Strength training for runners

When running, the back leg muscles are much stronger than the front muscles as they simply move forward during the ride. To remedy this we must do some strengthening exercises to prevent injuries. Preventive medicine is always ten times better than trying to recover from an injury. The after effects can really put a damper on your overall training. In this article you will find some exercises to counteract the weaker front muscles with the back muscles.

Knee problems can occur when the quadriceps are not strong enough. I like this exercise because you can do it anytime, anywhere. While sitting in a chair, you can lift one leg at a time with your knee locked and your leg straight. Do this for about ten lifts and then repeat with the other leg. This exercise should be done three or four times a week increasing up to fifty repetitions. You can always have some five pound ankle weights to really build explosive quads with definition you can see!

There is also another problem with running in neighborhoods on streets and sidewalks. You don’t want the muscles in your left leg to get stronger or unbalanced on the other side by consistently executing the same pattern every day. Which means that the streets have a gentle slope for the rainwater to run off. All you have to do is mix as many runs in the pattern from the left as you can to the right.

It’s not as bad on the streets as it is on the school track. If you do some kind of competitive running, you will most likely hit the track once a week. You are probably running a lot of intervals to the left around the track. What you do is run your warm-up laps in the opposite direction. It’s also a good idea to build your front muscles by jogging backward for a lap or two.

At least once or twice a week you will find some hills to do your mountain workouts. You won’t be able to do a lot of hill reps at the beginning. However, over time, increase your reps each week and you will see improvement in no time. You can really see improvement during your next run.

For whatever reason, many runners don’t take hill training seriously. During a race, when you reach a hill, you will pass the runners one by one. You will say in a low voice … did not make hills. You will be proud of yourself because your running strength training is paying off. The hills develop the main propulsion muscles for when you hit the track for quick intervals.

If you’ve ever had leg pain, you’ve probably never forgotten it. They develop by increasing mileage too soon or by running downhill too fast. They can also develop from running too much on city streets. Although modern running shoes for your particular foot type have helped you a lot. This is a simple little exercise but it will do wonders for strengthening your shins. While sitting in a chair, lift a small plastic bucket of sand or rocks with increasing amounts of weight each week. These small changes will help you with the app … in these notes on strength training for runners.