Strength Workout for Runners: 5 Easy and Effective Exercises

May 3

By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified run coach

Try this strength workout for runners to build your fitness level, prevent injuries, and run faster. Strength training is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of training for runners. I’ve coached many runners who shy away from strength training, finding it intimidating or overwhelming. But the fact is that strength training will improve your running and your overall health, and it doesn’t have to involve heavy weights or complex movements. You can do these strength training exercises at home or in a gym with just a resistance band and your body weight.

Try this strength training workout for runners and incorporate it into your training program. I recommend doing at least two strength training sessions a week for the best fitness and health results. If you’re interested in weightlifting, check out my guide to running and weightlifting.

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All you need to get started is a clear area to exercise and a resistance band. I recommend the Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands for high-quality, budget-friendly resistance bands. The set of bands allows you to start with lower resistance levels and work your way up to the harder bands as you build your strength.

If you do not have a band, it will still work the same muscles if you do the exercises without one, you will just have a less intense workout. See my exercise video for visual how-tos.

Glute Bridges

Glute bridges, as the name implies, help strengthen your glute muscles. A lot of runners have weak glutes, which can cause all sorts of mechanical problems and ultimately lead to running injuries. Strengthening your glutes will make you a faster, more efficient runner.

How to do them: Lye on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet on the floor. Tightening your core muscles and glutes, lift your hips up off the floor, and push your pelvis toward the ceiling. Keep your back aligned in a straight line and hold for 3 seconds. Lower back to the floor and repeat for a total of 10. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Intermediate: Add intensity by doing one-legged glute bridges. Straighten one leg with your toes pointing toward the ceiling and your other leg still bent, foot on the floor. Lift up and hold.

See the 3 Best Glute Exercises to Get Results for more glute workouts.

Leg Raises

Leg raises also help strengthen your glutes as well as your hamstrings and core.

How to do them: Get out your resistance band and loop it around your ankles. Slide the loop up to your thighs. Get on your hands and knees with your core tight and back straight. Keeping your posture firm, squeeze your glutes and lift one leg, bent at the knee. Lower and repeat for a total of 10 reps on each leg. Do three sets.
Intermediate: Use the black resistance band for the highest resistance level.

Planks

Planks are a classic core exercise and for good reason: they strengthen your core muscles and have many options for variations. Planks also place less stress on the neck and back than some core exercises like crunches.

To do a high plank: Begin stomach-down on a yoga mat or floor. Push up into a straight-backed position, your arms fully extended and aligned, with your wrists straight below your shoulders. Engage your abs and keep your core tight for a straight line down your back. Hold for 30 seconds. Rest and repeat two more times.
Intermediate: Forearm planks focus more intensely on your abs so do these for an added challenge. If you want to also strengthen your shoulders, however, do the straight arm planks. You can also add more time to your planks and build up to doing 1-minute planks.

For more plank tips, modifications, and variations, check out How to Do a Straight Arm Plank.

Side Planks

Side planks work a variety of your muscles, including the transversus abdominis muscle, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles (abductors), the adductor muscles of the hip, and the external and internal obliques. These give you those ripped-looking side abs. But more importantly, side planks will help your body stabilize while running, preventing pressure on your back and joints.

To do side planks: Stretch out on your side and stack your feet. These work best without shoes as shoes can throw your balance off. Push up onto your hand next to the ground, straightening your arm and balancing. Keep your core engaged and your body should form a straight diagonal line. Engage your abs and glutes. You will feel the muscles in your shoulder as well. Hold for 20 seconds. Rest and repeat to do three times on each side.
Intermediate: Do the side planks on your forearms if you have trouble balancing or if you’d like to focus more exclusively on your abs and less on your shoulder and arm muscles.

Band walks

Band walks are a popular exercise for runners that help strengthen your hip flexors and glutes, two areas that lead to running injuries when they are weak. You may have done these at your physical therapist’s office.

How to do band walks: Put your resistance band around your ankles and bend your knees slightly, no more than 45 degrees. Walk sideways, leading with one leg. Take one step at a time and engage your glutes as your walk. Walk for 30 seconds and repeat the other way. Do a total of 3 sets on each leg.
Intermediate: Use the black band for the highest resistance. Walk longer to increase your intensity for this exercise.
Variation: For an extra butt workout, do backward band walks. Keep your knees bent and with the band around your ankles, walk backward, one foot at a time. Walk for 30 seconds and repeat for a total of three times.

Got your own favorite strength training exercise that helps your running? Comment with your exercises below or tag @Runstreet on Instagram to share your workouts and get cheered on.

Happy sweating to you!😊

Resources: Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands, Strength Training for Runners Video

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer, USATF, and RRCA-certified running coach and a Brooklyn resident, Akita mom, and writer.

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