If It Hurts Don't Stretch It

When something hurts the first thing many people try to do is “stretch it out,” but this can prolong your pain. Now, there’s nothing wrong with stretching; it’s just that you’re probably targeting the wrong area. This is where some kind of an assessment by a chiropractor or physiotherapist is key. There are no good or bad exercises in general for any painful area. Only an assessment can ultimately tell us what will be of use. However, I've provided some general guidelines. 

Tips

Painful Area: Muscle

Solution: Stretching an injured muscle places even more strain on that muscle. In many cases that muscle wasn’t strained because it was weak but because it was overworked. Once the muscle is healed focus on strengthening other muscles that perform the same action as the injured muscle (i.e. strengthen the muscle’s synergists).

Painful Area: Knees and Low Back

Solution: Joint segments such as the knee and the low back area are often injured because they move excessively in response to poor movement at adjacent joint segments.  Instead of performing stretches or mobilizations for a painful joint try improving range of motion at the hips and ankles.

Painful Area: Low Back

Solution: Stretching the back often gives temporary relief, but could be giving you problems in the long run. Instead of stretching the low back improve the strength of the glutes and abdominal muscles. Perform glute bridges, clam shells, and plank variations.

When done properly (i.e. without flexing or extending the low back) the bird dog is a great exercise for those with low back pain.

Painful Area: Shoulder

Solution: The shoulder is the least stable joint in your body. Instead of stretching the smaller rotator cuff muscles stretch larger muscles such as the pecs and lats. In addition, perform shoulder stabilization exercises such as farmer’s walks, waiter’s walks, push-ups, and rowing variations.  

Painful Area: Neck

Solution: Visit a chiropractor. The neck is a rather delicate area.

Painful Area: Butt (Sciatica)

Solution: Again, a chiropractic adjustment may be needed. Many sources suggest stretching the piriformis a deep butt muscle, but according to Shirley Sahrmann this muscle is typically already in a lengthened position on the painful side. Thus, if stretching the outside of your hips (or performing squats, lunges, or deadlifts) increases your symptoms, then try clam shells.

Stretching is beneficial to your body, but don’t stretch painful areas. Instead, seek an expert and try the tips listed above. 

Stay fit,

Jonathan

Gait Retraining for Shinsplints

I’ve read a lot of articles and books on injury prevention and biomechanics for running and I’ve been disappointed with what has been written with regards to shin-splints. In fact, the physiotherapy textbook Movement System Impairment Syndromes (2011) by the highly regarded Shirley Sahrmann only has a couple paragraphs devoted to the subject.

My main issue has been that the research often equates “shin-splints” with “medial tibial stress syndrome” (MTSS). But, MTSS is a bone injury. What about all those runners who complain about the front of their shins feeling stiff? Is this due to simply having a weak tibilias anterior? This was my case in grades 9/10. I trained this muscle by leaning back against a wall and using my shin muscles to pull my feet up. The recommendation was three sets of ten, but I couldn’t even perform one set. Improving the strength of my tibilias anterior gave me temporary relief and may have set me up for success later down the road. I’ve always wondered if these symptoms could be due to blood getting trapped in around the shins. This is called compartment syndrome and in extreme cases requires surgical intervention to release the pressure. Fortunately, I can only think of one runner who required this: Said Aouita, arguably the most versatile runner to ever live.

A recent study on shin-splints by Breen and Colleagues (2015) used the terms “chronic exertional compartment syndrome”, “exercise induced lower leg pain”, and “anterior exertional lower leg pain”. They listed symptoms as incremental pain on exercise described as “tightness” or “constricting pain”. The pain gets worse until the runner is forced to stop. Often the pain reduces the function of the lower leg causing the foot to slap. Symptoms are usually worse when running uphill and will only decrease with rest. Myofascial release, stretching, orthotics, massage, and reduced training have been used to treat this condition, but with little success.

Previously Diebal and Colleagues (2012 and 2011) had good outcomes on reducing symptoms through teaching runners to adopt a forefoot strike. Adopting a forefoot strike might be ultimately how I eliminated my shin-splints. Drawing upon this research, Breen and Colleagues (2015) went one step further and taught runners with shin-splints several ways to reduce the exertion on their lower legs. Using video analysis they were able to show the runners what technical mistakes they were making and then used video analysis to show improvements. Technical changes were given through verbal feedback and sessions consisted of drills and walk/runs. Verbal cues were catered to the runner and included the following:

            Midfoot strike

            Earlier foot lift-off to promote greater stride frequency

Slightly increased hip flexion (i.e. lifting the knees higher to offset any shuffling from the increased stride frequency)

Decreased forward lean

 

As expected the initial changes in technique led to an increase in effort. Magness reports research in The Science of Running (2014) that runners are most economical at their self-selected stride length. However, after one year following the intervention 9 out of the 10 subjects responded to the gait changes with 7 runners running pain-free and one runner now able to run pain-free for 80 minutes. The extra training volume would easily overcome any temporary decreases in running economy.

A recent review study supports Breen’s and Colleagues (2015) results. Sullivan (2015) highlights research showing that gait retraining in the form of changing to a midfoot or forefoot strike as well as increasing stride frequency by 10-15% is effective at preventing lower extremity overuse injuries. He was careful to note that changing to a midfoot or forefoot strike alone wasn’t enough to reduce ground reaction forces. The foot must land under the body.

             

Adopting a forefoot or midfoot strike, increasing stride frequency, and decreasing forward lean are all ways to eliminate shin-splints. Gait retraining is an effective way to eliminate shins-splints and other overuse injuries in the lower body.

References

Effects of forefoot running on chronic exertional compartment syndrome: a case series by A. R. Diebal and Colleagues (2011)

Forefoot Running Improves Pain and Disability Associated with Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome by A. R. Diebal and Colleages (2012)

Gait Re-Training to Alleviate the Symptoms of Anterior Exertional Lower Leg Pain: A Case Series by David T. Breen and Colleagues (2015)

Movement System Impairment Syndromes of the Extremities, Cervical and Thoracic Spines by Shirley Sahrmann (2011)

Retraining Running Gait to Prevent Lower Extremity Overuse Injuries: A Review of Literature by Daniel P. Sullivan (2015)

The Science of Running by Steve Magness (2014)

Stay fit,

Jonathan Pratt

Pratt's Pro Fitness

Maintaining Spinal Health (Part 2)

In Part 1 I discussed the importance of posture for spinal health and how posture affected muscle tightness. Read Part 1 here. Just recently, I had my intern Melissa Parks perform the breathing exercise in that piece. After 5 breaths her back pain was gone and she had improved shoulder mobility.

Part 2: Mobility and Stability

When I meet with potential clients I always assess their movement capabilities. Using the criteria from Functional Movement Systems movement can fall into four categories:

Functional Non-Painful

Dysfunctional Non-Painful

Functional Painful

Dysfunctional Painful

The painful movements are handled by a health care provider, although I regularly work with clients experiencing chronic pain. I eliminate all the painful movements from the program and attack all the dysfunctional non-painful movements. You can still get in a full workout with low back or knee pain.

Often attacking dysfunctional movement elsewhere can eliminate your pain. A 2007 review paper by Wainner and Colleagues called this regional interdependence – each segment of the body impacts other segments. They identified a number of studies that supported this. In particular, the hip was often involved with low back pain.

I look at full body movement as well as breaking the body down into segments. A simple yet effective way of training each segment of your body is Mike Boyle’s and Gray Cook’s Joint-by-Joint Approach to Training (Cook and Colleagues, 2010). While all joints require a basic level of mobility and stability, some areas require more of one than the other. For the purpose of this article I’ll define mobility as the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion and stability as the ability to control that motion.

Requirements According to the Joint-by-Joint Approach

Ankle: Mobility

Knee: Stability

Hip: Mobility

Lumbar Spine: Stability

Thoracic Spine: Mobility

Scapulothoracic Joint: Stability

Glenohumeral Joint: Mobility

Notice how the lumbar spine requires a lot of stability rather than mobility. Many people have more than enough mobility here. Hence, I don’t recommend stretching your low back unless otherwise recommended by your chiropractor. While I have many of my clients perform five gentle repetitions of cat/camel from yoga as recommended by Stuart McGill (McGill, 2007), I don’t have them performing any sort of sustained low back stretches. Stretching the low back often feels good temporarily, but may be preventing you from eliminating your back problems for good (McGill, 2007). In pain-free individuals some spinal movement is encouraged as it enhances nutrient uptake into the spinal discs (Contreras and Schoenfeld, 2011).

Note: Eliminate any exercise that causes pain.

Stuart McGill found that 5-6 repetitions of the cat/camel greatly reduced low back stiffness, but there was little gain from performing more than this (McGill, 2007).

In addition to the Joint-by-Joint Approach we can learn from Vladimir Janda. Decades ago he saw that most people had the same dysfunctions. He called these common dysfunctions upper and lower crossed syndrome. From Janda we learn that it’s beneficial to strengthen the gluteals, anterior core muscles (particularly the external obliques), and lower traps, while stretching the hip flexors, pectorals, and lats (Page and Colleagues, 2010).

I’m going to focus on lumbar stability and hip mobility in this piece, because they seem to be most often related to low back pain.

Hip Mobility

Foam roll: Focus on the quad/hip flexors, hip adductors (inner thighs), and hip external rotators (butt) 

 Static and dynamic stretches: work on the same muscle groups as with the foam roller. You can either hold the stretches for 30-60 sec or move in and out of the stretched position.

Core Stability: The low back muscles are often strong enough, because they're overworked due to lack of support from the gluteals and abdominal muscles. Instead of performing hundreds of crunches it's better for your back to perform anti-extension and anti-rotation exercises. In addition, strengthen your glutes.

A resistance band can also be used.

Many people - especially those with low back pain - require improved mobility in the hips and improved stability in the lumbar spine. The low back also requires support from the gluteals and abdominal muscles.

Stay fit,

Jonathan Pratt

Pratt's Pro Fitness

Maintaining Spinal Health (Part 1)

Recently, I was a guest speaker on spinal health at Inside Out Chiropractic where my gym is located. I spoke about how exercise could both maintain spinal health and in some cases eliminate low back pain. In addition, I demonstrated safe ways to repetitively lift light objects and how to lift heavy objects.

Spinal health was a good topic for me. I wasn’t good at any of the team sports when I was young, so I didn’t get a lot of physical activity. It wasn’t until I was in grade 7 where participation in volleyball and basketball were mandatory at our school that I started to enjoy physical activity. I also added weight training and track and field (400 m) that year.

Because I wasn’t very active early I lost some basic mobility and stability. When I began strength training the exercises I performed focused solely on the muscles on the front side of my body. So, by the time I was finished high school I had decent strength and I was a good runner, but by low back hurt when I slept (and sometimes when running), I couldn’t touch my toes, and I had difficulty sitting up straight for long periods.

Why Is Spinal Health Important?

Spinal health is important firstly because of the nerves branching off from your spinal cord. A vertebra that’s out of place or poor posture can pinch these nerves causing radiating pain. Moreover, damage to any of the spinal structures (e.g. discs, ligaments, or vertebrae) can have pain associated with it. While this pain in itself is unpleasant pain alters muscle tone and movement strategies. That is, some muscles develop increased tension, while others become inhibited/weak. There are short-term benefits to this but long-term consequences such as more pain from overuse or decreased performance.

Keys to Maintaining Spinal Health

In order to maintain or improve spinal health we need to work on number of things:

Posture

Mobility and Stability

Fundamental Movements

Strength and Conditioning

Technique

While each of these is important to spinal health the qualities higher on the list have an effect on those lower on the list.

Important Notes

If you experience pain you need to get it checked out by a healthcare professional. The healthcare professional can accurately diagnose your pain and place you on the proper treatment plan. They can also provide you with a list of contraindicated exercises, which may include some of the exercises in this series of posts. This is important as the exercise that helped eliminate Steve’s low back pain could exacerbate yours. Furthermore, manual therapy is often required along with exercise for a successful outcome.

Part 1: Posture

Good posture is important for spinal health as previously mentioned in the introduction. Moreover, posture affects muscle tone and how we breathe, which indirectly affects the other keys to maintaining spinal health. Some common postures are a rounded upper back/forward head and an arched back/anterior pelvic tilt.

According to the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI) created by Ron Hruska, posture can be improved by spending time in the right position (and avoiding the wrong positions), improving breathing, and performing various exercises to work on your deficiencies.  

Spending time in the right position improves posture, but it takes a long time. Be patient. If you have the posture issues listed earlier you can achieve the right position by lying on your back with your feet up as shown in the PRI video below. This brings your head into alignment and reduces the arch in the low back without having to work at it. I like to read from this position.

We also need to avoid the wrong positions. Avoid sitting for too long especially in a slouched position or with your head protruding forward. The amount of compressive force on the lumbar spine is 11 times greater when seated than when lying down, but it’s only three times greater when standing (McGill, 2007). However, some people are required to sit for long periods for work or school. In this case, Dr. Stuart McGill suggests that you constantly change your sitting position to alter the stress on your back and to frequently stand and take a moment to reach as tall as you can. Another good idea would be to limit the amount of time of spend wearing high heeled shoes.

Improving breathing often speeds up the process of improving posture. We want to be belly breathing almost exclusively while at rest gaining assistance by raising the chest up and out as we work harder. We want to avoid shrugging the shoulders when we breathe.

The easiest way to learn belly breathing is through crocodile breathing. Perform for up to 10min at a time. Be careful when you get up just in case you’re light-headed.

Expand your belly as you inhale using the floor for feedback.

For those who have an excessive arch in their low back PRI’s balloon breathing exercises work well. I’ve found using a balloon to be the most effective way of performing these exercises, but resisting your breath with a straw or pursed lips works well too.   

Using your legs lift yourself up slightly so that the low back is gently pressed into the floor. Inhale fully through your nose and allow your breath to expand your belly. Next, exhale fully (try for 10 sec), which will cause a contraction in your abdominal muscles.

Posture can be bettered through improved breathing, maintaining the right position, and various exercises (introduced later). Improved posture is key to maintaining a healthy spine.

Stay fit,

Jonathan Pratt
Pratt's Pro Fitness

The Problem with Nutrition Information

Nutrition is a highly debated topic and part of this reason is due to the misrepresentation of scientific research. In the end, if we tried to eliminate every food we’ve been told is bad for us there wouldn’t be much left to eat. The key is to focus on eating high-quality food.

Nutrition Science

Ideally, our nutrition information should come from randomized controlled studies (RCTs) from reputable scientific journals. These journals have a peer-review process that helps to prevent bad science from being published. An RCT administers an eating protocol to one group (the experimental group), while another group continues to eat normally (the control group) and the results are compared. Other groups of researchers then try to verify these results on different populations and under different circumstances. After a number of papers have been published, someone will compile the results of these studies into a meta-analysis or write a review paper on the subject. This helps eliminate some of the bad science that has slipped through the cracks and increases the odds that the original findings weren’t due to chance.

Instead, we tend to get our nutrition information from articles written by those who don’t understand the science or by those who aren’t interested in research that contradicts their beliefs. These articles tend to be based on research using observational data. In observational research an experiment hasn’t been conducted. Data is compiled based on the results of questionnaires. This research is dependent on your ability to remember how you’ve been eating for the last year or so. It turns out that people tend to think they eat much less and exercise much more than they think they do. However, the goal of observational research isn’t to make policies but to generate hypotheses that can then be tested through RCTs.  

If we combine all of the ideas from the various nutrition camps into one list it means we should try to limit our intake of carbs, fats (especially saturated fats), meat (especially red meat), dairy, grains, legumes, soy, and foods high in cholesterol. What’s left?

What these groups tend to forget is that food quality is important. Even in the scientific literature this often isn’t controlled. Thus we fall into the trap of believing statements such as “red meat is worse for your health than smoking.” Grass-fed beef and fast-food hamburger come from the same creature, but should they really be lumped together into the same category? If you dig a little deeper you’ll find that every cell in your body requires cholesterol, saturated fat is required for building certain key hormones, and carbs are a high-energy fuel source that suppress cortisol and also play a role in thyroid function. This is not to say that there aren’t individual differences; some people have celiac disease or are lactose intolerant or process carbs better than others. However, we need to start by shifting our focus from highly processed foods to natural foods before we should start to worry about minor issues such as macronutrient ratios or whether or not we should be drinking cows’ milk.  

The healthiest foods usually don't have labels proclaiming their health benefits.   

What’s the Difference?

Processed foods differ from natural whole foods in that they are made to taste better and last longer. While this sounds great it comes at a cost. In the act of processing food much of the vitamin and mineral content is lowered while the fibre and omega-3 fatty acids are removed. Sugar is then added for flavour as well as other ingredients which may be potentially unhealthy. Eating foods with a lot of sugar will increase your risk for developing diabetes and obesity. As well, foods with a poor omega-3 to omega-6 ratio or with a high sugar content increase inflammation in the body increasing the risk of heart disease.

In order to lower your risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease you should focus on eating nutritionally dense whole foods instead of highly processed ‘foods’.   

Stay fit,

Jonathan Pratt

Pratt's Pro Fitness

Strength Training for Runners (Part 3)

Designing a strength training program for runners isn’t easy. Research has just scratched the surface on how to apply strength training to running.

Our goal with resistance training is to improve performance and reduce the risk of injury. In order to improve performance we need to be able to recruit a high number of motor units. This is done through lifting heavy weights or moving very fast. Reducing the risk of injury is done by working on muscle imbalances and developing the strength of the tendons and ligaments through low to moderate resistances.

Running Specific Exercises

A common complaint with strength training exercises is that they’re not sport-specific. I agree! The goal of strength training is to develop general qualities in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Additionally, there are some risks to performing loaded movements that mimic a sport movement: there’s some research that indicates that this may interfere with skill development. Another potential risk is that of developing an overuse injury. So, instead of looking for movements that mimic the running motion it’s best to utilize exercises that focus on simultaneous extension of the hips, knees, and ankles. As the season progresses the focus shifts from slower movements to faster movements. For example, the emphasis can shift from squats to Olympic lifts to plyometrics.

Frequency

Weightlifters lift weights as often as twice a day, and team sport athletes typically lift 3-4 times a week during the off-season. I believe runners should perform two days of strength training per week. Once a week is so infrequent that it may cause excessive muscle soreness after each workout. Three sessions is probably unnecessary as a little strength goes a long way and more strength training eats up time and energy that could otherwise be devoted to running more. After all, running is the most important part of the program! 

Marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe performing the back squat. 

Volume

Strength/power athletes often perform more than 5 sets of the key exercises. For runners I use no more than 3 sets. The number of repetitions per set is determined by the training phase, exercise, and experience.

Power Training

The highest recorded power outputs in any movement occur during the Olympic lifts. Thus, if you have access to someone who can teach them then use them. If not, plyometrics are still an excellent choice. Start with box jumps and then work up to continuous hurdle hops on one leg. Avoid depth jumps as they should be left for very strong individuals (ex. A below parallel double bodyweight squat).

Power exercises should be performed for very low reps (1-5 for Olympic lifts and 5-10 for plyometric exercises) to maintain a high level of quality and safety.

Strength Training

Both bilateral (performed on both legs) and unilateral (performed on one leg) lower body exercises are great. Bilateral exercises such as the squat and deadlift not only train the legs, but stress the core muscles as well. Unilateral exercises such as the lunge, single leg squat, and single leg deadlift develop leg strength and challenge hip and core stability. Unilateral exercises are great for those with back pain. If you don’t have access to a strength coach the best options are front squats and unilateral exercises. Avoid the deadlift!

Most runners should perform strength exercises for 5-8 reps per with a 1-2 sec eccentric phase (i.e. the lowering phase) and then moving as quickly as possible while maintaining good technique during the concentric phase (i.e. raising the weight). The squat and deadlift can be performed for lower reps once the runner has developed good technique and a solid base of strength.

Joint Health

Although training in the 8-12 rep range (at the same speed as in the previous paragraph) isn’t as effective at developing strength it can improve joint health by developing tendon and ligament strength. I usually leave this loading scheme for unilateral exercises.

Upper Body Exercises

While the upper body doesn’t provide propulsion, its movements certainly have an effect on how the lower body works. Thus, I include upper body strength exercises, but with lower emphasis.

Isolation Exercises

For the most part athletes want to avoid isolation exercises as the brain only knows movements not muscles. However, certain muscles tend to become weak and may benefit from isolation work, while others develop excessive tone. Of particular importance are the gluteus maximus and external obliques as well as the hip abductors and external rotators. Exercises such as the glute bridge, clam shell, plank variations, and the band resisted shuffle are great for improving form and preventing injuries. These exercises can be done for 10-30 reps per set.

In order to improve performance and prevent injuries runners should perform two strength training sessions per week focusing on movements that train triple extension with accessory exercises focusing on hip and core strength. 

Stay fit,

Jonathan Pratt

Pratt's Pro Fitness

Strength Training for Runners (Part 2)

Strength training benefits a runner in two ways: improved performance and a reduced risk of injury.

Runners training at Pratt's Pro Fitness. From left to right: Matt Walters (3:40 1500 m/44th at World XC 2012), Nick Walters (2008 OFSAA Steeplechase champion), and Adriaan Vandermeer (NDA Senior XC Champion 2014)

Improved Performance

A number of studies over the last 15 years have shown that a variety of resistance training methods improve running performance by allowing the runner to become more economical. Even well-trained runners can expect improvement in running performance over the course of 9 weeks (Yamamoto, 2008).

Rather than improving running economy through enhancing the aerobic system, strength training improves biomechanical and neuromuscular qualities. According to Darcy Norman in High-Performance Training for Sports (Joyce and Lewindon, 2014) a stronger athlete “has to produce less relative force … which then creates a decreased energy demand.” He goes on to describe how elastic recoil of the tendons is important for reduced energy cost. However, Norman goes on to say, “without having good relative strength, the muscle is unable to maintain the contraction needed to maximize the elastic properties of the tendon.” Having good elastic recoil of the tendons also improves speed through increased stride length and decreased ground contact time.

Furthermore, Steve Magness tells us in The Science of Running (2014) that strength training allows the runner to be able to recruit more muscle fibres (or more correctly motor units). No one can recruit all of their motor units, but stronger runners can recruit a higher percentage. Thus, as motor units fatigue a strong runner is able to recruit other more rested motor units allowing her to maintain her pace.

Injury Prevention

While we all enjoy running personal bests sometimes the best way to achieve faster times occurs through indirect means. If you’re injured you can’t train properly. Strength training develops the muscles, tendons, and ligaments so that they can sustain higher workloads (Zatsiorsky, 2006). Strength training is also the most effective method for increasing bone density thereby reducing the risk of stress fractures and osteoporosis (Drabik, 1996).

In summary, strength training is beneficial to runners because it improves running performance through improved efficiency. It also indirectly improves performance by reducing the risk of injury.

Stay fit,

Jonathan Pratt

Pratt's Pro Fitness 

Strength Training for Runners (Part 1)

Strength training is a highly debated topic amongst runners; some believe it’s a waste of time and could hinder performance, whereas others swear by it. The former group either hasn’t tried strength training or tried and failed. There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding strength training for runners and even many elite runners are performing poorly designed workouts with poor exercise technique. If you’re not willing to perform a strength program designed by someone who dedicates their life to learning about strength training, then you are probably better off not strength training. However, strength training for runners is supported by the scientific literature and performed by many of the most successful runners of all time. Here are some notable runners that follow(ed) a strength training program:

Herb Elliott: 1960 Olympic 1500 m champion, undefeated at 1500 m and the mile

Sebastian Coe: 1980/1984 Olympic 1500 m champion/800 m silver medalist, world record holder at 800 m (16 years), 1000 m (19 years), 1500 m, and 1 mile

Hicham El Guerrouj: 4 time world 1500 m champion, 2004 Olympic 1500 m/5000 m champion, current world record holder at 1500 m, 1 mile, and 2000 m

Mo Farah: World and Olympic Champion at 5000 m/10000 m

Paula Radcliffe: Current women’s world record holder in the marathon

Sebastian Coe left no stone unturned. Coe could squat to below parallel with 190 lbs for 5 reps at a bodyweight of 130 lbs (Martin and Coe, 1997).

In Part 1 I will discuss common reasons runners avoid strength training. Part 2 will discuss the benefits of strength training for runners, and Part 3 will discuss how I program strength training for runners at Pratt's Pro Fitness.

Common Reasons Runners Avoid Strength Training

Fear of Bulking Up

Having large muscles does indeed hinder running performance, but don’t worry. Much to the chagrin of many teenage boys gaining muscle mass isn’t easy. Significant muscle hypertrophy requires hard work, a good program, the right diet, and good genetics. The difference between a strength training program for runners versus a program for bodybuilders, weightlifters, powerlifters, strongmen, or even team sport athletes is that the program for runners involves lower training frequency, duration, and rate of perceived exertion (RPE). In addition, high volumes of running is counterproductive to building muscle (Joyce and Lewindon, 2014). With the right program the runner will gain strength with little to no gains in muscle mass.

They tried and failed

Runners often fail with strength training, because they do too much volume. Running is an endurance sport so it makes sense to train for muscular endurance. So, you look up how to train muscular endurance and sources may tell you 3 sets of 20 reps at 30-50% 1RM. Twenty reps is too many to develop strength and too few to develop endurance for a sport that requires hundreds to thousands of muscle contractions (Joyce and Lewindon, 2014). This type of work also develops a lot of fatigue. Instead, muscular endurance can be built by performing hill repeats or performing long runs and tempo workouts on hilly courses.

Another mistake runners make is that they train too hard in the weight room. The most important part of a runner’s program is the running component. Strength training is important, but working too hard in the gym uses up energy that could be better directed toward your running. A little strength goes a long way!

Runners also fail to see improvements with strength training, because they train on their own with a poorly designed program. I’ve even seen videos of elite runners performing exercises poorly. Other runners will perform exercises that are too advanced for their level of strength, perform bodybuilding routines, or train with too much volume. No wonder strength training doesn’t work for runners!

This is how most people look when performing the inchworm a push-up

Risk of Injury

Lifting weights happens to be one of the safest physical activities one can do when properly supervised. Hamill (1994) showed that the risk of developing an injury while training for the sport of weightlifting or engaging in weight training was significantly lower than training for running or any of the team sports. Weight training is also good for young athletes. A meta-analysis published in the journal Pediatrics collected 60 years’ worth of research showing that strength training – including with weights – was both safe and effective for ages 6-18 (Behringer and Colleagues, 2010).  

Believing that hills are all you need

Some runners will develop enough strength from hills to run well and stay injury free. I can’t deny that there are a number of elite runners that have succeeded using hill work instead of weight training. However, I can’t promise that you will achieve the necessary level of strength without weight training. In 2011 I removed weight training from my program to test the efficacy of solely using hills for strength training. Not only did I notice the strength loss, but I didn’t even feel well. In addition to hills, certain weight training exercises may be needed to fix the muscle imbalances that have been causing your injuries. 

In conclusion, there are numerous reasons why runners avoid strength training due to misconceptions and poor programming. 

Stay fit,

Jonathan Pratt
Pratt's Pro Fitness