Run faster with these strength secrets

How to nail your strength training

When it comes to strength training, your program must complement your running training, not take away from it. That means we’re not trying to lift like powerlifters or get a pump like bodybuilders - we’re building a strong and resilient body that can handle (and adapt) to your running load, help you move efficiently, and reduce your risk of injury. In case you didn’t know, moving more efficiently means you run faster and use less energy to get you from start to finish, big yes from us!

How many strength sessions should you do?

2-3 sessions per week is the sweet spot for most runners, enough to make gains but not leave you too sore or wrecked for your runs!

And what kind of workouts?

You want to hit run-specific, full-body sessions that target the muscles you rely on most.

Start by prioritising:

• Single-leg work – running is basically a series of controlled single-leg hops! Split squats, step-ups, lunges and single-leg deadlifts are all essential.
• Glutes + hamstrings – for developing a stronger, more powerful stride. Moves like hip thrusts and deadlifts are great!
• Core – dynamic, functional core work (like dead bugs and side planks) to help with posture and control. Functional means moves that teach your core to stay strong while the rest of your body moves independently, isolating your abs with crunches for example won’t give you the best bang for your buck!
• Calves/Lower Leg – especially important for building durability and explosiveness in your stride, try exercises like calf raises, tip toe walks and toe taps. These exercises are particularly important if you have any shin splint, or achilles type niggles.
• Upper Body – do not neglect your upper body just because you are a runner and think running is just a lower body exercise! Our upper body muscles are mostly important for maintaining good posture when you run; exercises like seated rows, back extensions, and pull ups are all great for keeping a tall, relaxed body position. While chest and arm exercises are less important, we still want to maintain a rounded posture so including push ups, bench press, bicep curls or tricep extensions will help keep your body balanced.

Reps and sets

In terms of reps and sets, you want to make sure you choose the right combination to get you the results you’re after! You can do anywhere between 3 and 5 sets for each exercise, which will depend on the volume you’re chasing, how advanced you are in the gym and the number of reps you’re going for.

For your main lifts, go for lower reps so that you can lift heavy–sets of anywhere between 4-10 reps work well. Focus on quality reps that almost push you to failure. Your main lifts should be exercises that use a lot of muscles working together, such as deadlifts, lunges, squats, bench press, pull ups etc. Low reps are also the go for explosive exercises such as box jumps.

For accessory work, slightly higher reps between 8-12 are ideal. Higher reps than this are good for building endurance in specific muscles. This is where your exercises can be slightly more isolating to specific muscle groups, such as leg curls, glute work, bicep curls, T raises etc. You can use single limb work for both your main lifts and accessory work.

Exercise types

Don’t worry about doing a million different exercises. Pick a few solid movements, focus on good form, and increase the challenge over time (with weight, tempo, or reps). Strength gains come from progressive overload - which means doing more over time. Heavier weights, slower tempo, more reps or sets. This is where a lot of those random TikTok workouts fall short, they might feel fun or burn-y in the moment, but if you’re not following a structured plan that builds gradually, you’ll plateau.

You’re already on the right track by asking this question. Keep going - you’ve got this! 🙌