Strength training and building muscle is important for runners, but most people believe marathons only need endurance and stamina training. This is false because you need muscle and core strength to prevent injuries. It can also help you become an efficient runner on your next marathon because building muscles gives you more strength. That strength allows you to run faster. If you have an important marathon event coming up soon, then you want to start training right immediately.
Read on to learn about the 6 ways that can help you build muscle and core strength for excellent running performance.
1- Planks
Doing planks every day is a great way to train your back, shoulders, and core. Planks are a great way to train up your core strength and doing it every day will only make you stronger. It gives you the support you need for the rest of your muscles. Strong abdominal and core muscles allow you to move better, faster, and longer. Running a marathon won’t be difficult if you have this type of strength.
2- Squats
One of the most important muscles that every runner needs to strengthen is their legs. Squats can help you achieve this by working your quads, knees, hamstrings, and glutes. The best and effective way to do squats is with a bar and some weights, but some people might lose balance or do the technique incorrectly. You can click here to learn about power racks and cages that can hold your bar tightly in place. This means no shifting or wrong techniques that can harm your body. Strong legs will give you that extra push when you’re running, allowing you to go faster and withstand that speed without hurting yourself.
3- Plyometrics
You need the short and explosive plyometric exercises that give your muscles that level of intensity for maximum speed. There are different ways to do plyometric exercises and they all have their advantages. You can go for reverse lunge knee-ups, burpees, box jumps, squat jumps, or lateral bounds. All of these choices can strengthen your muscles and improve your speed significantly if you do them with speed and intensity.
4- Leg Curls
You should realize that leg curls are quite beneficial for your lower back and leg strength. This will improve your longevity when you run without stopping at all. Some runners use an exercise ball for better stability and form. This is a smart technique to avoid any unnecessary strains that might lead to injuries. You need at least 3 sets of 10 reps with this exercise every day for better results.
5- Scorpion Movements
Another excellent strength workout to build your muscles is by doing the scorpion movements with your legs. This works on your legs, abs, back, and hips. You just need to lay face-down on the mat and stretch your arms out to the sides. This will make you form the T position and you should keep your thumbs straight up. You need to work each leg on its own by bending the knee and swinging your leg to the other side and hold that position for 30 seconds. You will need to do 3 or 5 reps on each leg. This will strengthen your mobility and flexibility levels tremendously, allowing you to run better and safer.
6- Single Arm & Single Leg Press
This is an excellent exercise because the single arm and single leg presses are good for your arms and shoulders. This is convenient when you’re running uphill and you need strong arms for that to give you that extra push and not slow down. Just remember to stand on one leg with each set. For example, if you’re working your left arm, you need to stand on your left leg and lift the dumbbell as high as you can with that arm while putting all your weight on your left leg. The same goes with your right arm and leg. This improves your upper body strength appropriately, especially your arms.
It’s important to note that building muscle for running isn’t about building mass. Your goal isn’t to look like a bodybuilder. You just need strong muscles all over your body that can make you as strong as one. You can expect great results if you train on your core and leg muscles for extra speed. This complements your fitness training for your heart and lungs, giving you more stamina and endurance. You need the type of training that will allow you to withstand the rigorous marathons that require a lot from the body. For marathons, it’s not about endurance or stamina, it’s about having pure strength to go through the marathon as if it was a walk in the park.
