10 Great Exercises To Build Running Strength
As we approach the tail end of this year’s triathlon season, it’s worth beginning to plan the steps you’re going to take over the winter to become a better, stronger athlete for next year.
An under addressed element of many training routines is regular and functional strengthening work. In previous posts we’ve discussed the important role of multiplanar strengthening exercises in maximising performance and injury prevention.
The video below shows 10 great exercises you can use to develop this strength.
Hamstring Exercises For Runners
A number of our athletes have asked us to release a video showing some useful hamstring exercises for runners which will strengthen your running technique and make you stronger as a runner. We actually filmed this video a while ago, here it is:
Try adding some of these hamstring exercises to your regular strengthening routine to become a stronger and more injury resistant runner.
Recommended Reading
“Running Technique”
By Brian Martin
$9.99 USD Preview and Buy Now
A practical guide for distance runners to learn and train for the fundamentals of good running form.
Recognize problems with running form that cause injury, or frustrate achievement of your goals. A complete framework of coordination training, mental cues and a training philosophy to improve running technique.
Foreword by Philo Saunders PhD, Senior Physiologist, Australian Institute of Sport.
Using The Dreaded Foam Roller
An infamous and highly popular piece of kit which helps to keep runners and triathletes supple and injury free is the dreaded foam roller.
This is a simple piece of kit which enables self myofascial release (a form of self massage) which, although often somewhat uncomfortable (like a deep sports massage), is usually highly effective.
Use of a foam roller has built a reputation as being a great method of managing and preventing ITB problems in particular amongst runners and triathletes.
In our experience, if you ask most runners and triathletes what the foam roller is for, you’ll normally get two fairly standard answers:
- To release the ITB and therefore avoid lateral knee pain.
- To inflict pain… in a positive kind of way!
However, this is an extremely versatile piece of kit, which is frequently under-used compared to its full potential.
Proper Running Form and ITB Friction Syndrome
The Overlooked Link Between Running Technique and ITBFS
Download our free eBook on ITB Friction Syndrome and Proper Running Form. Find out how the two are linked. While a flawed running form can lead to the painful knee injury, working on your running form can actually be the key to successfully rehabilitating the knee and enabling a successful return to running.
All too often, runners who suffer from Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome are told to rest, stretch and strengthen before returning to running. This works on occasion, but far too frequently these runners suffer a repeat of the same injury as soon as they increase their running volume, frequency or intensity.
