Custom Running Schedule - AI-Powered Training Program

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Does running require strength training? This is a common question among many runners. Although running is an aerobic exercise, muscle endurance is one of the most important factors for running long distances. Without sufficient muscle endurance, even the best cardiovascular capacity cannot support continuous forward movement.

You may have experienced this: towards the end of a running race, you are not out of breath, but you feel weak. Your legs become increasingly heavy. Besides issues like glycogen depletion, another important reason is insufficient muscle strength, causing muscles to be unable to sustain prolonged exercise, thus reducing efficiency.

For such situations, runners need to perform strength training targeting key muscle groups involved in running to stabilize running posture, extend endurance, improve performance, and prevent injuries.

How does strength training help with running?

1. Improve running efficiency

If core muscle strength is insufficient, the body will easily sway with running movements, wasting energy. Adequate core muscle strength can keep the body stable, allowing every arm swing and leg lift to propel you forward.

2. Reduce sports injuries

The legs bear the most impact during running. Most running injuries are concentrated in the lower body, such as the feet, ankles, knees, and hip joints. Proper training of leg and hip muscles can effectively absorb impact, preventing injuries to joints, fascia, or bones.

3. Enhance muscle endurance

Here, endurance refers to muscle endurance, which is the ability of muscles to sustain long-distance running for extended periods. This can be developed through regular running and improved through well-planned strength training. The two complement each other, and you will find running increasingly easier.

What does muscle strength training include?

Running posture is crucial, especially in long-distance races where posture tends to deteriorate in the later stages. Core strength, particularly in the waist and abdomen, is essential. Even as someone who doesn't do much strength training, I perform core strength exercises like planks to maintain stable running posture.

Muscle strength training involves multiple repetitions and sets of rhythmic weight-bearing exercises to improve muscle strength, endurance, and shape.

Strength training is mainly anaerobic exercise, such as weighted squats and push-ups. However, by using light weights with high repetitions and multiple sets, we can incorporate the benefits of aerobic exercise, breaking down lactic acid produced by anaerobic metabolism and reducing muscle discomfort.

What should be noted in muscle strength training?

Enhancing muscle strength can better protect joints and reduce injuries, but it requires scientific and gradual training. Blindly pursuing quantity over quality can be harmful. The number of sets and weights should be manageable.

From the perspective of enhancing muscle strength to run faster, it is not the most efficient training strategy. Personally, I believe a combination of interval runs, pace runs, and long slow distance (LSD) runs is sufficient for marathon training.

In medicine, we often use the concept of a rubber band to describe muscles. When a rubber band is constantly stretched, it can easily break. Similarly, muscles in a prolonged state of fatigue are unhealthy. Proper rest and recovery are meaningful.

How to perform bodyweight strength training?

For general runners, bodyweight strength training that can be done anywhere is sufficient. Training with high repetitions and low resistance focuses on enhancing muscle endurance and stabilizing core muscle groups, helping maintain good running posture and delaying muscle fatigue.

1. Front plank

Support your body with elbows and toes, tighten your abdomen, and keep your head, shoulders, waist, hips, knees, and ankles in a straight line. Hold the position for 30 seconds per set, doing three sets with a one-minute rest between sets. The front plank is a basic core muscle exercise that trains the lower abdomen, hips, and lower back muscles, greatly aiding movement stability.

2. Reverse plank

Lie on your back with your heels close to your hips, place your hands on either side of your body, lift your waist, and keep your shoulders, waist, and knees in a straight line. This exercise mainly trains the lower back muscles.Start with 30 seconds per set, doing three sets with a rest of no more than one minute between sets. Gradually increase the time per set as you adapt.

3. Side plank

Support your body with one hand and one foot, lift your waist and hips, and keep your head, shoulders, hips, and feet in a straight line. The side of your body should be perpendicular to the ground, without tilting forward or backward. Start with 30 seconds per set, doing three sets, switching sides after each set.The side plank trains the external oblique, intercostal, and serratus anterior muscles, teaching you to adjust your body's center of gravity with your hips rather than your legs.

4. Bird-dog

Kneel on all fours with hands shoulder-width apart, knees under the pelvis, and hands under the shoulders. Keep your back level, extend your right hand forward, and straighten and lift your left leg, keeping it level with the ground. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat for three sets.The bird-dog exercise trains the often weaker back muscles of runners, helping maintain stable running posture in the later stages of a race.

5. Squats

Find a wall, press your shoulders, waist, back, and hips against it, tighten your abdomen, look forward, and slowly squat down, keeping your knees from bending beyond 90 degrees and parallel to the front.Squats are excellent multi-joint strength exercises that simultaneously train the waist, abdomen, hips, thighs, and ankles, particularly benefiting hip strength and stability.

6. Single-leg squats

Stand on one leg, keep your upper body upright, slowly squat down without bending your knee beyond 90 degrees, then slowly stand up and return to the starting position. Start with 10 repetitions, resting for one minute between sets, doing three sets, then switch sides.Single-leg squats primarily train the quadriceps, ankles, and hips, teaching runners to control their body using different joints and centers of gravity.

7. Calf raises

Use the balls of your feet to exert force, slowly lift your ankles, then slowly lower them, maintaining balance throughout. Repeat 15-20 times per set, resting for one minute between sets, doing three sets.Calf raises train calf strength, maintain calf muscle endurance and elasticity, and greatly aid ankle stability.

Summary

In summary, if your goal is to run a marathon, you don't need to invest too much in strength training. Focus on a scientific and effective running plan. Refer to marathon training books and create your own training plan. Generally, the weekend long run should not exceed the total mileage of the midweek runs, and weekly mileage should increase by 15%.

In short, what suits you best is the best. Don't worry about the speed and distance of a single training session. Take it slow, and as your overall mileage increases, quality will naturally improve, and speed will naturally increase. Finally, I wish everyone happy running.