10 Best Strength Exercises for Runners

Think of how many times you’ve googled the BEST of this, or TOP 10 of that. A few times? Ten? Hundreds? That might even be the way you found this blog? I’m here to tell you that all of that stuff is click bait and used to feed the Google search engine and drive traffic. Actually, that’s exactly what we did too. Well I guess now that you’re here I’ll share my thoughts on the question you’re asking: “What are the top 10 exercises for runners?”

So first off, as a running performance physical therapist I use strength training every single day when helping runners rehab from injury, and improve performance to keep themselves running faster, longer, and consistently. With that said, I’ve seen how impactful strength training can be, but I also look at the research and the research is not in our favor. Not that it’s against us, but there is not strong evidence to say that strength training can prevent injury.

You’re in luck! There isn’t any research to support that it can prevent injury, so you’re off the hook and you can be like most runners and skip strength training all together, right? Depends who you ask. When it comes to running and running related injuries the most important thing is to stay running! If you really want to “prevent” running related injuries then stay on the couch and DON’T run. I know what you’re thinking, CRAZY right?! Why would you not run? I’m right there with you, but to have this mindset we need to change our perception of running related injuries and prevention. Rather than trying to prevent an injury you need to focus on MITIGATING the risk of an injury.

Well, how do we do that?

We mitigate our risk of injury by focusing on the pillars of health including sleep, hydration, nutrition, connection with others, stress management, and my favorite, MOVEMENT. Inside of this movement pillar is your running and having a sound, individualized running program. If you’re interested in that feel free to reach out to us and we can 100% help you there. But that’s not why you’re here. Remember you Googled “BEST STRENGTH EXERCISES FOR RUNNERS”, which leads to the second aspect of the movement pillar: strength training. My philosophy is that we need to focus on different aspects of strength training at different points in the season. So, with this mindset the “best” exercises are going to change depending on the stage of training you’re in. If you need to focus on specific stages then check out our program Stronger Stride.

For now, let’s focus on these pieces of strength training.

Improving your efficiency of movement and how well you’re able to perform each movement
Building up resiliency within your body and mind by making this challenging.

The first piece above means that you need to focus on how well you move. I like to say, you earn the privilege of moving more by moving better.

The second piece tells us that, yes, you need to lift heavy and build resiliency within your body.

Okay okay, it’s been a while, so let’s get into a great place to start with your strength training. Below you’ll find the “top 10” exercises to start with. These are really just some great foundational movements for runners that help build resiliency, teach good movement patterns, get single leg stability (which is running…), and build postural stability. With each one I’ll give you some tips and starting dosing to think about.

1. Back Squat

- Benefits:
  - Improved Lower Body Strength: The Barbell Back Squat targets major muscle groups including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, helping to strengthen these muscles essential for running propulsion and stability.
  - Enhanced Core Stability: Performing the Barbell Back Squat requires maintaining a stable trunk position throughout the movement, which helps to strengthen the core muscles, including the abdominals and lower back, aiding in maintaining proper running posture and reducing the risk of injury.
  - Increased Bone Density: Weight-bearing exercises like the Barbell Back Squat help to promote bone health and increase bone density, which is essential for maintaining overall skeletal strength and reducing the risk of stress fractures in runners.
- Cues:
  - Maintain Neutral Spine: Keep your chest lifted, shoulders pulled back, and core active in order to prevent rounding the spine. Often we cue to keep your ribcage down.
  - Engage Core Muscles: Brace your core muscles by drawing your belly button in towards your spine before descending into the squat position, and maintain this engagement throughout the exercise to stabilize your torso.
  - Focus on Proper Knee Tracking: Ensure that your knees track in line with your toes throughout the squat motion, avoiding excessive inward or outward movement, and remember if trained properly it’s 100% ok to let your knees go past your toes.

2. Deadlift

- Benefits:
  - Increased Posterior Chain Strength: The Deadlift primarily targets the posterior chain muscles, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Strengthening these muscles helps improve running efficiency, power, and speed.
  - Improved Hip Mobility and Stability: Deadlifts require hip extension, which helps improve hip mobility and stability. This can contribute to better running form, reduced risk of injury, and increased running performance.
  - Enhanced Grip Strength: Holding onto the barbell during Deadlifts helps develop grip strength, which the research shows is a great determinant of health and longevity…who doesn’t want to live longer?!
- Cues:
  - Maintain a Flat Back: Keep your back straight and chest lifted throughout the movement, avoiding rounding or arching of the spine to prevent strain on the lower back.
  - Hinge at the Hips: Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back and bending at the hips while keeping your knees slightly bent. Focus on hip hinge mechanics to engage the posterior chain effectively.
  - Drive Through the Heels: As you lift the barbell, focus on driving through your heels and engaging your glutes and hamstrings to lift the weight, rather than relying solely on your lower back muscles. This ensures proper muscle activation and reduces the risk of injury.

3. Soleus Raise

- Benefits:
  - Improved Ankle Stability: The Single Leg Stance Soleus Raise targets the soleus muscle, which is crucial for ankle stability and balance. Strengthening the soleus can help reduce the risk of ankle sprains and improve overall stability during running.
  - Enhanced Proprioception: Performing the exercise on one leg requires greater proprioceptive awareness and control, helping to improve neuromuscular coordination and balance, which are essential for efficient running mechanics and injury prevention.
  - Specificity to Running: The Single Leg Stance Soleus Raise mimics the single-leg stance phase of running, making it a highly functional exercise for runners. By strengthening the soleus in this position, runners can improve push-off power and running economy. Research has shown that the soleus + calf complex is the muscle group that undergoes the most amount of load when running and is primarily responsible for increased stride length leading to increased speeds at speeds of 3:50 mile speed or slower…ie most of us.
- Cues:
  - Maintain Proper Alignment: Stand tall with your head, shoulders, hips, and standing leg aligned. Avoid leaning to the side or forward/backward to maintain balance and stability.
  - Engage Core Muscles: Brace your core and stabilize your pelvis to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement. This helps prevent excessive pelvic tilt and ensures proper muscle activation.
  - Control the Movement: Slowly lower your heel towards the ground, maintaining control throughout the eccentric phase of the movement. Avoid dropping the heel quickly or bouncing at the bottom to maximize muscle engagement and control.

REMEMBER THE SOLEUS RAISE REQUIRES A BENT KNEE THROUGHOUT AND THE MOTION COMES FROM DRIVING THROUGH THE ANKLE, NOT THE KNEE.

4. Calf Raise

- See above – except you’ll do this one with a straight knee rather than bent knee

5. Bulgarian Split Squat

- Benefits:
  - Improved Single-Leg Strength: The Bulgarian Split Squat is a unilateral exercise that targets each leg individually, helping to address strength imbalances between the legs. This can improve running efficiency and reduce the risk of injury by ensuring balanced strength and power on each side.
  - Enhanced Hip Flexor Flexibility: Performing the Bulgarian Split Squat requires significant hip flexion of the rear leg, which can help improve flexibility and mobility in the hip flexors. Improved hip flexor flexibility can contribute to a more efficient running stride and reduced risk of hip-related injuries.
  - Increased Stability and Balance: Balancing on one leg during the Bulgarian Split Squat challenges stability and balance, which are essential for maintaining proper running form and preventing falls or injuries. Strengthening stabilizing muscles around the hip, knee, and ankle joints can enhance overall balance and stability during running.
- Cues:
  - Maintain Upright Torso: Keep your torso upright throughout the movement, avoiding leaning forward or rounding the spine. Engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso and maintain proper alignment.
  - Control the Descent: Lower your body down slowly and with control, focusing on maintaining stability and balance. Keep your front knee aligned with your toes and avoid letting it collapse inward.
  - Drive Through the Heel: As you push back up to the starting position, focus on driving through the heel of your front foot to engage the glutes and hamstrings. This helps maximize muscle activation and power generation.

By following these cues, you can ensure proper form and technique while performing the Bulgarian Split Squat, maximizing its benefits for runners in terms of strength, flexibility, stability, and balance.

6. Lateral Toe Taps

- Benefits:
  - Improved Hip Abduction Strength: The Lateral Toe Tap targets the hip abductor muscles, including the gluteus medius, which are crucial for stabilizing the pelvis and maintaining proper alignment during running. Strengthening these muscles can help reduce the risk of IT band syndrome and other hip-related injuries.
  - Enhanced Balance and Coordination: Performing the Lateral Toe Tap requires coordination and balance, especially when tapping the foot out to the side while maintaining stability on the supporting leg. This can improve proprioception and neuromuscular control, which are essential for maintaining running form and reducing injury risk.
  - Increased Dynamic Stability: By challenging stability in a dynamic, multi-directional manner, the Lateral Toe Tap helps improve dynamic stability, which is important for navigating uneven terrain and sudden changes in direction during running. This can enhance overall running performance and reduce the risk of falls or sprains.
- Cues:
  - Maintain a Stable Core: Engage your core muscles to stabilize your pelvis and maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement. Avoid excessive tilting or rotating of the pelvis.
  - Control the Movement: Tap your foot out to the side in a slow and controlled manner, focusing on maintaining balance and stability on the supporting leg. Avoid swinging the leg or losing control of the movement.
  - Keep the Supporting Leg Slightly Bent: Bend your supporting leg slightly to absorb the impact and maintain stability. Avoid locking out the knee, as this can increase the risk of injury and reduce stability.

7. Farmer March

- Benefits:
  - Improved Grip Strength: The Loaded Farmer March involves holding heavy weights in each hand while walking, which helps to strengthen the grip and forearm muscles. Improved grip strength is beneficial for runners, especially during longer runs or races where maintaining a strong grip can help maintain proper form and reduce fatigue-related issues.
  - Enhanced Core Stability: Carrying heavy weights while walking requires significant core stability to maintain an upright posture and prevent excessive leaning or twisting. Strengthening the core muscles, including the abdominals and lower back, can improve running efficiency and reduce the risk of injury by promoting better trunk stability and alignment.
  - Increased Lower Body Strength and Power: The Loaded Farmer March places a significant demand on the lower body muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. This helps to improve lower body strength and power, which are essential for generating propulsion and maintaining a strong push-off during running. Strengthening these muscles can improve running speed, endurance, and overall performance.
- Cues:
  - Maintain Upright Posture: Keep your chest lifted, shoulders back, and spine neutral throughout the movement. Avoid leaning forward or rounding the back, as this can increase the risk of injury and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
  - Engage Core Muscles: Brace your core muscles by drawing your belly button in towards your spine and tightening your abdominals. This helps to stabilize your torso and maintain proper alignment, reducing the risk of excessive swaying or twisting.
  - Focus on Controlled Steps: Take slow, deliberate steps while carrying the weights, focusing on maintaining balance and stability with each stride. Avoid rushing the movement or taking uneven steps, as this can increase the risk of injury and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

8. Lateral Step Down

- Benefits:
  - Improved Single-Leg Strength and Stability: The Lateral Step Down targets the muscles of the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, while also challenging balance and stability on one leg. Strengthening these muscles and improving stability can help reduce the risk of injuries, such as knee and ankle sprains, by enhancing overall lower limb strength and control.
  - Enhanced Hip and Knee Alignment: Performing the Lateral Step Down requires maintaining proper hip and knee alignment throughout the movement, which helps to promote optimal biomechanics and reduce the risk of injuries related to poor alignment, such as IT band syndrome and patellofemoral pain syndrome.
  - Increased Functional Strength and Proprioception: The Lateral Step Down is a functional exercise that mimics movements encountered during running, such as stepping off curbs or uneven terrain. By training the muscles and neuromuscular system to control movement in multiple planes of motion, runners can improve proprioception and reduce the risk of falls or injuries during running.
- Cues:
  - Maintain Proper Alignment: Keep your hips, knees, and ankles aligned throughout the movement. Avoid letting the knee collapse inward or outward, as this can increase the risk of injury and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
  - Control the Descent: Lower your body down slowly and with control, focusing on maintaining stability and balance. Keep your weight centered over the standing leg and avoid shifting or leaning to the side.
  - Focus on the Positions: Remember these simple rules – stay tall, keep your hips level, and let your knee move forward. We want to mimic the position that you’re in when you run rather than focusing on how much depth you can go through.

9. Step Up

- Benefits:
  - Improved Single-Leg Strength: The Step Up exercise primarily targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, helping to improve lower body strength and stability, especially on a single leg. This can contribute to better running performance by enhancing push-off power and reducing the risk of injuries associated with muscle imbalances.
  - Enhanced Hip Mobility and Stability: Performing Step Ups requires controlled movement at the hip joint, which can help improve hip mobility and stability. This is important for maintaining proper running form and reducing the risk of injuries, such as IT band syndrome and hip impingement. Remember to move slow and having control over the movement first, and then push for power.
  - Increased Proprioception and Balance: Balancing on one leg while performing Step Ups challenges proprioception and balance, which are essential for navigating uneven terrain and maintaining stability during running. Improving proprioception and balance can help reduce the risk of falls and improve overall running efficiency.
- Cues:
  - Maintain Proper Alignment: Keep your knee aligned with your toes throughout the movement to prevent excessive stress on the knee joint. Avoid letting the knee collapse inward or outward, but your knee can move forward over your toe as long as you’re strong enough. (so, let’s get stronger!)
  - Engage Core Muscles: Brace your core and stabilize your pelvis to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement. This helps to prevent excessive pelvic tilt, pelvic drop, and ensures proper muscle activation in the lower body.
  - Control the Movement: Step up onto the platform with control, focusing on maintaining stability and balance. Avoid using momentum or swinging the body to lift yourself up, as this can lead to poor form and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

10. Single-Leg RDL

- Benefits:
  - Improved Hamstring and Glute Strength: The Single Leg RDL targets the hamstrings and glutes, which are essential for powering the running stride. Strengthening these muscles can improve running efficiency, speed, and power, while also reducing the risk of hamstring strains and other lower body injuries.
  - Enhanced Balance and Proprioception: Performing the Single Leg RDL challenges balance and proprioception, as it requires stability on one leg while hinging at the hip. Improving balance and proprioception can help runners maintain proper form and stability during running, reducing the risk of falls and injuries.
  - Increased Hip Stability and Mobility: The Single Leg RDL promotes hip stability and mobility, as it requires controlled movement of the hip joint while maintaining a stable pelvis. This can help runners maintain proper hip alignment and reduce the risk of hip-related injuries, such as IT band syndrome and hip impingement.
- Cues:
  - Maintain a Neutral Spine: Keep your back straight and chest lifted throughout the movement, avoiding rounding or arching of the spine. Engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso and maintain proper alignment.
  - Hinge at the Hips: Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back while keeping your knee slightly bent. Focus on maintaining a straight line from your head to your heel as you hinge forward, avoiding rounding or arching of the back.
  - Focus on getting LONG, not going down: The biggest mistake we see is when people fall forward and reach for the ground. Instead think of getting long and reach your foot behind you in order to maintain proper positioning and dynamics.

Our Mission:

Here at Peak Endurance Performance & Physical Therapy we help active adults in the Madison Area get back to the activities they love without pain or limitations. We see people of all ages, ability levels, and individuals trying to get back to a multitude of movements including: getting back into running, women postpartum, CrossFit athletes, climbers, gymnasts, wrestlers, overhead athletes, and your recreational weekend warrior. If you’re looking to get back to the activities that give you meaning, relieve stress, and make you feel like you again, feel free to reach out below and we’ll see if we’re the right fit for you.

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