Weight Training for runners

OBWON

I am just wondering do runners do weight training. I am entered into the berlin marathon in September and it will be my first marathon. Should I have a weights session or 2 during the week to compliment my running or should I just be running. Would be very interested to find out what other people do or have done in the past.

Izoard

For running (and triathlon), it is mostly about core strength.

Doing the workout below a couple of times of week, will really help. The best thing is you can do it at home, so no weights/ gym required.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=486

--amadeus--

Izoard is right - core strength is very important to a runner. The reason for that is that a strong core provides a stable platform for your legs to work from.

BUT!!

In most of the research I have seen (especially from people like Tim Noakes) studies show that weight training will improve endurance running performance but not by as much as running for the equivalent time will do. So if you run (for example) 3 times a week as your base. If you add a 90min weights session to your program you will improve over where you would have been had you not done the weights. But you will imp[rove more if you add a 4th 90 min run into your schedule.

As always though it depends on where you are, your history and background. Active recovery on rest days is great and you could do weights as part of that as well.

tunney

Main benefit of weight training is not that it makes you faster in itself, but that it can help with muscle imbalances and other problems and by correcting these issues help with injury avoidance. By avoiding injury you can add those extra runs and get faster through consistent running.

Krusty_Clown

Here's the weights I've been doing at home a couple of times a week, based on Hal Higdon's recommendations: Six Spectacular Strength Exercises. Here's the corresponding stretching exercises. I have no idea where he finds the women from.

I think I'll add Izoard's core strength exercises to my routine. Looks like the next logical step (and another nut-job in a skimpy top ).

MCOS

tunney wrote: »

Main benefit of weight training is not that it makes you faster in itself, but that it can help with muscle imbalances and other problems and by correcting these issues help with injury avoidance. By avoiding injury you can add those extra runs and get faster through consistent running.

And sorts out those chicken wings so you look more 'athlete' than malnourished at the beach

T runner

MCOS wrote: »

And sorts out those chicken wings so you look more 'athlete' than malnourished at the beach

For a marathon I think muscle strenght in the ABs comes into it as the race progresses. Weak abs will lead to poor form later in the race.

If you have a tape of an elite marathon runner and speed it up they will have many different styles. One thing in common though is that there will be little movement in their torso and head. To keep that up for an entire marathon takes strenght.

Im doing Berlin as well and am doing one organised circuits, one gym and ad-hoc circuits at home. Feeling stronger already after 2 weeks.

Another problem I suffer from though slightly unrelated is tension in the upper body. I have tight shoulders and also tension in my arms while I run. This causes my torso to move more than it should and wastes energy for that reason and also holding the muscles tight takes energy.

To solve it am going to try shoulder stretches before every run, conciously relax the shoulders, and get my ergonomics at my worksattion right.

Daithinski

Here's a link to some strength training exercises (with videos) recommended for runners. A lot of which you can do at home without any equipment.

http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-263-266-0,00.html

OBWON

thanks for all the replies very useful indeed. My initial thought would have been that I would get a lot of responses about working the legs and I am bit surprised the majority of it seems to be core work. Something I hadn't even thought about. Another little question would 2 sessions of this do a week or would I need to do more for it to beneficial. Thanks again

Kine

Guns...just work on the guns

lunar racer

haha legend Kine,you giving out tickets to the gun show???:pac:
If you feel you want to do some weight training work on your larger muscle groups.
Each athlete is differn't,i know some of the top athletes El Gueerouj(world record holder for the 1500m and mile)did soem serious weight sessions but most of the Kenyans do alot of ballistic stretches and drills with no weights.
If you wanna do a good marathon then do more running than weights.

T runner

OBWON wrote: »

thanks for all the replies very useful indeed. My initial thought would have been that I would get a lot of responses about working the legs and I am bit surprised the majority of it seems to be core work. Something I hadn't even thought about. Another little question would 2 sessions of this do a week or would I need to do more for it to beneficial. Thanks again

3 is optimal apparently. But 2 is not bad. Make sure you get the core in each session. You dont have to get Arms/Legs in all sessions. Circuits/core/plyometric excercises better than weights. For the legs maybe do some hills early in your mileage buildup (after base training). The high mileage after will keep the strenght and maybe top up with a hill session every 3 weeks or so.

bananamansgay

you cant beat the the bulgarian lunges....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTViuU8VSFQ