Train hard Race fast » Cross Training Tips for Runners

Strength Training Workouts for Runners

Elaine — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:11:29 +0000

If you decide to incorporate strength training into your cross training schedule it should remain a regular routine. If you strength train only once a month, you will not see any results. Most effective strength training for runners should be at most 2 -3 times a week. You won’t see immediate results in your running but over time and depending on your workout intensity, you will see yourself run faster and you will be able to push yourself harder.

The purpose for runners to strengthen their body is to prevent injuries. Therefore, the most important muscles to train are in the lower body since they bear the most weight and stress during running. Upper body strengthening is to keep your body balanced. Core strength is important as abs keep runners well-aligned and less prone to back injury.

I’m not a super expert at weight training but there are plenty of free workout routines available at bodybuilding.com. Check them out here. The key lower body muscle groups for runners to workout on are knees, hips, quads, glutes and hamstrings. Upper body muscle groups to workout are hips, back, core, shoulders, and biceps.

Muscle Group	Exercise
Quadriceps, hamstrings, hips	Squats, Dead Lifts, Lunges
Gluteals, Hamstrings	Good Morning Lift
Calves	Heel Raises
Shoulders	Shoulder Shrugs
Upper Back	Dumbbell Rows
Chest	Elevated Feet Push-ups Bench Press
Arms	Bicep Curls Tricep kickbacks
Lower Back	Superman

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Strength Training For Runners

Elaine — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:39:24 +0000

As a runner, you should balance your running with 2 to 3 days of strength training. I used to believe that strength training would build up my muscles and hinder my running but in fact there are benefits to acquiring strength in your legs and upper body. Here are a few reasons why strength training is important for runners.

1. Strength Training Makes You Stronger

It will help you run longer, stronger and definitely help you push up those hills faster. You will also be able to recover from longer runs faster because strength training makes your body more efficient.

2. Reduces the Risk of Injury

If you are injury prone like myself, it’s very important to build up muscles around your knees and hips which are big problems areas for runners. Strength training will stabilize those areas and reduce risk of repetitive stress injuries.

3. Burn More Calories.

Yes, building muscle will help you burn more calories during the day and more beneficial to you than the amount of calories lost during a run.

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Spice Up Your Cross Training

Elaine — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:03:27 +0000

Running can become tedious after a while. It takes a toll on your mind and body so you gotta trick your brain and make it think that running is FUN. It’s good that you cross train with weight training at the gym, climb stairs or aerobics at the gym, but it can get boring just staring at the machines or running the same routine all the time. So here are some ideas you can use to spice up your cross training.

I participate in a lot of sports such as rockclimbing, dragonboating, snowboarding, swimming, softball, ultimate, yoga, squash, cycling and more. But those are not my main sports, I don’t tie myself to any one of them. I pick them because they have a unique feature in them that will help me improve my running, whether it be in upper body strength, speed training, core strength, breathing, stretching and the list can go on. So you can also pick a sport or multiple sports that you not necessarily enjoy, but have access to and you can add to your cross training routine.

I’ll give a highlight of each sport and their benefits to running.

Rockclimbing – helps build arm, quad and calf muscles.

Dragonboating – helps with upper body strength, arm strength and stamina.

Snowboarding – helps build co-ordination, quad muscles, breathing in cold weather and strengthens your ankles.

Swimming – helps build overall body strength, core strength, and breathing.

Softball – helps build arm strength, hand eye feet coordination, and sprint training.

Ultimate – helps immensely in building stamina in speed and sprint training, also helps you control your breathing, and pushes your lactate threshold. Highly recommended for long distance runners to help with speed work.

Yoga – helps build core strength and with stretching.

Squash – helps with sprint training and stamina.

Cycling – helps strengthen legs.

All these sports are great if you already have a high level of stamina as with most long distance runners. You will be able to last longer in each sport but try to exert yourself to the max when participating in them. In other words, running slow to first base or biking at a very low speed and intensity, just doesn’t cut it. Push yourself to 100% each time you run. If you get tired, just think it’s only for a few more minutes. Ultimate or Softball runs don’t last long, they are just tiring because it’s short sprints across the field. I know that soccer and volleyball are also great sports to participate in but I’m just wary of all the injuries with sprained ankles and dislocated joints. I don’t want to injure myself in secondary sports for my primary sport of running.

Overall, have fun in your sports and try to pick a mixture of low to high impact sports.

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How to keep motivated running

Elaine — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:14:04 +0000

If you are a beginner or an experienced runner the problem that we all face is keeping motivated to run on a regular basis. You might have a great start by setting up a schedule of running 3 times a week, and life happens and there is always something else that you could be doing which obviously involves less time, pain, and sweat. You start missing a few runs a week, and not making up your mileage. Slowly it becomes a habit and before you know it, you will find an excuse to not run at all. This still happens to me too all the time. With me, lack of running often changes my mood and I feel guilty the next day. So I try to keep motivated all the time and these are some tips for you to do the same.

1. Find a runner partner or join a running club.

Running dates are fun! Run with friends or runners at a running club keeps you accountable and you are more likely to show up for a run.
While running with a partner or friend you can also challenge each other, make it fun, catch up, and gossip. It’s also a great way to bond with your friends.

2. Sign up for a race.

Signing up for a race gives you a target to work towards. Set reasonable goals and perhaps set your first race as a 3 mile (5 km) course.
After you reach your target, signup for another race and that way you keep moving.
You can also challenge yourself to complete each subsequent race in a faster time.

3. Challenge yourself when you run.

There are different types of training you can do while running including hill repeats, VO2 max, 5×4′s, long runs, sprints, and intervals.

4. Don’t run everyday.

Space out your running days, sometimes less frequent you run, the more you are psyched up about it the day of the run.

5. Incorporate cross training into your routine.

Participate in sports that you enjoy that involve some running, maybe tennis, softball or cycling.

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Climbing stairs is a good cross training idea

Elaine — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:52:19 +0000

Stair climbing is a good cross training idea for runners as it is similar to running hill repeats. I try to avoid the stairmaster at the gym simply because I find it’s the hardest machine there. After 2 minutes on the stairmaster, my legs are burning and lungs out of air. But since looking for alternatives to running, I’ve looked back at stair climbing and have taken it full on. So far it’s proven with great results to strengthen my quads and hamstrings.

Although climbing stairs on a machine in the gym provides lower impact on your legs, climbing stairs to work or up the subway is free. Run up the stairs while pumping your arms beside you as if you were running. It becomes an anaerobic event after 8 to 20 flights of stairs. It strains your aerobic capacity since this is not a total sprint and requires endurance and muscular strength to complete in a fast time. Land completely flat on your feet and invest into cross training shoes as incorrect shoes will cause injury to your knees or strain your Achilles tendon.

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