Listen up, runners. If you don’t already know, it’s VITAL to incorporate both strength and balance training to supplement your running routine. In fact, one of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t run to get in shape…get in shape to run.” Running requires a lot of muscle strength, endurance, and power and you’ve gotta prep your body to be a strong and powerful runner! So what’s the best strength training for runners to do?
There is one move you can add to your workouts that will significantly improve your running performance. This is one I do on the regular and give to all the runners I work with. It packs a lot of punch by blending both stability and strength into one effective move.
Drumroll, please… My favorite move is… the pistol squat! A pistol squat is also known as a single-leg squat. To perform, stand on one leg. Be sure to find your balance, then bend your knee to lower down into a squat. Only go as far as you can control. Push through your heel to return to standing. If you feel wobbly or like you need a modification, you can lightly hold on to a stable object or TRX.
When performing a pistol squat, there are two really important things to pay attention to:
1. Make sure your knee tracks over your second toe. Don’t let it wobble inward.
2. Keep your hips level. Sometimes your other hip wants to drop downward. This is a sign your glute is being lazy and we don’t want that! Check out this video where I walk you through how to do a great pistol squat.
There are so many reasons why being able to do this move is important for your running. At its core, running is just a series of hops from one leg to the other. You only have one leg on the ground at any given time (unlike walking, where there are periods of time with both feet on the ground). Not only do you need to be able to balance on one leg really well when running, but you also need to be able to hop off that leg and land on the other leg with stability and control. When you think about it that makes running a little more complex than you first thought, doesn’t it?
The moral of the story is if you have a hard time standing on one leg, or maybe you can stand on one leg but it’s hard to do much of anything else at the same time, you are going to have a difficult time running. That’s why the best strength training for runners includes moves where you stand on one leg, incorporate or simulate hopping, and challenge your balance and stability (aka the pistol squat).
So how do you incorporate this move into your routine? It’s really pretty simple. If you do 2-3 sets of 10 pistol squats 2-3 days a week, you will notice a difference. Once you get good at this move, you can go down to 1-2 days a week for maintenance as you build your running endurance. Want more ideas? Check out my Runner’s Prehab Program here! It is a 3-phase strength, balance, and power program that incorporates the best strength training for runners exercises, plus, it’s free. If you’re looking for tailored guidance on how to run faster, contact me and we can create a customized training program for you!
