An important part of training to be a runner, and one which is often forgotten, is strength training. It is vitally important to include some strength and conditioning exercises for your legs, upper body and core muscles to ensure you have the muscular endurance to perform well to prevent injuries. The following training programme outline a beginners’ circuit, which should be performed at least once, ideally twice a week alongside your running programme. Following a 5 minute cardio warm-up, you should aim to do 12 reps of each exercise, and then repeat twice.
SQUAT WITH DUMBELLS
Keep the heels on the floor, chest lifted and stick your bottom out as you go down, as though you were going to sit on a stool behind you. As you come back to standing, extend the knees and push through the whole of the foot. Make sure the abs are braced and you maintain a neutral spine. Try 5kg in each hand.
CHEST PRESS
Keep the core braced and feet pressed into the floor. With a neutral grip push the dumbbells straight up from the chest, keeping the arms parallel. On the recovery phase bring the hand down, either side of the chest.
WALKING LUNGE
Pull up tall through the body and take a stride long enough that when you drop down into the lunge you have a 90 degree bend in the front knee and back knee. Keep the abs tight and as you push back up to take the next step squeeze the glutes to help maintain stability.
REVERSE FLYE
Feet are hip width apart, flex at the hips and the knees and let arms hang down in front. Keep the abs tight with an open chest and neutral spine. Ensure the elbow joint is soft as you open (externally rotate) the arms to the side, keep them at chest height.
PLANK
With the forearms and toes on the floor, form the plank position. Try and relax through the shoulders, making sure the elbows are directly under the shoulders, keep the hips up slightly so neutral spine is maintained. Brace the abs and relax the neck. Hold the position for as long as you can maintain good form – aim for 60 secs.
SINGLE ARM ROW
Use a bench and form a solid base by having one knee and one hand on a bench with the other foot on the floor. Brace the abs, keep the chest open and make sure you maintain a neutral spine. Extend the arm and let the weight hang towards the floor. Keeping the elbow close to the side of the body, draw it back up and past the torso in a ‘rowing’ type movement. In the recovery phase ensure the shoulders are level and the torso doesn’t rotate. Repeat on both sides.
REVERSE CURL
Lie on your back on the floor; bend the knees so feet are flat on the floor. Place the arms either side, palms down on the mat. Curl the lower body upwards so the knees come towards the upper body and the pelvis lifts from the floor. Make sure the movement is driven from the abs, not momentum from the legs swinging.
STEP UPS
Place one foot on a step or box and then drive yourself upwards by transferring the weight onto that foot. Imagine you are pushing the foot down through the step, rather than using the back foot to push off the floor. Join the feet on the top of the step and then step back down with the same foot. Do the exercise on both sides.
