Strength Training for Runners: How to Run Faster and Reduce Your Injury Risk

Running more is not always the answer to running faster.

For many runners, the missing piece is not another interval session, tempo run or extra 10 kilometres each week.

It is strength.

Whether you are training for your first 10 km, chasing a marathon PB or simply trying to run consistently without breaking down, a well-designed strength and conditioning program can improve how your body handles the demands of running.

At Pivot Sports Performance, we work with runners and athletes across Bundoora and Ringwood to build the strength, power and physical capacity required to perform.

Here is why strength training deserves a place in your running program.

Why Should Runners Strength Train?

Every step you take while running exposes your body to force.

Multiply that by thousands of steps during a training week and your calves, Achilles tendons, knees, hamstrings and hips have to repeatedly tolerate and produce significant loads.

Running develops some of this capacity, but running alone does not necessarily maximise it.

Strength training allows us to progressively expose muscles and tendons to higher forces in a controlled environment.

For runners, this can help with:

• Improving running economy

• Increasing lower-body strength

• Improving force production

• Developing tendon and muscular capacity

• Maintaining technique as fatigue develops

• Improving sprint and finishing speed

• Building the physical capacity to tolerate training

This is why we consider strength training an important part of a complete running program.

Does Strength Training Actually Make You Run Faster?

Potentially, yes.

One of the most important concepts here is running economy.

Running economy essentially describes how much energy you need to maintain a given running speed.

Think of two cars travelling at 100 km/h. Both are moving at exactly the same speed, but one uses less fuel to get there.

Running can work in a similar way.

If two runners have similar aerobic fitness but one requires less energy to maintain race pace, that runner has a significant performance advantage.

Research has shown that strength training can improve running economy and performance in middle and long-distance runners.

For runners interested in the research behind this, PubMed provides access to peer-reviewed research across sports medicine, exercise physiology and strength and conditioning.

Importantly, this challenges an old idea:

Runners should only lift light weights for lots of repetitions.

You already get plenty of repetitive muscular work from running.

The gym gives us an opportunity to develop qualities that running alone may not adequately target.

Will Lifting Heavy Weights Make Runners Bulky?

This is one of the most common concerns we hear.

For most runners, appropriately programmed strength training is unlikely to suddenly create large amounts of muscle mass.

Building significant muscle requires sufficient training volume, nutrition and time.

A running-specific strength program is not bodybuilding.

The goal is not to make a runner as big as possible.

The goal is to improve:

Strength. Power. Force production. Tendon capacity. Physical resilience.

How you train matters.

What Are the Best Strength Exercises for Runners?

There is no single collection of exercises that every runner must perform.

Your program should depend on your training history, injury history, strength levels, running volume, goals and current physical capacity.

This is one of the reasons we use performance testing at Pivot Sports Performance before deciding exactly what an athlete needs.

However, there are several physical qualities we commonly want runners to develop.

1. Squat Patterns

Examples include:

• Back squats

• Front squats

• Split squats

• Rear-foot elevated split squats

These exercises can develop lower-body force production through the hips, knees and ankles.

2. Hip-Dominant Strength

Examples include:

• Deadlifts

• Romanian deadlifts

• Hip thrusts

• Single-leg Romanian deadlifts

These can be particularly useful for developing the posterior chain, including the glutes and hamstrings.

3. Calf and Soleus Strength

This is a big one for runners.

Your calf complex repeatedly absorbs and produces force while running.

Depending on the athlete, programming may include:

• Straight-knee calf raises

• Bent-knee calf raises

• Heavy calf strengthening

• Single-leg variations

• Isometric work

Simply doing a few calf raises after a run is not necessarily enough.

Like every other muscle group, calf training should be progressively loaded.

4. Single-Leg Strength

Running is predominantly a single-leg activity.

Exercises such as split squats, step-ups, lunges and single-leg hinge variations allow us to develop force production and control on one leg.

5. Plyometrics

Strength is only part of the equation.

Running also requires you to produce and absorb force quickly.

Plyometric exercises can include:

• Pogos

• Hops

• Bounds

• Jumps

• Drop jumps

The appropriate exercise depends heavily on the runner's training experience and capacity.

More advanced is not automatically better.

Heavy Strength Training vs High Repetitions for Runners

This is where many running gym programs get it wrong.

Runners often assume:

"I need muscular endurance, so I should do 20 to 30 repetitions of everything."

But you already perform thousands of repetitions when you run.

The gym can provide a different stimulus.

Heavy resistance training can be particularly useful for improving maximal force production and running economy.

That does not mean every exercise needs to be performed for three repetitions with the heaviest weight you can lift.

Instead, programming should combine different qualities depending on the athlete.

A runner's program might contain heavier compound strength work, moderate-load accessory exercises, calf and tendon loading and appropriately prescribed plyometrics.

The goal is not simply to become good at lifting weights.

The goal is to use the gym to become a better runner.

How Often Should Runners Strength Train?

For many recreational runners, two well-designed strength sessions per week can be a practical starting point.

More is not necessarily better.

You need to consider your entire training week.

For example, a runner may already have:

• An interval session

• A tempo or threshold session

• Easy running

• A long run

• Strength training

Every session creates stress.

A common mistake is treating gym sessions and running sessions as completely separate.

Your body does not.

It experiences the combined training load.

This is why strength and running programming should be planned together.

For athletes who want their gym work programmed around their sport and running load, our Athlete Performance Program combines individualised strength and conditioning with ongoing performance testing and coaching.

When Should Runners Strength Train?

There is no perfect weekly schedule for everyone.

However, one principle we regularly use is:

Keep hard days hard and easy days easy.

For example, placing a harder strength session around an interval or faster running day may allow the athlete to maintain genuinely easier recovery days elsewhere in the week.

Alternatively, some runners perform strength after an easy run.

The right answer depends on your running volume, training age, injury history, work commitments and competition schedule.

What we generally want to avoid is accidentally creating seven moderately difficult days every week.

Recovery needs space in the program too.

Strength Training During Marathon Preparation

Strength training becomes particularly interesting during marathon preparation.

As running volume increases, runners often remove their gym sessions.

That can be a mistake.

The better strategy is often to adjust the dose rather than completely remove strength training.

Earlier in a preparation, there may be more room to build strength.

As race-specific running volume increases, gym volume may decrease while maintaining exposure to strength.

You do not necessarily need to keep adding more training.

You need to decide which physical qualities you are trying to build and which you simply need to maintain.

What About Strength Training for Injured Runners?

If you repeatedly experience the same running injury, simply resting until it feels better may not solve the problem.

Common running complaints can involve the:

• Achilles tendon

• Calf

• Knee

• Hamstring

• Hip

• Shin

• Foot and ankle

Pain and injury are complex and there is rarely one single cause.

However, understanding whether your body has enough physical capacity for the training you are asking it to perform can be extremely valuable.

This is where our integrated approach between sports physiotherapy, strength and conditioning and performance testing becomes important.

For athletes based in Melbourne's east, we also provide sports physiotherapy in Ringwood.

Instead of viewing rehabilitation and performance as two completely separate things, we want athletes progressing along the same continuum.

The goal is not simply:

"Does it hurt?"

Eventually we need to ask:

"Are you physically prepared for what you want to do?"

For athletes returning from a significant injury, our Return to Sport Testing assesses strength, power, jumping, capacity and psychological readiness before returning to competition.

Stop Guessing: Test Your Strength

This is one of the biggest differences between structured strength and conditioning and simply going to the gym.

We can test.

Rather than guessing whether you need stronger quads, calves or hamstrings, or whether power is limiting your performance, testing can help identify where your physical strengths and weaknesses actually sit.

Our Elite Athlete Blueprint Performance Testing assesses areas including:

• Injury history

• Range of motion

• Movement competency

• Strength

• Power

• Sprint performance

• Aerobic capacity

• Key performance indicators

We then use that information to help determine where your training should go next.

The process becomes:

Test → Train → Progress → Retest

Your program can then be built around what you actually need rather than a generic "strength program for runners" downloaded from the internet.

Get Your $500 Performance Testing Free

For a limited time, athletes who join Pivot's 12-Month Athlete Performance Program receive their initial performance testing FREE, valued at $500.

That means we can establish where you are starting, identify your strengths and weaknesses and use the data to help guide your individualised strength and conditioning program.

Instead of guessing what you need to improve, we measure it.

Learn more about our Athlete Performance Program and claim your free $500 performance testing.

What Does Strength Training for a Runner Actually Look Like?

A runner does not necessarily need five gym sessions every week.

A simple week could look something like:

Monday: Easy run + strength
Tuesday: Recovery/easy running
Wednesday: Intervals
Thursday: Strength
Friday: Easy run or recovery
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Rest/recovery

That is only an example.

A marathon runner completing 100 km per week requires a very different program from someone preparing for their first 10 km.

Your training should reflect your goals.

The Biggest Mistake Runners Make in the Gym

Trying to do everything.

More exercises.

More sets.

More fatigue.

More soreness.

That is not necessarily better strength and conditioning.

A good running strength program should provide enough stimulus to create adaptation without compromising the running sessions that matter.

You should not need three days to recover from every gym session.

The gym supports your running. It should not constantly compete with it.

Strength Training for Runners in Melbourne

Running performance is about more than kilometres.

If you want to run faster and consistently tolerate higher levels of training, your aerobic system and physical capacity need to develop together.

At Pivot Sports Performance, our Athlete Performance Program combines:

• Individualised strength and conditioning

• Performance testing and retesting

• Strength and power development

• Speed training

• Sports physiotherapy

• Injury rehabilitation

• Recovery strategies

• Coaching and supervision

Our performance facilities in Bundoora and Ringwood allow runners and athletes to train within an integrated high-performance environment.

Whether you are preparing for your first 10 km, chasing a marathon PB or simply want to stop bouncing between training and injury, we can help identify what your body needs and build a plan around it.

Ready to Stop Guessing With Your Training?

Join Pivot's 12-Month Athlete Performance Program and receive your $500 performance testing FREE for a limited time.

We'll test where you're at, identify what is holding you back and build your training around the results.

Learn more about the Athlete Performance Program and get started.

Or contact the Pivot Sports Performance team at our Bundoora or Ringwood facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should runners lift weights?

Yes. Appropriately programmed resistance training can complement running by developing strength, force production and physical capacity. Research also suggests certain forms of strength training can improve running economy.

How many times per week should a runner strength train?

For many recreational runners, two strength sessions per week is a practical starting point. The appropriate frequency depends on running volume, experience, goals and recovery capacity.

Should runners lift heavy or light weights?

Both can have a place, but runners should not automatically assume all strength training needs to involve light weights and high repetitions. Heavy resistance training can be useful for developing maximal strength and improving running economy.

Will strength training make me slower?

A well-designed program should support running performance rather than compromise it. Poorly planned training that creates excessive fatigue may interfere with running, which is why the overall training week needs to be considered.

What muscles should runners strengthen?

Runners need capacity throughout the lower body rather than one "magic" muscle. The calves, soleus, quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes are all important, alongside trunk strength and whole-body capacity.

Are squats good for runners?

Squats can be an excellent strength exercise for runners, but they are one tool rather than an essential exercise for everyone. Exercise selection should depend on the individual athlete.

Are calf raises important for runners?

Yes. The calf complex plays an important role in absorbing and producing force during running. Progressive calf and soleus strengthening can therefore be an important component of a runner's strength program.

Can I strength train while preparing for a marathon?

Yes. Strength training can be maintained during marathon preparation, although volume and intensity may need to change as running load increases.

Should I strength train before or after running?

It depends on the purpose of each session and the structure of your week. If both are performed on the same day, the session most important to your current training goal will often receive priority.

Where can I do strength and conditioning for running in Melbourne?

Pivot Sports Performance provides individualised strength and conditioning, performance testing and sports physiotherapy from our facilities in Bundoora and Ringwood, Melbourne.

Athletes joining our 12-Month Athlete Performance Program can currently receive their $500 initial performance testing free for a limited time.