The days of training only in the same activities in which you perform or compete are gone! The reason for that is really very simple - it's simply not nearly as effective.
Runners, for instance, have traditionally trained by running. While that may seem to make perfect sense, it really doesn't. In fact, for runners, weight training is one of the best methods of all-around preparation for top performance. Let me explain why.
Weight training can build up the support muscles in the trunk, back and shoulders that will help a runner maintain proper posture. Poor posture has several negative impacts:
It causes unnecessary movement, which saps energy - If your posture is incorrect, it necessitates avoidable movements in your running cycle. Every movement or realignment is a drain on your energy, as well as a strain on your muscles. That energy can be put to better use, passing that runner in front of you or shaving a few more seconds off your time.
It restricts breathing, which further saps the runner's strength - If your back or shoulders are rounded, your breathing will be impaired. Your muscles need oxygenated blood, in order to perform and if your breaths are shallower, you'll need to inhale more often. That can be a serious drain on your energy, costing you dearly in strength and endurance.
It prevents proper joint alignment, costing efficiency of motion and greater possibility of injury -
Every step for a runner should be a smooth flowing motion. Any misalignment will necessitate a change of direction, which wastes energy, and puts unnecessary stress on the joints, which can result in injuries. This is a massive problem with most beginner and intermediate level runners, so the faster you correct your posture, the sooner you'll start seeing the kind of performance you're looking for.
Neglected Development
A lot of runners tend to work only on their legs, toughening their hamstrings and quadriceps, but doing nothing for their glutes. With insufficiently developed glutes, the joints aren't properly aligned, which not only results in wasted energy, but also increases the stress on the hips, knees and ankles when running.
You may want to start with squats and deadlifts, first with just bodyweight, then gradually adding weights. You'll want to do both one-legged and two-legged, and as you add more weight, you can get into more explosive moves to build you up to some more advanced exercises.
Doing squats and deadlifts is a good way to build up the glutes, but for runners, the best way to develop the muscles they need most is the slightly modified version of exercises called plyometrics - often called simply plyos.
Plyometrics are explosive exercises which develop deep muscle strength with less bulking out than is experienced with some other techniques. They help the muscles develop more powerful contractions, typically by using heavier weights, instead of more reps with lighter weights. For runners, they're very effective, as they result in more power with less bulk and definition.
A common starting point for plyos is to select a weight that requires significant effort after 5 reps, rather than a more gradual build-up.
Another mistake that many runners make is failing to work on their upper body. This is particularly important for its benefits to your posture. As was already stated, poor posture can sap your strength, restrict your breathing and misalign joints, all of which will affect your performance. Plank exercises are great for your core, too - certainly more effective than sit-ups or crunches for deep, explosive muscle strength.
As always, you need to warm up, start slow and cool down properly afterward, but with plyos, it's even more crucial to do so, so you avoid possible injuries.
Here are some great weighted exercises for runners, all of which are enhanced by adding weights:
- Crossover lunges
- Box Step-ups
- Dead-lifts
- Shoulder-shrugs
- One-legged dumbbell row
You don't have to sacrifice flexibility or add a lot of extra weight in order to get the considerable benefits of weight training. If there even was a down-side, it would be outweighed by the gains from good posture and explosive power you'll see. Add to that, the significantly reduced risk of injuries and it's a big win.
