The Benefits of Strength Training for Running

Anyone who laces up a pair of shoes and hits the pavement is a runner in my books. Not matter how often or infrequently you do it. It’s only natural for someone that runs to want to get better and faster. Why spend all that time and energy doing it if you’re not going to improve, right? A large portion of improving your running is actually running itself, however, an often neglected or unknown part of improving your running is through strength training. Without getting into too much of the science, strength training produces multiple benefits for the body that will cross over to your running. Benefits such as, increased muscle capacity, increased tendon and ligament strength, increased ability to utilise and break down lactic acid and increased bone density. These improvements serve not only to make you a faster runner, they will also make you less likely to get injured. Which in my 10 years of run/triathlon coaching, is one of the main reasons that I see people not achieving their goals. With the modernisation of training methods and equipment, strength training has an even more beneficial effect on running as you can more easily target the direct muscle systems and muscle slings that are used in running to greater effect. Equipment at ACTV such as the TRX, Landmines, Powerbands and Slant Boards and more modern exercises using traditional equipment such as barbells and dumbbells have changed the game when it comes to strength training for runners. We can train more functionally and get more benefit in less time. With the Gold Coast marathon events (5, 10, 21 & 42k) coming up in July, there’s never been a better time to lace up and use your ACTV membership to help improve your running and achieve your goals. Don’t forget, with every ACTV membership you get access to ACTV Online which contains 3 structured runs per week which you can use in combination with your ACTV gym membership to get amazing results.