Weight-Training Exercises For Runners

Weight-Training Exercises For Runners

Weight training can seem counterintuitive to runners: The more muscle you have, the heavier you are, thus the more weight you have to carry around when running. While that's true, it doesn’t mean you should swear off weight training all together.
In fact, runners need weight training even more than you may realize. “Strength work accomplishes three big goals for runners,” says Jason Fitzgerald, USATF-certified running coach, founder of Strength Running in Denver, Colorado. “It prevents injuries by strengthening muscles and connective tissues; it helps you run faster by improving neuromuscular coordination and power; and it improves running economy by encouraging coordination and stride efficiency.”

So for all you runners out there I urge you to go lift some weights.

My favorites are:

Squats (all variations)
Deadlifts
Stiff-deadlifts
Toe-raises
Planks
Chins