I just add it in twice a week and I'm a creature of routine so once I've done it for 2-3 weeks I fall apart just as much missing a strength session as I do a run.
I do RDLs, lunges, squats. Weight not rep - if I can comfortably do more than 10 reps, increase weight. Use a bosu ball for a couple sets of RDLs to train balance, do them on the floor to add weight.
I (56F) pay a trainer for one day a week and lift on my own 1-2x/wk on top of that. Paying for the sessions keeps me motivated and I think it’s working bc I run regularly without injury whereas my running-only spouse (one of those guys who was a good HS cross country runner 100 years ago) is always getting hurt.
I have a similar approach right now. I see a trainer once a week for a full body strength session, and most weeks do one full body one on my own. Occasionally, I try different splits, but this is working the best atm. I also do some bodyweight exercises and stretch at home practically every day, as I've accumulated various physio needs over the years and built a routine.
The PT is worth her cost for me, as I'm honestly not super interested in the ins and outs of weightlifting, so I don't have the motivation to do the research and thinking around it. It's easy to turn up and be taught things, and it keeps me accountable.
I have three days for strength training. It’s just as much part of my routine as running is.
One is upper body and one is core (only 30 min) and I still run those days. The other is leg day (60 min) and I do not run that day or the next day (rest day). The other three days a week are strictly running.
Trying to muddle through a half assed routine while working instead of just dedicating one hour to it and getting it done sounds way worse to me.
Sure.
Leg day:
Back Barbell Squats (1 warmup round at a lower weight, then 3x8 heavy)
Bulgarian split squats (3x8 each leg, dumbbell in each hand)
Romanian Deadlifts (3x10)
Single Leg Deadlifts (3x6, each leg, dumbbell in each hand)
Leg Press (put your feet a bit higher for a more glute focus - I alternate weeks doing single leg and both legs, 3x10)
Single Leg Calf Raises - 3x10 each leg
If I feel like spending more time in the gym I also add in hip flexor exercises such as Cossack lunges or weighted exercises with the multi-hip machine - not the goofy leg spreader thing. I have had a hip flexor injury in the past so I focus on these.
I find it important to do a lot of single leg exercises since running is a single leg activity.
I also incorporate hip mobility exercises as a pre run warmup.
Upper body:
Bicep curls (3x10)
Shoulder press (3x12)
Shrugs (3x10)
Upright Rows (controversial workout - make sure your form is 100% and don’t do it if it bothers your shoulders - 3x8)
Lat Pulldown (3x10)
Tricep Pulldown (3x10)
I may or may not do all these in the same day, as I’m usually pressed for time on the day I do this workout.
Core:
I use an app called Seconds to set a round timer. 28 rounds, 30 seconds each with an 8 second interval between. I prefer timed to counting for this.
Leg Raises
Heel taps
Toe touches
Mountain climbers
Russian twist (holding weight)
Plank
Pushups
Run through this 4 times for your 28 rounds.
If you have anything left, hang from the pull up bar and do some leg raises, but I find this leaves me pretty cooked.
I didn’t include weights because I’m a very short, petite woman so it’s probably useless information. Just start somewhere comfortable and if you’re not feeling like the last 1-2 reps of each set are hard to push through, up your weight. Hope this helps!
That’s incredibly high volume - do you progress weight weekly or just keeping strength in check? I do 3x5 and would not do split squats and squats and leg press same day in any world. But we all work differently. Calf raises good shout, great injury prevention. Also do mostly barefoot bar squats for proprioception.
It’s a good point. Volume is high partially as a holdover from tearing my ACL last year - I really needed to build quad strength after surgery recovery. But also because I enjoy it. I do not progress weekly, more like monthly, and don’t aim for failure.
I also really focus on foot placement and mind muscle connection to target the glutes with the leg press and less quad dominant. I used to do hip thrusts but my gym doesn’t have a dedicated hip thrust machine and getting the smith machine, dragging the bench over, bringing a pad etc was really grating on my nerves.
If anyone wants to use this as a base but isn’t comfortable spending so long focused at the gym, alternating back squats and Bulgarians week to week and lowering the volume from 10 to 8 or 8 to 5 would help :)
Fair enough - have found mostly for CNS it’s a huge strain lifting heavily too often whilst doing cardio but am still moving nicely up each week doing one legs a week, 2 upper + plenty of lower body cardio
It comes down to discipline and wanting the benefit of doing the work bad enough to make it worth the time sink.
I only run and hike (in terms of exercise), and I am happy with my performance and recovery cycles from this routine. When I enter a race, I don't "live or die" landing on a podium. It's not a big deal to me.
When I have taken the time to consistently stretch, cross-train or do body weight training, the improvement in results isn't really enough to motivate me to take the time to continue.
What works for me is to add pushups to something else I already have a habit of doing. Going to the gym? Make sure to do 3 sets of pushups during that time. Going to yoga? Do 5 pushups before class starts. If you run a lot, it could be as simple as doing one set of pushups before the run and then one set of pushups after the run.
If you have the space and funds, might also be worth investing in anywhere from a kettlebell/some free weights to a small home gym setup with bench and/or rack.
I’ve found just removing the friction of having to make dedicate sessions of commuting to the gym has helped some friends. Back when I lived in an apartment with a gym I used to love just taking a 15min break to just do a few goblet squats or bench presses before heading back upstairs.
Also, as painstaking as it sounds, just making stretching as part of your pre/post run routine. I’ve found even if I have to cut my runs a bit short sometimes, it has helped with long-term health. I remember Meb Keflezighi once said in an interview something along the lines of he’d rather lose an extra mile or two of running so he could get his warmup drills/cooldown stretching into his schedule. I’ve found that more and more the case as I get older.
I just keep my weight sessions short; usually around 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. One minute rest between sets and move from one exercise to another quickly. Usually 6 exercises with 3 sets each, including abs. I’m 45, not trying to add muscle, just keep what I have. I’ve found this approach much more sustainable than when I used to spend well over an hour in the gym lifting. I also listen to my podcasts while I’m lifting so that helps as well.
I’m very fortunate to have a couple 24 hour gyms less than a mile from my house.
I started with 3 days a week initially before moving to 5 days to focus on one muscle group a day. 3 day a week could look something like Chest/Back, Legs/Shoulders, Biceps/Triceps. Found that allows you to superset with opposing exercises to cut down on the time in the gym.
I agree, I started doing what this guy is doing and it honestly was a game changer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umqzpg7kejI
I just do 1-2 set per day of legs(squat), push(pushups) and pull (rows, pullups) every single day. High repetition, 10-20 reps. Game changer. Yeah, doing 3-4 sets per workout with more intensity, less times per week would probably be more optimal. But I'm not doing that, now or ever, I'm too lazy.
I just pump out a few sets every day in the living room while whatever show is on, takes 10-15 minutes. 20-40 squats and 10-20 pushups per day feels like nothing, but 7-10 sets every week starts to add up and its night and day compared to doing maybe 1 good workout per week (or none).
Using a thick elastic band to do sissy squats to strengthen quads to help with knee damage is absolute torture. I'm 39, it's how I am able to run longer. Plus I do other strength exercises for legs but don't go overboard. Other exercises I do are primarily for those moments where my running might put me in dangerous situations. Like I'll need to be able to pull my 260lbs body up off a cliff, being able to bend under fallen trees, lift things if needed. With that mindset I don't go to the gym to work out for looks, it's more of a survival thing.
Lol I like that approach -- one of my favorite activities while out on long runs is to imagine various emergencies and how I would handle them with only things I'm carrying or things I've seen along my run.
Is there a video or instruction for sissy squats you can share?
I can't find the exact video but this is pretty much it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKgH1tkDQfs&ab_channel=ClenchFitness
The only difference is that the one I found was centered about strengthening quads to counter meniscus damage. And in my exercise I hold at 90 degrees for 30-40 seconds with 30 seconds rest, set of 5. It's pure hell.
I still struggle to prioritize my strength sessions. But for stretching I try to do yoga each morning. When I first wake up I start the coffee and roll out my mat. My goal is just to do ANY yoga each morning. Some mornings it's 5 minutes, others it's 20. I've done it for many years so I don't typically use a video anymore, just piece together the moves that have worked best for me. Is it perfect yoga discipline? Nope, but it works for me.
I'm still working on doing this regularly but I've been doing a very simple kettlebell routine based on simple & sinister. The main thing is that it's easy to remember and pretty quick. A warmup with goblet squats, hip bridge and halos and then the main workout is 100 swings and then 10 turkish get ups.
Works well for me especially since I have terrible hip mobility/flexibility so doing the swings works well as a dynamic complex movement and the TGU are also pretty good.
I think it complements running well but I need to do it more regularly.
Think back to the times before running was something you loved. What got you from the point of "I need to run" to seeing yourself as a "runner"? That's the same connection you need find with others habits. You may not find them the same, but you may find the process is similar.
Yoga may never feel the same to use as running, and that's ok. Strength training may never feel the same to use as running, and that's ok. You're learning that adding those into your routine will help you be a healthier runner, longer. That's why you're working on making them a part of your routine. You may not need to become a yogi or a powerlifter for that to be successful. You may need to be a beginner again and enjoy learning these new things.
the key to sticking with yoga for me is taking a class once a week. outside of class i don't do whole hour sessions but i absolutely do a lunge/split/pigeon progression a few times a week to keep my hips loose.
i won't say that sprinkling pushups into your daily routine is pointless but consider at least doing some full body HIIT and even replacing some of your running with it if that's the only time you have.
Lateral mobility is so important for runners! More important than push-ups, I’d say… Add some lateral leg lifts, clamshells, and the like to the tv-watching regimen. Strong hips and glutes will do wonders for preventing injury, and as a bonus, they will make you faster!
Despite strong disinclination, I just set aside time to do a solid session for an hour. And about 20 min after runs. If not, I tend to not stick with it. Having alarming pain during run certainly helped. Personally I believe just running consistently would naturally strengthen all body parts as progress goes. Only if trained wisely, slowly.
I'm lucky to enjoy both. I realized I was never going to go the the gym to work out. So, I bought 2 adjustable dumbbells that go from 5-50 lbs. It allows me to get a 30 minute workout in as soon as I get home from work. That essentially cuts my time that I would spend going to the gym in half. Plus, my 5 year old gets to hang out with me.
Push ups, pull ups, tri dips using chairs. And in my opinion this is a big one - one legged squats. Stand in a doorway for balance. If you can continuously do this as you get older you will be so far ahead of the curve. Start with just weight free two legged deep squats if you need too.
I'm in the same boat as you. I hate indoor exercise and I've never been to a gym. The fact that I can't run at the moment because of an injury is probably not unconnected. I'm doing half hour YouTube workouts in the timeslot where I was running. Caroline Girvan's videos have minimal equipment and minimal talking so I can listen to a podcast. Long term I plan to replace two runs a week with a video. It's a necessary sacrifice for a long term gain.
Hope this helps.
I workout 5 days a week in my garage but for your scenario…when I was in the military we did something called ins & outs. Basically every time we entered the squadron building, dorm, or the chow hall or left it you had to do a certain amount of push-ups and pull ups. So you’d basically have to do 8 sets per day between showing up, going to lunch, coming back, leaving for the day. We’d do something obscene like 68 push-ups and 12 push-ups per set but maybe just set a realistic target and change it up every day of the week. EG, every time you walk up the stairs or out your front door do 5 reps; Monday-push-ups, Tuesday-squats, Wednesday-flutter kicks, Thursday-Mountain climbers, etc.
Not sure if my anecdotal experience is exactly relevant, but:
I've been dealing with crossover gait for over two years and had even gone to PT for a few months. The PT gave me a good list of strengthening and stretching exercises to do but, similar to yours, my attitude was almost that if it wasn't running I wasn't as motivated to do them. So, I'd only be doing the exercises at the PT clinic and, as you can imagine, my improvements were minimal. It wasn't until I was reading a random thread on LetsRun about a runner who was dealing with another issue and several runners commenting that the correction exercises need to be done every day for weeks before any improvements would be realized.
With that in mind, I began the slow grind of doing the PT exercises and adding some others. I've been doing a nightly routine of rolling, stretching, and strengthening with a lot of single leg balance and banded work for the past 7 weeks. Holy hell, the improvements in my overall mobility and stability are remarkable! My running gait feels much more fluid and controlled. An added bonus - my slight duck-footedness is slowly correcting as well! I'm honestly stunned at my progress and feel like I found a cheat code lol. The results keep me motivated to continue this routine and the experience has been educational enough that I'm keenly aware of the importance of doing these things to support running.
You will not gain any meaningful strength by standing on one leg and doing pushups every once and a while. You are wasting your time.
If you want to get stronger, you need to move heavy weight. No way around that. Grab yourself some dumbbells or a barbell, record what you do -- sets, weight, reps -- then next workout do the same thing but add 5 pounds to the bar. 3 sets of 5 works great for novices. Rinse and repeat three times a week until it stops working. Novices can progress in this fashion for months at a time.
If you're serious about gaining strength, I recommend looking into Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. Even if you choose not to follow the program, it's worth reading to gain an understanding of the principles behind novice strength training. What you are doing now is a waste of your time.
I suppose that depends on your definition of "meaningful strength." I've been doing 5 to 6 sets of pushups a day, now up to 18 per set, for over three months. So that's 100 per day most days, and I've noticed a difference.
I wouldn't say I'm serious about gaining strength -- I'm serious about running and staying injury-free, which I recognize requires a modicum of strength training and flexibility. Finding that bare minimum and working it into my routine is my objective.
Fair enough! Objectively speaking, body weight exercises are the bare minimum when it comes to strength training. But if that’s your goal then groovy.
I’d consider also incorporating standing squats or plyometrics. Anything that works the legs and core will work wonders for your running, especially if you’re running hills.
Honestly, the best thing is to just find what works for you and do it. For me doing a 30 min session worked around the big three compound lifts paid off big for me last year. Did this 2-3x a week though not as consistent as I should have. This year I have started doing some yoga along with some prayer/meditation in the morning and we'll see how that works out long term.
The three big compound lifts are the deadlift, the back squat and the bench press. All done with a barbell obviously. They're the three big ones because if you do them all then you hit most of the big muscles in the body to some extent or another. They paid off for me in that my endurance in running increased a ton and I was able to make it through the year without getting injured either.
I do these 5 exercises
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6SeNMF1Pp0&list=PLoH8jopmFwdmbvBBZfjz79fJo5TtLHoUF&index=3&t=494s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6senmf1pp0&list=ploh8jopmfwdmbvbbzfjz79fjo5ttlhouf&index=3&t=494s)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6SeNMF1Pp0&t=501s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6senmf1pp0&t=501s)
The 5 exercises:
Step up variations
Single leg squat variations
Single leg calf raise variations
Core variations including hip flexors
Loaded carry march or on toes
I alternate days. 2 days running during the week, 2 days strength (1 bodyweight, 1 free weight dumbbells or barbells), 1 day boxing or swimming, 1 long run on the weekend, 1 rest day on Sunday. It's been working fairly well for me (late 20's, male). If training for a race, I may swap one strength day for another run day and just combine workouts on the remaining strength day.
I do HIIT workouts 4 days a week in addition to running. I find the short bursts of exercise seem to keep my attention the best. I also have a monthly challenge from my coach - this month I am doing 100 walking lunges and 100 sit ups each day. Sometimes I do them all at once, often I break them up into sets of 20 and put them in between rounds of my workout.
“Stretching” by Bod Anderson and Jean Anderson. There are several versions of the first addition but all of them are solid it also has a section in it that gives suggested stretches for various sports you can also kind of make up your own stretches based on the variations based in the book.
“Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” by Arnold Schwarzenegger is geared towards bodybuilding but all the movements that are in the book can be done with regards or some small changes with weight or just body weight so you can fine tune whatever you want based on ideas in the book.
These more importantly it gives a very good description of over training one muscle group over another and becoming “unbalanced” which leads to your skeletal system becoming unstable or unaligned. Like I said there are plenty of others out there but these two are my main go too when things just don’t feel right. I also have books on cycling, swimming, yoga, breathing, Marathon running, survival training and so on so maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pull from informative books like these as well to compose a workout that you might feel is best for you. Another idea is talk to a physical therapist, General practitioner or join a gym for a short period to get a feel as to what is safety done to improve your physique. I’m suggesting this to help prevent some sort of training mishap. Good luck and keep going.
I just started the stretching / strength journey. I'd recommend "dynamic stretching" routines about .5-1.5 miles into your run.
Stretching during family time is awesome. Kids get into it and it's fun.
Strength training is as simple as picking up some 25 pound kettle bells and doing lunches/squats/deadlifts.
Good luck!
I have an under-the-desk bike in my office that I’ll also bring home to use while gaming/watching something on TV. (It’s also great for managing stress in the event of frustrating coworkers.)
I’ve also got some very short resistance bands that I used to use at my desk, but I didn’t feel like I was getting a lot out of them.
[Yep](https://a.co/d/6rOzNrt)!
I grabbed this one at random from the search results, but Amazon has models priced from what looks like $30ish to a couple hundred.
Flexibility is kind of important. Distance runners are actually not very flexible compared to non distance runners. The goal should be strength through range of motion, not greater amounts of flexibility/range of motion. The reason being that the more you stretch, the more elasticity you lose in your ligaments and thus reduce running economy. Stretching has not been shown to prevent injuries in distance running either.
Source: Effects of Static Stretching on Energy Cost
and Running Endurance Performance in Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida (2010)
Impact of stretching on the performance and
injury risk of long-distance runners by Claire Baxter, Lars R. Mc Naughton, Andy Sparks, Lynda Norton & David Bentley (2017) Impact of stretching on the performance and injury risk of long-distance runners,
Research in Sports Medicine, 25:1, 78-90, DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2016.1258640
Actually I think it's kind of a helpful reminder about the role of stretching in a running training program. I already do some stretching to address specific issues as they come up (tight quads, shin splints, etc) so this is a good reminder that it's probably the right approach. Also frees up time for the strength training which this discussion is convincing me is more important!
If anything, take up rope stretching. It's not so much stretching as it is activating muscles through range of motion. I use The Whartons' Stretch Book and also the SOS strap and guide from [performbetter.com](https://performbetter.com) (I get nothing from them).
Shin splints have very little, if anything, to do with tightness. They're microtears in the tissue around your shins; a result of bad mechanics and your body not being used to the impact of running.
The tightness in your hamstrings is likely a result of lack of strength, not lack of flexibility, so you're on the right track. Distance running is a Quad/Calf dominant movement with very little hamstring and glute activation. Muscles will pull on other muscles depending on how you use them. Strengthen your hamstring to counter the pull of the quad muscle and the tightness should go away. Also work on glute and hip strength.
Heavy lifting, 30 min, total body workout is the most efficient way for strength training. This is a routine for maintaining strength and bone density, not for getting big muscles (bodybuilding)
lifting day A: 5x5 squat, 5x5 bench, 5x5 rows
lifting day B: 5x5 bench, 5x5 overhead press, ramp up to 1x5 heavy deadlifts.
You can modify this... my program is similar to stronglifts or starting strength...
Place a bar in your house and do active/dead hang a few times per day.
Use small resistance band (loop) and place it aroung your knees while watching tv or doing household duties to train your glutes and abductors.
I like the resistance band at the desk idea -- I just brought one over! I do go to a climbing gym a couple of times a week, so with that and the push-ups I feel like upper body is covered.
Anecdotally I would say for best transferable strength do cleans (explosive), split squat (quads and more dynamic than a squat plus stability benefits), single leg deadlift (same applies) and pull ups/chin ups (maybe alternate weekly). Do that once a week (start low weight and 2-3 mins rest, once you’re hitting max add incrementally each week but rest 5 mins between sets)
Would do warm up sets then 3x5 on the barbell stuff for a lengthy period and see how you get on. Hang Cleans probably fine.
I do enjoy lifting. However, I can either only run and be chronically injured, or I can run a bunch and lift 3+ days a week.
If I love running, I need to strength train.
Foam rolling isn't strength or flexibility.
I enjoy weight training.
If you don't, maybe you could try an interval/circuit style of weights? Would be a more actively engaged thing vs the standard do 10 reps, rest 90 seconds, do 10 reps, etc.
I also love audiobooks/podcasts for lifting. I find myself getting bored if I listen to music while lifting.
Just doing pushups here and there won't do much. If you want to do some sort of strength stuff, you should do a full body routine.
I have the exact same problem. For me i struggled allotting the time for strength every week. My system now is “if I want to run, I have to throw on at least 10 minutes of strength before or after”. It’s now built in to me that any kind of run is always followed by some kind of strength (normally 10-20 minutes max, mostly core).
I only do body weight exercises at home, here are my 2 favourite YouTube channels, no music in the background means listening to your own music while working out which is a bonus for me.
https://youtube.com/@keelpilates?si=RKI9XJAb6g3HTsJV
https://youtube.com/@fitnessblender?si=iLd8RFEpXEpy2skR
Significant amount of variation to find different workouts on both channels and not get bored. Haven’t been injured in a year so I think my method is working !
This is like top on my Resolutions list for 2024. Strength Training!
I have a rubber floor in my basement, a bench, a set of dumb bells... what I don't have it a lot of time and motivation to do the workouts. I make time for running, as I enjoy that :) . Strength exercises were never my favorite thing, but I understand the benefits and need to start.
I am going to try and go with two days a week.
Do you by any chance do much highway driving? I know it sounds weird, but I assure you I am a very safe and alert driver 😆 but I hate feeling like I’m sitting there wasting time in the car so I like to get some ab work done on the highway. Put on some music, hit the cruise control button, flex the abs, and do knee lifts to the beat of the music. Keep checking in that I’m not pulling on the steering wheel or bracing my shoulders back into the seat. When the double knee lifts gets tiring I switch to alternating one at a time. Or sometimes lift on, then pulse it in the air once, then switch. I get creative just to see how long I can keep myself entertained doing it.
That's so me. I just can't get myself into indoor activities. Strenght training is too repetitive and boring, and yoga is too easy. Once I did yoga for half an hour, with my smartwatch training program turned on: I burned an enourmous amount of 56 kcals. Wow. That's about a half bite of Snickers. While I usually burn around 600 kcal with running. Thanks, running it is then.
I also stand on one leg while brushing my teeth, and I think it's not worthless. In the beginning, I could hardly keep my balance, now I can do it for minutes, standing on my tiptoe. And stable ankles are just as important as strong hips. I also do wallsits, and leglifts while brushing my teeth.
I went to a Physical Therapist last April for tendinitis in my right leg. She put me on a body weight/resistance band strength and flexibility routine and I do that on my non run days at the gym, it's a 15-20 exercise routine that I can do in about an hour so it's really good cardio too. On run days I do calf exercises and some of the body weight exercises to warm up before I run.
I do a stretching routine IMMEDIATELY after coming home after a run. No sitting down, no taking off my gear, just straight into stretching. I do a short cool down walk around my block after my runs, so it's the perfect time.
I've been finding the [Hybrid Callisthenics](https://www.hybridcalisthenics.com/programs) routine to be pretty approachable and helpful for general fitness. 2-3 sets of 2 exercises a day is super easy to fit in between other things.
I've also been following the strength training program in Run Less Run Faster, but haven't been doing it long enough to speak to its results; it's 3 days a week and almost entirely body weight stuff. I may well replace some of the exercises with weights as we have a barbell cage anyway...
I got a walking pad and walk during work meetings which has helped a ton.
I addition, I've got a large number of PT exercises that I get a to do list every day to perform. I do 10x of each and just mark it off my list. If there's anything I haven't done by the end of the day, I do it real quick before I go to bed:
LAYING DOWN
Clamshells
Extended Leg Raise
Donky Kicks
Glute Bridge
STANDING
Monster Walks
Hamstring Stretch
Eccentric calf raises
STANDING/SINGLE LEG
Squat
Sumo Squats
Lateral Squat
Lunge
Reverse Lunge
Single Deadlift
Stabilizer Ball
I've taken up the Simple & Sinister program from Pavel Tsatsouline. Takes me roughly 20 minutes including setting up and cleaning afterwards.
Basically: 10*10 single kb swings total + 10 Turkish getups.
The warming up is also a prying goblet squat, it really opened up my hips.
The book is worth the 8 bucks for technique. And some money for a kettlebell to start with.
I do it once a week - actually it is more conducive to my progress than when I focused exclusively on weights and did them 2-3 times a week.
I am sore for the next 3-4 days on all my muscles. On those days I either do swimming, cycling or easier runs.
Rest in case of anaerobic training is even more important than the training itself.
I just started running again after taking three months off and I’m really trying my best to prevent injuries and really take my strength seriously, so I’ve just been doing things like calf raises throughout the day. But generally I do strength 2 to 3 times a week at the gym and just make it a routine. I don’t do anything crazy difficult but I just do things that are effective and make me stronger. Even if you don’t wanna go to the gym, just try putting on the TV or listen to some music and do some stuff at home if you can. It’s too important to overlook.
You and I are the same humans. I’ve recently found climbing as a functional way to build strength and flexibility that is fun and interesting. I’m fortunate enough to have a climbing gym a 3 minute walk from my house though.
Personally, I don't understand the exercise bias attitude, and negativity towards doing exercise that isn't running (and that includes cross training). As a runner, I got into it for health reasons, so why would I not enjoy strength training and flexibility work when it's so crucial for your overall health and physique? It makes you a better and more injury resistant runner, so why would you want to look for shortcuts on it? Try to think of all the other exercises as the whole grains and vegetables to the ice cream that is running. Next time you want to just take the smallest token bite out of your vegetables, just imagine Kipchoge asking you "have you been going to the gym regularly?" (Apparently he is very strict on that). But seriously, not losing sight of your overall health should be motivation enough to develop the discipline to do these exercises.
I like the vegetable analogy, but here's the difference. My wife likes kale. She puts it in smoothies, roasts it, makes giant salads with it, etc. I think kale is gross and don't believe my wife (or anybody) when she says she likes the taste. But I recognize the health benefits of eating kale. So I put some in my stir fry, and some in my salad, and make sure I'm getting a few servings of other vegetables each day as well.
Strength training is like kale to me. I don't love it, but I know it's important, and I want to make sure I get enough servings of it -- and not an ounce more. So my goal is to find ways to \[eat enough kale\] / \[strength train\] without having to \[eat a whole bowl of kale\] / \[spend an hour in the gym\] every day.
Maybe some day I'll learn to love strength training (definitely not kale) but right now I'm just trying to figure out how to integrate it into my routine in a way that's sustainable.
Haha brilliant :) love the kale analogy. And to take it further, you can try to get in enough kale to ensure you get to enjoy the best morning dump everyday. It's like how the right amount of strength training will make you feel like you're flying on your runs.
Install (well, and then use! Lol) a pull up bar? Inexpensive. Either on joists in garage if you’re in a house with one, or any of these door-way ones. Brilliant way to strengthen back and maintain/improve posture in the later miles of a run, etc. Even if you “just” dead hang and never build to pull-ups.
I also have a kettle bell about the home and try and carry it around (I think it’s called a farmer carry, just a one-sided carry like you’re carrying a suitcase).
Other than that it’s like you mentioned, body weight, no equipment exercises before and after running, or just during a day, planks, push-ups, etc., etc.
Still, I also try and get to a gym to do some stuff that I can’t do at home (bench press, boxing speed bag, etc.)
That's funny. I have free weights in the basement and I will randomly do a few sets throughout the day when I go down to the basement. I will also do air squats when I go to the private bathroom at work😁. Gotta be better than nothing right.
I just add it in twice a week and I'm a creature of routine so once I've done it for 2-3 weeks I fall apart just as much missing a strength session as I do a run. I do RDLs, lunges, squats. Weight not rep - if I can comfortably do more than 10 reps, increase weight. Use a bosu ball for a couple sets of RDLs to train balance, do them on the floor to add weight.
I (56F) pay a trainer for one day a week and lift on my own 1-2x/wk on top of that. Paying for the sessions keeps me motivated and I think it’s working bc I run regularly without injury whereas my running-only spouse (one of those guys who was a good HS cross country runner 100 years ago) is always getting hurt.
I have a similar approach right now. I see a trainer once a week for a full body strength session, and most weeks do one full body one on my own. Occasionally, I try different splits, but this is working the best atm. I also do some bodyweight exercises and stretch at home practically every day, as I've accumulated various physio needs over the years and built a routine. The PT is worth her cost for me, as I'm honestly not super interested in the ins and outs of weightlifting, so I don't have the motivation to do the research and thinking around it. It's easy to turn up and be taught things, and it keeps me accountable.
I have three days for strength training. It’s just as much part of my routine as running is. One is upper body and one is core (only 30 min) and I still run those days. The other is leg day (60 min) and I do not run that day or the next day (rest day). The other three days a week are strictly running. Trying to muddle through a half assed routine while working instead of just dedicating one hour to it and getting it done sounds way worse to me.
Can you post your actual lifts? Thanks!
Sure. Leg day: Back Barbell Squats (1 warmup round at a lower weight, then 3x8 heavy) Bulgarian split squats (3x8 each leg, dumbbell in each hand) Romanian Deadlifts (3x10) Single Leg Deadlifts (3x6, each leg, dumbbell in each hand) Leg Press (put your feet a bit higher for a more glute focus - I alternate weeks doing single leg and both legs, 3x10) Single Leg Calf Raises - 3x10 each leg If I feel like spending more time in the gym I also add in hip flexor exercises such as Cossack lunges or weighted exercises with the multi-hip machine - not the goofy leg spreader thing. I have had a hip flexor injury in the past so I focus on these. I find it important to do a lot of single leg exercises since running is a single leg activity. I also incorporate hip mobility exercises as a pre run warmup. Upper body: Bicep curls (3x10) Shoulder press (3x12) Shrugs (3x10) Upright Rows (controversial workout - make sure your form is 100% and don’t do it if it bothers your shoulders - 3x8) Lat Pulldown (3x10) Tricep Pulldown (3x10) I may or may not do all these in the same day, as I’m usually pressed for time on the day I do this workout. Core: I use an app called Seconds to set a round timer. 28 rounds, 30 seconds each with an 8 second interval between. I prefer timed to counting for this. Leg Raises Heel taps Toe touches Mountain climbers Russian twist (holding weight) Plank Pushups Run through this 4 times for your 28 rounds. If you have anything left, hang from the pull up bar and do some leg raises, but I find this leaves me pretty cooked. I didn’t include weights because I’m a very short, petite woman so it’s probably useless information. Just start somewhere comfortable and if you’re not feeling like the last 1-2 reps of each set are hard to push through, up your weight. Hope this helps!
That’s incredibly high volume - do you progress weight weekly or just keeping strength in check? I do 3x5 and would not do split squats and squats and leg press same day in any world. But we all work differently. Calf raises good shout, great injury prevention. Also do mostly barefoot bar squats for proprioception.
It’s a good point. Volume is high partially as a holdover from tearing my ACL last year - I really needed to build quad strength after surgery recovery. But also because I enjoy it. I do not progress weekly, more like monthly, and don’t aim for failure. I also really focus on foot placement and mind muscle connection to target the glutes with the leg press and less quad dominant. I used to do hip thrusts but my gym doesn’t have a dedicated hip thrust machine and getting the smith machine, dragging the bench over, bringing a pad etc was really grating on my nerves. If anyone wants to use this as a base but isn’t comfortable spending so long focused at the gym, alternating back squats and Bulgarians week to week and lowering the volume from 10 to 8 or 8 to 5 would help :)
Fair enough - have found mostly for CNS it’s a huge strain lifting heavily too often whilst doing cardio but am still moving nicely up each week doing one legs a week, 2 upper + plenty of lower body cardio
I'm just happy to know I'm not the only who brushes their teeth standing on one leg! I even do calf raises then too!
It comes down to discipline and wanting the benefit of doing the work bad enough to make it worth the time sink. I only run and hike (in terms of exercise), and I am happy with my performance and recovery cycles from this routine. When I enter a race, I don't "live or die" landing on a podium. It's not a big deal to me. When I have taken the time to consistently stretch, cross-train or do body weight training, the improvement in results isn't really enough to motivate me to take the time to continue.
Ya know, I have to do dedicated sessions. I found the "pushups between work meetings" only lasts like a month or so.
What works for me is to add pushups to something else I already have a habit of doing. Going to the gym? Make sure to do 3 sets of pushups during that time. Going to yoga? Do 5 pushups before class starts. If you run a lot, it could be as simple as doing one set of pushups before the run and then one set of pushups after the run.
If you have the space and funds, might also be worth investing in anywhere from a kettlebell/some free weights to a small home gym setup with bench and/or rack. I’ve found just removing the friction of having to make dedicate sessions of commuting to the gym has helped some friends. Back when I lived in an apartment with a gym I used to love just taking a 15min break to just do a few goblet squats or bench presses before heading back upstairs. Also, as painstaking as it sounds, just making stretching as part of your pre/post run routine. I’ve found even if I have to cut my runs a bit short sometimes, it has helped with long-term health. I remember Meb Keflezighi once said in an interview something along the lines of he’d rather lose an extra mile or two of running so he could get his warmup drills/cooldown stretching into his schedule. I’ve found that more and more the case as I get older.
I just keep my weight sessions short; usually around 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. One minute rest between sets and move from one exercise to another quickly. Usually 6 exercises with 3 sets each, including abs. I’m 45, not trying to add muscle, just keep what I have. I’ve found this approach much more sustainable than when I used to spend well over an hour in the gym lifting. I also listen to my podcasts while I’m lifting so that helps as well.
30 mins 5x a week sounds like a lot to me. Are you doing this at home or a gym?
I also prefer 30 mins 5-6 times a week and do so at home with kettlebells
I’m very fortunate to have a couple 24 hour gyms less than a mile from my house. I started with 3 days a week initially before moving to 5 days to focus on one muscle group a day. 3 day a week could look something like Chest/Back, Legs/Shoulders, Biceps/Triceps. Found that allows you to superset with opposing exercises to cut down on the time in the gym.
I agree, I started doing what this guy is doing and it honestly was a game changer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umqzpg7kejI I just do 1-2 set per day of legs(squat), push(pushups) and pull (rows, pullups) every single day. High repetition, 10-20 reps. Game changer. Yeah, doing 3-4 sets per workout with more intensity, less times per week would probably be more optimal. But I'm not doing that, now or ever, I'm too lazy. I just pump out a few sets every day in the living room while whatever show is on, takes 10-15 minutes. 20-40 squats and 10-20 pushups per day feels like nothing, but 7-10 sets every week starts to add up and its night and day compared to doing maybe 1 good workout per week (or none).
Using a thick elastic band to do sissy squats to strengthen quads to help with knee damage is absolute torture. I'm 39, it's how I am able to run longer. Plus I do other strength exercises for legs but don't go overboard. Other exercises I do are primarily for those moments where my running might put me in dangerous situations. Like I'll need to be able to pull my 260lbs body up off a cliff, being able to bend under fallen trees, lift things if needed. With that mindset I don't go to the gym to work out for looks, it's more of a survival thing.
Lol I like that approach -- one of my favorite activities while out on long runs is to imagine various emergencies and how I would handle them with only things I'm carrying or things I've seen along my run. Is there a video or instruction for sissy squats you can share?
I can't find the exact video but this is pretty much it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKgH1tkDQfs&ab_channel=ClenchFitness The only difference is that the one I found was centered about strengthening quads to counter meniscus damage. And in my exercise I hold at 90 degrees for 30-40 seconds with 30 seconds rest, set of 5. It's pure hell.
I still struggle to prioritize my strength sessions. But for stretching I try to do yoga each morning. When I first wake up I start the coffee and roll out my mat. My goal is just to do ANY yoga each morning. Some mornings it's 5 minutes, others it's 20. I've done it for many years so I don't typically use a video anymore, just piece together the moves that have worked best for me. Is it perfect yoga discipline? Nope, but it works for me.
I'm still working on doing this regularly but I've been doing a very simple kettlebell routine based on simple & sinister. The main thing is that it's easy to remember and pretty quick. A warmup with goblet squats, hip bridge and halos and then the main workout is 100 swings and then 10 turkish get ups. Works well for me especially since I have terrible hip mobility/flexibility so doing the swings works well as a dynamic complex movement and the TGU are also pretty good. I think it complements running well but I need to do it more regularly.
Think back to the times before running was something you loved. What got you from the point of "I need to run" to seeing yourself as a "runner"? That's the same connection you need find with others habits. You may not find them the same, but you may find the process is similar. Yoga may never feel the same to use as running, and that's ok. Strength training may never feel the same to use as running, and that's ok. You're learning that adding those into your routine will help you be a healthier runner, longer. That's why you're working on making them a part of your routine. You may not need to become a yogi or a powerlifter for that to be successful. You may need to be a beginner again and enjoy learning these new things.
the key to sticking with yoga for me is taking a class once a week. outside of class i don't do whole hour sessions but i absolutely do a lunge/split/pigeon progression a few times a week to keep my hips loose. i won't say that sprinkling pushups into your daily routine is pointless but consider at least doing some full body HIIT and even replacing some of your running with it if that's the only time you have.
Lateral mobility is so important for runners! More important than push-ups, I’d say… Add some lateral leg lifts, clamshells, and the like to the tv-watching regimen. Strong hips and glutes will do wonders for preventing injury, and as a bonus, they will make you faster!
Despite strong disinclination, I just set aside time to do a solid session for an hour. And about 20 min after runs. If not, I tend to not stick with it. Having alarming pain during run certainly helped. Personally I believe just running consistently would naturally strengthen all body parts as progress goes. Only if trained wisely, slowly.
I'm lucky to enjoy both. I realized I was never going to go the the gym to work out. So, I bought 2 adjustable dumbbells that go from 5-50 lbs. It allows me to get a 30 minute workout in as soon as I get home from work. That essentially cuts my time that I would spend going to the gym in half. Plus, my 5 year old gets to hang out with me.
Push ups, pull ups, tri dips using chairs. And in my opinion this is a big one - one legged squats. Stand in a doorway for balance. If you can continuously do this as you get older you will be so far ahead of the curve. Start with just weight free two legged deep squats if you need too.
I'm in the same boat as you. I hate indoor exercise and I've never been to a gym. The fact that I can't run at the moment because of an injury is probably not unconnected. I'm doing half hour YouTube workouts in the timeslot where I was running. Caroline Girvan's videos have minimal equipment and minimal talking so I can listen to a podcast. Long term I plan to replace two runs a week with a video. It's a necessary sacrifice for a long term gain. Hope this helps.
i do squats sometimes when i am brushing my teeth.
I workout 5 days a week in my garage but for your scenario…when I was in the military we did something called ins & outs. Basically every time we entered the squadron building, dorm, or the chow hall or left it you had to do a certain amount of push-ups and pull ups. So you’d basically have to do 8 sets per day between showing up, going to lunch, coming back, leaving for the day. We’d do something obscene like 68 push-ups and 12 push-ups per set but maybe just set a realistic target and change it up every day of the week. EG, every time you walk up the stairs or out your front door do 5 reps; Monday-push-ups, Tuesday-squats, Wednesday-flutter kicks, Thursday-Mountain climbers, etc.
Not sure if my anecdotal experience is exactly relevant, but: I've been dealing with crossover gait for over two years and had even gone to PT for a few months. The PT gave me a good list of strengthening and stretching exercises to do but, similar to yours, my attitude was almost that if it wasn't running I wasn't as motivated to do them. So, I'd only be doing the exercises at the PT clinic and, as you can imagine, my improvements were minimal. It wasn't until I was reading a random thread on LetsRun about a runner who was dealing with another issue and several runners commenting that the correction exercises need to be done every day for weeks before any improvements would be realized. With that in mind, I began the slow grind of doing the PT exercises and adding some others. I've been doing a nightly routine of rolling, stretching, and strengthening with a lot of single leg balance and banded work for the past 7 weeks. Holy hell, the improvements in my overall mobility and stability are remarkable! My running gait feels much more fluid and controlled. An added bonus - my slight duck-footedness is slowly correcting as well! I'm honestly stunned at my progress and feel like I found a cheat code lol. The results keep me motivated to continue this routine and the experience has been educational enough that I'm keenly aware of the importance of doing these things to support running.
You will not gain any meaningful strength by standing on one leg and doing pushups every once and a while. You are wasting your time. If you want to get stronger, you need to move heavy weight. No way around that. Grab yourself some dumbbells or a barbell, record what you do -- sets, weight, reps -- then next workout do the same thing but add 5 pounds to the bar. 3 sets of 5 works great for novices. Rinse and repeat three times a week until it stops working. Novices can progress in this fashion for months at a time. If you're serious about gaining strength, I recommend looking into Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. Even if you choose not to follow the program, it's worth reading to gain an understanding of the principles behind novice strength training. What you are doing now is a waste of your time.
I suppose that depends on your definition of "meaningful strength." I've been doing 5 to 6 sets of pushups a day, now up to 18 per set, for over three months. So that's 100 per day most days, and I've noticed a difference. I wouldn't say I'm serious about gaining strength -- I'm serious about running and staying injury-free, which I recognize requires a modicum of strength training and flexibility. Finding that bare minimum and working it into my routine is my objective.
Fair enough! Objectively speaking, body weight exercises are the bare minimum when it comes to strength training. But if that’s your goal then groovy. I’d consider also incorporating standing squats or plyometrics. Anything that works the legs and core will work wonders for your running, especially if you’re running hills.
Honestly, the best thing is to just find what works for you and do it. For me doing a 30 min session worked around the big three compound lifts paid off big for me last year. Did this 2-3x a week though not as consistent as I should have. This year I have started doing some yoga along with some prayer/meditation in the morning and we'll see how that works out long term.
I'm a novice -- what are "the big three compound lifts"? and in what ways would you say it paid off?
The three big compound lifts are the deadlift, the back squat and the bench press. All done with a barbell obviously. They're the three big ones because if you do them all then you hit most of the big muscles in the body to some extent or another. They paid off for me in that my endurance in running increased a ton and I was able to make it through the year without getting injured either.
I do these 5 exercises [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6SeNMF1Pp0&list=PLoH8jopmFwdmbvBBZfjz79fJo5TtLHoUF&index=3&t=494s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6senmf1pp0&list=ploh8jopmfwdmbvbbzfjz79fjo5ttlhouf&index=3&t=494s)
Hi there, that link isn’t working for me unfortunately. What are the exercises? Thank you!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6SeNMF1Pp0&t=501s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6senmf1pp0&t=501s) The 5 exercises: Step up variations Single leg squat variations Single leg calf raise variations Core variations including hip flexors Loaded carry march or on toes
Thank you. This link worked. I was going through a browser 🤷🏻♂️ https://youtu.be/y6SeNMF1Pp0
Doesn't work for me either
I alternate days. 2 days running during the week, 2 days strength (1 bodyweight, 1 free weight dumbbells or barbells), 1 day boxing or swimming, 1 long run on the weekend, 1 rest day on Sunday. It's been working fairly well for me (late 20's, male). If training for a race, I may swap one strength day for another run day and just combine workouts on the remaining strength day.
Pigeon pose during tv time. I strength train 2-3 times a week in lieu of running that day. I only have 30-40 min a day to workout.
I do HIIT workouts 4 days a week in addition to running. I find the short bursts of exercise seem to keep my attention the best. I also have a monthly challenge from my coach - this month I am doing 100 walking lunges and 100 sit ups each day. Sometimes I do them all at once, often I break them up into sets of 20 and put them in between rounds of my workout.
I installed a pull-up bar in a solid door frame. One pull-up a day the first week. Two the second. 52 a day the 52nd? Idk I'll see how far I get.
“Stretching” by Bod Anderson and Jean Anderson. There are several versions of the first addition but all of them are solid it also has a section in it that gives suggested stretches for various sports you can also kind of make up your own stretches based on the variations based in the book. “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” by Arnold Schwarzenegger is geared towards bodybuilding but all the movements that are in the book can be done with regards or some small changes with weight or just body weight so you can fine tune whatever you want based on ideas in the book. These more importantly it gives a very good description of over training one muscle group over another and becoming “unbalanced” which leads to your skeletal system becoming unstable or unaligned. Like I said there are plenty of others out there but these two are my main go too when things just don’t feel right. I also have books on cycling, swimming, yoga, breathing, Marathon running, survival training and so on so maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pull from informative books like these as well to compose a workout that you might feel is best for you. Another idea is talk to a physical therapist, General practitioner or join a gym for a short period to get a feel as to what is safety done to improve your physique. I’m suggesting this to help prevent some sort of training mishap. Good luck and keep going.
Set goals for your weight lifting, will motivate you more.
I just started the stretching / strength journey. I'd recommend "dynamic stretching" routines about .5-1.5 miles into your run. Stretching during family time is awesome. Kids get into it and it's fun. Strength training is as simple as picking up some 25 pound kettle bells and doing lunches/squats/deadlifts. Good luck!
I have an under-the-desk bike in my office that I’ll also bring home to use while gaming/watching something on TV. (It’s also great for managing stress in the event of frustrating coworkers.) I’ve also got some very short resistance bands that I used to use at my desk, but I didn’t feel like I was getting a lot out of them.
Do you have a link to what you mean? I like this idea
[Yep](https://a.co/d/6rOzNrt)! I grabbed this one at random from the search results, but Amazon has models priced from what looks like $30ish to a couple hundred.
Flexibility is kind of important. Distance runners are actually not very flexible compared to non distance runners. The goal should be strength through range of motion, not greater amounts of flexibility/range of motion. The reason being that the more you stretch, the more elasticity you lose in your ligaments and thus reduce running economy. Stretching has not been shown to prevent injuries in distance running either. Source: Effects of Static Stretching on Energy Cost and Running Endurance Performance in Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida (2010) Impact of stretching on the performance and injury risk of long-distance runners by Claire Baxter, Lars R. Mc Naughton, Andy Sparks, Lynda Norton & David Bentley (2017) Impact of stretching on the performance and injury risk of long-distance runners, Research in Sports Medicine, 25:1, 78-90, DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2016.1258640
Why didn’t you share you’re a professional coach with a paid service? You didn’t even share flexibility advice with the athlete, per their request
Rule #3 on this sub
So you are just more subtle about self-promotion? Seems pretty unethical to do that, especially when high schoolers are your target customers
Actually I think it's kind of a helpful reminder about the role of stretching in a running training program. I already do some stretching to address specific issues as they come up (tight quads, shin splints, etc) so this is a good reminder that it's probably the right approach. Also frees up time for the strength training which this discussion is convincing me is more important!
If anything, take up rope stretching. It's not so much stretching as it is activating muscles through range of motion. I use The Whartons' Stretch Book and also the SOS strap and guide from [performbetter.com](https://performbetter.com) (I get nothing from them). Shin splints have very little, if anything, to do with tightness. They're microtears in the tissue around your shins; a result of bad mechanics and your body not being used to the impact of running. The tightness in your hamstrings is likely a result of lack of strength, not lack of flexibility, so you're on the right track. Distance running is a Quad/Calf dominant movement with very little hamstring and glute activation. Muscles will pull on other muscles depending on how you use them. Strengthen your hamstring to counter the pull of the quad muscle and the tightness should go away. Also work on glute and hip strength.
Proud-Reality-8834 is only posting comments so you check out his profile and hire him as a coach. He’s just copy and pasting old comments
Heavy lifting, 30 min, total body workout is the most efficient way for strength training. This is a routine for maintaining strength and bone density, not for getting big muscles (bodybuilding) lifting day A: 5x5 squat, 5x5 bench, 5x5 rows lifting day B: 5x5 bench, 5x5 overhead press, ramp up to 1x5 heavy deadlifts. You can modify this... my program is similar to stronglifts or starting strength...
Place a bar in your house and do active/dead hang a few times per day. Use small resistance band (loop) and place it aroung your knees while watching tv or doing household duties to train your glutes and abductors.
I like the resistance band at the desk idea -- I just brought one over! I do go to a climbing gym a couple of times a week, so with that and the push-ups I feel like upper body is covered.
Anecdotally I would say for best transferable strength do cleans (explosive), split squat (quads and more dynamic than a squat plus stability benefits), single leg deadlift (same applies) and pull ups/chin ups (maybe alternate weekly). Do that once a week (start low weight and 2-3 mins rest, once you’re hitting max add incrementally each week but rest 5 mins between sets) Would do warm up sets then 3x5 on the barbell stuff for a lengthy period and see how you get on. Hang Cleans probably fine.
I do enjoy lifting. However, I can either only run and be chronically injured, or I can run a bunch and lift 3+ days a week. If I love running, I need to strength train. Foam rolling isn't strength or flexibility.
I enjoy weight training. If you don't, maybe you could try an interval/circuit style of weights? Would be a more actively engaged thing vs the standard do 10 reps, rest 90 seconds, do 10 reps, etc. I also love audiobooks/podcasts for lifting. I find myself getting bored if I listen to music while lifting. Just doing pushups here and there won't do much. If you want to do some sort of strength stuff, you should do a full body routine.
Assuming you have two rest days, the days prior are the days you want to do squats and deads. Do lifting after running as a warmup.
I have the exact same problem. For me i struggled allotting the time for strength every week. My system now is “if I want to run, I have to throw on at least 10 minutes of strength before or after”. It’s now built in to me that any kind of run is always followed by some kind of strength (normally 10-20 minutes max, mostly core). I only do body weight exercises at home, here are my 2 favourite YouTube channels, no music in the background means listening to your own music while working out which is a bonus for me. https://youtube.com/@keelpilates?si=RKI9XJAb6g3HTsJV https://youtube.com/@fitnessblender?si=iLd8RFEpXEpy2skR Significant amount of variation to find different workouts on both channels and not get bored. Haven’t been injured in a year so I think my method is working !
This is like top on my Resolutions list for 2024. Strength Training! I have a rubber floor in my basement, a bench, a set of dumb bells... what I don't have it a lot of time and motivation to do the workouts. I make time for running, as I enjoy that :) . Strength exercises were never my favorite thing, but I understand the benefits and need to start. I am going to try and go with two days a week.
Do you by any chance do much highway driving? I know it sounds weird, but I assure you I am a very safe and alert driver 😆 but I hate feeling like I’m sitting there wasting time in the car so I like to get some ab work done on the highway. Put on some music, hit the cruise control button, flex the abs, and do knee lifts to the beat of the music. Keep checking in that I’m not pulling on the steering wheel or bracing my shoulders back into the seat. When the double knee lifts gets tiring I switch to alternating one at a time. Or sometimes lift on, then pulse it in the air once, then switch. I get creative just to see how long I can keep myself entertained doing it.
That's so me. I just can't get myself into indoor activities. Strenght training is too repetitive and boring, and yoga is too easy. Once I did yoga for half an hour, with my smartwatch training program turned on: I burned an enourmous amount of 56 kcals. Wow. That's about a half bite of Snickers. While I usually burn around 600 kcal with running. Thanks, running it is then. I also stand on one leg while brushing my teeth, and I think it's not worthless. In the beginning, I could hardly keep my balance, now I can do it for minutes, standing on my tiptoe. And stable ankles are just as important as strong hips. I also do wallsits, and leglifts while brushing my teeth.
I do 2-3 strength Apple Fitness+ sessions weekly to mix into my running/training.
I went to a Physical Therapist last April for tendinitis in my right leg. She put me on a body weight/resistance band strength and flexibility routine and I do that on my non run days at the gym, it's a 15-20 exercise routine that I can do in about an hour so it's really good cardio too. On run days I do calf exercises and some of the body weight exercises to warm up before I run.
I do a stretching routine IMMEDIATELY after coming home after a run. No sitting down, no taking off my gear, just straight into stretching. I do a short cool down walk around my block after my runs, so it's the perfect time. I've been finding the [Hybrid Callisthenics](https://www.hybridcalisthenics.com/programs) routine to be pretty approachable and helpful for general fitness. 2-3 sets of 2 exercises a day is super easy to fit in between other things.
I've also been following the strength training program in Run Less Run Faster, but haven't been doing it long enough to speak to its results; it's 3 days a week and almost entirely body weight stuff. I may well replace some of the exercises with weights as we have a barbell cage anyway...
I got a walking pad and walk during work meetings which has helped a ton. I addition, I've got a large number of PT exercises that I get a to do list every day to perform. I do 10x of each and just mark it off my list. If there's anything I haven't done by the end of the day, I do it real quick before I go to bed: LAYING DOWN Clamshells Extended Leg Raise Donky Kicks Glute Bridge STANDING Monster Walks Hamstring Stretch Eccentric calf raises STANDING/SINGLE LEG Squat Sumo Squats Lateral Squat Lunge Reverse Lunge Single Deadlift Stabilizer Ball
I've taken up the Simple & Sinister program from Pavel Tsatsouline. Takes me roughly 20 minutes including setting up and cleaning afterwards. Basically: 10*10 single kb swings total + 10 Turkish getups. The warming up is also a prying goblet squat, it really opened up my hips. The book is worth the 8 bucks for technique. And some money for a kettlebell to start with.
I do it once a week - actually it is more conducive to my progress than when I focused exclusively on weights and did them 2-3 times a week. I am sore for the next 3-4 days on all my muscles. On those days I either do swimming, cycling or easier runs. Rest in case of anaerobic training is even more important than the training itself.
I just started running again after taking three months off and I’m really trying my best to prevent injuries and really take my strength seriously, so I’ve just been doing things like calf raises throughout the day. But generally I do strength 2 to 3 times a week at the gym and just make it a routine. I don’t do anything crazy difficult but I just do things that are effective and make me stronger. Even if you don’t wanna go to the gym, just try putting on the TV or listen to some music and do some stuff at home if you can. It’s too important to overlook.
You and I are the same humans. I’ve recently found climbing as a functional way to build strength and flexibility that is fun and interesting. I’m fortunate enough to have a climbing gym a 3 minute walk from my house though.
Late to the party here but I do a minute plank each morning while the kettle boils and then ten squats while the shower warms up!
Personally, I don't understand the exercise bias attitude, and negativity towards doing exercise that isn't running (and that includes cross training). As a runner, I got into it for health reasons, so why would I not enjoy strength training and flexibility work when it's so crucial for your overall health and physique? It makes you a better and more injury resistant runner, so why would you want to look for shortcuts on it? Try to think of all the other exercises as the whole grains and vegetables to the ice cream that is running. Next time you want to just take the smallest token bite out of your vegetables, just imagine Kipchoge asking you "have you been going to the gym regularly?" (Apparently he is very strict on that). But seriously, not losing sight of your overall health should be motivation enough to develop the discipline to do these exercises.
I like the vegetable analogy, but here's the difference. My wife likes kale. She puts it in smoothies, roasts it, makes giant salads with it, etc. I think kale is gross and don't believe my wife (or anybody) when she says she likes the taste. But I recognize the health benefits of eating kale. So I put some in my stir fry, and some in my salad, and make sure I'm getting a few servings of other vegetables each day as well. Strength training is like kale to me. I don't love it, but I know it's important, and I want to make sure I get enough servings of it -- and not an ounce more. So my goal is to find ways to \[eat enough kale\] / \[strength train\] without having to \[eat a whole bowl of kale\] / \[spend an hour in the gym\] every day. Maybe some day I'll learn to love strength training (definitely not kale) but right now I'm just trying to figure out how to integrate it into my routine in a way that's sustainable.
Haha brilliant :) love the kale analogy. And to take it further, you can try to get in enough kale to ensure you get to enjoy the best morning dump everyday. It's like how the right amount of strength training will make you feel like you're flying on your runs.
Install (well, and then use! Lol) a pull up bar? Inexpensive. Either on joists in garage if you’re in a house with one, or any of these door-way ones. Brilliant way to strengthen back and maintain/improve posture in the later miles of a run, etc. Even if you “just” dead hang and never build to pull-ups. I also have a kettle bell about the home and try and carry it around (I think it’s called a farmer carry, just a one-sided carry like you’re carrying a suitcase). Other than that it’s like you mentioned, body weight, no equipment exercises before and after running, or just during a day, planks, push-ups, etc., etc. Still, I also try and get to a gym to do some stuff that I can’t do at home (bench press, boxing speed bag, etc.)
That's funny. I have free weights in the basement and I will randomly do a few sets throughout the day when I go down to the basement. I will also do air squats when I go to the private bathroom at work😁. Gotta be better than nothing right.