Ever
wondered why after a point the improvements in running timings begin to saturate
for most runners? The reasons could be many – however, in most recreational runners
this happens due to the similar nature of the training stimulus. A particular exercise works on a given set of muscle groups. Now, if the body is subjected to
a similar workout regime for a long time, the body starts getting used to it
and this slows down any gains in the overall fitness level. This blog outlines
a few effective workouts that runners could include in their strength training
regime (to build more variety and fun in their training).
First things first
– why is strength training important for runners? The simple answer is that
without strength training a runner is more susceptible to injuries. Moreover,
when it comes to long distance running, endurance plays a critical role.
Strength training can help improve endurance and enable the runner to finish
strong.
So, let’s turn our
attention to the next important question - what are the best strength workouts
that a runner should perform? The answer really depends on for how long one has
been running and what kind of strength regime one has had. If a runner has had
limited or no strength workouts in the training regime, the best place to start
is with basic workouts like squats, lunges, push-ups, plank-holds and burpees.
These are basic body-weight based workouts which can be performed just about
anywhere.
The challenge
comes when one has been performing these basic workouts for a while (in
addition to the regular running), but the improvements in running performance have
started to saturate. This is something that I faced about a year back. It is
probably an indication that the body has become used to the same kind of
workouts (with the same muscle groups getting activated due to a lack of
variety in the workouts). To address this challenge, I have been trying to
embrace new workouts over the past six months. While the options one has to mix
up the workouts is potentially infinite, in this blog I am describing below some
of my favorite workouts that I have embraced recently.
(1) Spinning
Equipment required: Spinning
bike
Primary impact areas: Cardio
conditioning, Legs
(2) Tractor tire exercises
Equipment required: Tractor
tire, Hammer
Primary impact areas: Overall
body strength, Core, Shoulders
(3) Monkey bar workouts
Equipment required: Hanging bar
Primary impact areas: Core,
Cardio
(4) Resistance running
Equipment required: Resistance
band
Primary impact areas: Quads,
Glutes, Calves, Core
(5) Jump push-ups
Equipment required: No specific
equipment needed
Primary impact areas: Cardio,
Shoulders, Overall body strength
(6) Rope waves
Equipment required: Workout
rope (hinged firmly at a pivot)
Primary impact areas: Shoulders, Back,
Lats, Cardio
(7) Box jumps
Equipment required: Stable box jump equipment (preferably with rubber edges for additional protection)
Primary impact areas: Core, Cardio
(8) Inverted Abs Crunch
Equipment required: Stable
hanging bar
Primary impact areas: Abs, Core
(9) T-Bar twists
Equipment required: T-bar
hinged to a stable pivot
Primary impact areas: Core,
Shoulders
(10) Rope climbing
Equipment required: Workout
rope hinged to the ceiling
Primary impact areas: Core
strength, Overall body strength
I hope this blog
provides my fellow runners some new ideas for mixing up their strength workouts.
[Credits: All workout pics have been taken at Bomiso Gym's South City-1 facility. Thanks to my running buddy Rahul Dhanda for taking the pics).
#BomisoGym
#StrengthTrainingForRunners
#TomTomSpark3
#GetGoing
Sundeep Singh
+91 - 98181 19794
About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and holds an MBA
from IIM Kozhikode. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running,
he loves to analyze and write about the finer nuances of running
techniques / strategies. Sundeep’s best run till date is NDM 2017, which he
completed in 1:28:33.
