off. Toe presses build up this whole
area of the leg.
TO DO THE EXERCISE:
Stand on a step or low bench with your weight on the ball of
your right foot and your right heel hanging down below the edge
of the step. Your left leg should be bent and unsupported. Hold
onto a handrail or wall to maintain balance, and rise up on
the toes of your right foot as high as you can, keeping the
right leg straight. Then lower your right heel below the level
of the step until you feel a stretch in your right calf. Repeat
the exercise 15 times before switching to the left leg. Do two
sets of toe presses per leg, three days a week on nonconsecutive
days.
4. Toe Pulls
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Muscles of the feet and toes
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The
muscles of the feet and toes maintain the strength and resiliency
of the arch and provide a strong base of support during the
ground-contact phase of running. Doing toe pulls regularly should
lower the risk of plantar fasciitis and decrease your ground-contact
time during footstrike, boosting your stride rate.
TO DO THE EXERCISE:
Stand barefoot or in socks with your feet about 2 inches apart.
Shift your weight slightly onto your left foot while flexing
the toes of your left foot upward and pulling the toes of your
right foot downward and back. Your right foot should slide forward
1 to 2 inches as you pull strongly with your right toes. Next,
shift your weight slightly to your right foot, and flex your
right toes upward while pulling down with your left toes, causing
your left foot to creep forward. Starting slowly and gradually
increasing the tempo of movement, repeat this right-left cycle
until each foot has pulled you forward 30 times. Complete two
sets of toe pulls, three times a week on nonconsecutive days.
5. Bench Sit-Ups
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Buttocks and hamstrings
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS:
The buttocks muscles and hamstrings stabilize the hip and knee
joints and help to propel the body forward during running. Performing
bench step-ups intensifies this propulsive action.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Begin
from a standing position on top of a bench of about knee height,
with full body weight on the left foot and weight shifted toward
the heel. Let your right foot hang freely, slightly behind your
body. Lower your body in a controlled manner until the toes
of the right foot touch the ground, maintaining all of your
weight on your left foot at all times. Return to the starting
position by driving downward with the left heel and straightening
the left leg. Maintain an upright posture throughout this exercise,
and keep your hands at your sides. Repeat 10 times before switching
to the right leg.
Do three sets with each leg twice a week on nonconsecutive
days.
6. One-Leg Squats
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Quadriceps muscles, or "quads"
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS:
The quads stabilize the knees, help to swing the leg forward
during running and are especially active during hill running.
TO DO THE EXERCISE:
Stand with your right foot forward and your left foot back,
with your feet one shin-length apart from front to back and
hip-width apart from side to side. Place the toes of the left
foot on a block or step that is 6 to 8 inches high, and keep
most of your weight on the heel of the right foot. Bend the
right leg, and lower your body until the right knee makes an
angle of 90 degrees between the thigh and lower leg. Return
to the starting position, keeping your trunk upright and your
hands at your sides. Repeat the exercise 10 times before switching
to your left leg. Complete three sets on each leg twice weekly
on nonconsecutive days. Compared to traditional two-leg squats,
this exercise is much better for runners because only one leg
is weight-bearing at any one time the same as during running.
7. One-Leg Hops
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Muscles of the hip, thigh, lower part
of the leg and foot
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: These
muscles stabilize the body and push it forward during running.
Performing one-leg hops will make you a more explosive runner
and increase your stride length.
TO DO THE EXERCISE:
Start from the same position used for one-leg squats, with the
toes of the left foot supported on a 6- to 8-inch block or step.
Hop rapidly on the right foot at a rate of 2 to 3 hops per second
(25 to 30 foot contacts every 10 seconds). Force the right foot
to strike the ground in the midfoot region and then spring upward
rapidly as though your foot were touching a red-hot stove. The
right knee should rise 4 to 6 inches as the left leg and foot
remain stationary throughout the exercise, and your hips remain
level and virtually motionless, with very little vertical displacement.
The motion should come from your right leg. Perform 30 hops
on the right leg before switching to the left. Begin with one
set of hops on each leg twice a week on nonconsecutive days.
After three weeks, increase to two sets per leg.
8. Abdominal Stabilizers
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Abdominal and oblique trunk muscles
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS:
The abdominal muscles stabilize the trunk during running. Abdominal
stabilizers will eliminate energy-wasteful movements of the
upper body and may reduce the incidence of side stitches.
TO DO THE EXERCISE:
Sit on a bench or chair with your legs extended in front of
you and your knees slightly bent. Recline your upper body from
the hips about 45 degrees, keeping your chest up and your shoulders
back. Raise your right arm to an overhead position while lowering
your left arm, and alternate back and forth until each arm has
been raised 30 times. Maintain a rigid position with your upper
torso and legs at all times. Only your arms should move during
this exercise. Do three sets two times a week on nonconsecutive
days.
9. Glute-Lumbar Stabilizers
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Lower-back and buttocks muscles
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The
lower-back and buttocks muscles maintain proper trunk position
during running, prevent excessive forward lean and limit unnecessary
rocking movements of the trunk. Glute-lumbar stabilizers will
strengthen these key muscles and make you a more efficient runner.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Lie
face down on a bench, padded table or bed. Extend your legs
straight behind you and position yourself so your hip bones
are at the edge of the table and your upper body extends beyond
the table. Brace your feet under an immovable object or ask
someone to hold your ankles while you do this exercise. With
your upper body extending straight out beyond the table, raise
your right arm while lowering your left arm. Alternate back
and forth until you've raised each arm 30 times while keeping
your legs and upper body in a rigid position. Do three sets
of glute-lumbar stabilizers two to three times a week on nonconsecutive
days.
10. Resisted Ankle Pulls
MUSCLES EXERCISED: Shin muscles (front of the lower leg)
IMPORTANCE TO RUNNERS: The
shin muscles stabilize the lower leg, ankle and foot during
both the swing and ground-contact phases of the running stride.
Strengthening these muscles with resisted ankle pulls will produce
a more powerful toe-off. It should also minimize the occurrence
of shinsplints and decrease the risk of stress fractures in
the lower part of the leg.
TO DO THE EXERCISE: Anchor
one end of a piece of resistive tubing to an immovable object,
and attach the other end to your left foot just above the toes.
Sit with your left leg extended in front of you (on a line with
the tubing) and your left foot about 4 feet away from the attachment
point of the tubing. The tubing should be stretched at all times
during the exercise.
Alternately flex and extend your left ankle 20
times while keeping your left leg straight. Repeat the exercise
with your right leg. Do three sets of ankle pulls for each leg,
three to four times a week on nonconsecutive days.
