The Benefits of Weight Training for Runners

If you’re a runner and you are not doing any weight training you are missing a lot of benefits. While you don’t need to spend loads of time in the gym, or become a strength training enthusiast, it should be an important a part of your training, just as much as actually running.

Here’s why:

1. Injury prevention – The best way to ensure you minimise the risk of injury is to be as strong and mobile as possible. A lot of common running injuries are due to a lack of strength in key muscles.

Spending some time in the gym will ‘bullet-proof’ your body, allowing you to get more miles in.

2. Better movement patterns – Running technique breaks down as you get tired, and that is when you’re most likely to get injured (not to mention slow down). If you’re stronger you will be better able to hold position and continue to run with better technique.

3. More efficient running – Technique maintenance increases efficiency. As you start to break down in technique, you start leaking energy that is not propelling you forwards. The best runners are the ones who can maintain their form the longest – because they have plenty of strength.

4. Increased endurance – Being stronger means you are working at a lower capacity of your potential. This will allow you to easier maintain the output for longer.