Many runners believe that the best way to improve their performance is simply to run more. While logging miles is essential, resistance training is one of the most underutilized tools for enhancing running performance, preventing injuries, and ensuring longevity in the sport. 

Why Should Runners Lift?

1. Improved Coordination, Power and Efficiency 

With more strength, your muscles become more efficient, allowing you to run faster and longer without increasing energy expenditure.

• Strength training improves neuromuscular coordination, helping your body recruit muscle fibers more effectively.
• It enhances leg stiffness and stride efficiency, generating more power with each step.
• It reduces excessive movement and energy waste, keeping your form tight and controlled.

2. Reduced Risk of Injury

 The repetitive nature of running puts stress on the joints, tendons, and muscles. But guess what? Resistance training strengthens connective tissues and corrects muscular imbalances, making runners less prone to injury.

Key Benefits for Injury Prevention:

• Strengthens the hips, glutes, and core to prevent common injuries like IT band syndrome and runner’s knee.
• Improves ankle and foot stability, reducing the risk of sprains and stress fractures.
• Increases tendon stiffness and resilience, preventing overuse injuries 

4. Delayed Fatigue and Improved Endurance

Strengthening your muscles means they can sustain effort longer before fatiguing. This means less muscle breakdown during long runs, a lower perception of effort, and an enhancement of your lactate threshold, allowing you to maintain a faster pace with less fatigue.

5. Stronger Bones and Better Longevity

Running is high-impact, and while it strengthens bones to an extent, resistance training is superior for bone density. Studies show that weight-bearing exercises like squats and deadlifts can increase bone mineral density, reducing the risk of stress fractures and osteoporosis later in life.

Why This Matters:

• Runners, especially females, are prone to bone stress injuries if they don’t have adequate muscle and bone strength.
• Resistance training prevents age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), keeping runners stronger for longer.

Are you looking for a Lifting program created specifically for endurance athletes? Try our monthly Lifting Club program for only $30 per month. This includes detailed form assessments from our strength coaches, and you can ask our team of experts unlimited questions!