Easy On-the-go Strength Training Workout for Runners

August 19, 2016

Strength training is often the first thing to go when runners get busy. Runners I work with know how important strength training is to stay healthy and reduce muscle imbalances that can lead to nagging aches and pains, but time and time again, they are inconsistent in implementing it weekly. Incorporating a strength training workout for runners at least two days per week into your training schedule can bring many benefits. For runners, exercises that focus on single leg movements, such as single leg squats, single leg deadlifts, lunges, donkey kicks, hip raises, etc. are all great for runners. [Check out this glute and hip strengthening routine you can do several times per week.]

Since becoming pregnant and given how much I travel and often find myself in hotel gyms, I’ve been doing a quick strength training workout for runners after 30 minutes of cardio, typically on the treadmill or elliptical machine. All you need is a set of dumbbells, so it is easy to do at home in your living room or at hotel gyms while traveling.

On-the-go strength training workout

Do you have a quick strength training workout you love? If so, share it with us. What holds you back from strength training consistently?

Related posts:

  1. Seacoast Half Marathon Training: A Week of Milestones
  2. For Better or Worse: Weekly Training Recap
  3. On-the-go Strength Training Workout
  4. Strength Training for Runners & Endurance Athletes

Comments

Jess @ Jess Runs ATL

OMG….guilty. Guilty guilty guilty! Thanks for this!

rUnladylike

Get that single leg work in lady!!! LOL! xoxo

Rachel R.

So, so guilty of this! I love this on-the-go workout – I’m intimated by the machines at the gym, so something I can do at home is great!

rUnladylike

Thanks so much for sharing. I will check this out. xo

Veronica

After my thirty minute jog on the track, I did your workout this morning with two bricks taped up together (don’t have dumbells). I love how strength training makes me feel! And this works for third trimester if you just switch out the regular plank for a side plank. Moves in plank position make my round ligament pain worse.

rUnladylike

Awesome!!! Love this Veronica! Nice job! xo

Amanda N

Thanks for this! I will have to try it this week. I am SO TERRIBLE at cross training, especially strength training. That combined with 2 pregnancies has led to more issues/imbalances and injuries than I would like. I’ve been trying to focus on it more in the past couple months after I started having issues increasing my distance (even ever so conservatively). I’ve gotten in wicked solid cross training and weight training for 3 weeks in a row now….now I just have to continue it!

It’s awesome you’re doing this still while pregnant – once I stopped running I just would go for walks but I think it would have been more beneficial to also do some body weight exercises.