Strength Training for Runners: The Secret to Faster Times, Fewer Injuries, and Better Form

If you’re still avoiding the weight room for fear of bulking up like the Hulk, it’s time to change your mindset about strength training for runners.

Whether you’re chasing a marathon PR or just want to stay injury-free on your morning runs, strength training for runners is no longer optional — it’s essential.

Incorporating a smart, science-backed strength training routine can dramatically improve your running performance, boost running economy, and help you avoid common injuries. Let’s dive into the why, what, and how — with expert advice from Jon-Erik Kawamoto, certified personal trainer, MSc Kin(c), CSCS, CEP.

Learning how to stay injury free is crucial for long-term running success.

Factors like proper training techniques, recovery routines ^[1], and body awareness play vital roles in helping you achieve your goals, whether you’re training for a race or exploring the trails.

It’s challenging to get runners in the gym. Most fear that if they lift a weight, they will instantly turn into the Hulk, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

However, numerous studies show improved running performance and reduced injury risk when runners include strength and plyometric exercises in their endurance program.

Essential Strength Exercises for Runners

Start by learning correct movement patterns.

Kawamoto outlines key drills every runner should master.

1. The Goblet Squat

• Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding a kettlebell or dumbbell securely at chest height.
• Maintain an upright torso and brace your core.
• Lower your body into a squat by pushing your hips back and then bending your knees, keeping your chest lifted and your spine neutral.
• Make sure your knees align with your toes and then avoid allowing them to collapse inward.
• Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or deeper, if your flexibility permits), then press through your heels to return to a standing position.
• Maintain controlled breathing throughout the movement.

A great full-body move for strength training for runners to build lower body strength and then core endurance.

2. The Romanian Deadlift

• Stand with your feet hip width apart, holding a kettlebell in front of your thighs.
• Keep your knees slightly bent, core engaged, and spine neutral.
• Hinge at your hips, pushing them back as you lower the kettlebell down the front of your legs.
• After that, keep the weight close, back flat, and gaze down.
• Pause when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then drive through your heels to return to standing.
• Breathe deeply and then move with control, keeping your hips — not your back — in charge.

This move teaches runners how to engage their posterior chain, essential for generating force in a straight line during a stride.

3.  Bird Dog

• Begin in a 4-point position, with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
• After that, contract your abdominal area.
• Take a deep breath and lift your one arm to be in line with your shoulder as you extend your opposite leg behind your body.
• Keep your hips and then shoulders parallel to the floor.
• Hold the position for a couple of seconds.
• Relax and then repeat the movement on the opposite side, with 10 repetitions on each side.

The Overlooked Weapon in Your Running Routine

Many runners fear lifting weights will slow them down or lead to injury. But research and experience say otherwise.

In fact, incorporating strength exercises for runners, such as squats, deadlifts, and plyometric exercises, has been shown to enhance running efficiency, reduce the risk of running-related injuries, and improve overall movement patterns.

According to Kawamoto, combining endurance and resistance exercise boosts neuromuscular communication, enhances force production, and builds Type IIa muscle fibers ^[3], all of which support better running mechanics.

And here’s the best part — these changes don’t add bulk. Instead, they enhance strength without sacrificing speed or muscular endurance.

Benefits of Strength Training for Runners

1. It Improves Running Economy

A stronger runner uses less energy per stride.

That means you can go farther, faster, with fewer injuries.

Strength training — especially explosive plyometric exercises — improves your ground reaction force, helping you spring forward more efficiently.

2. It Fills the Gaps Left by Running Alone

The repetitive nature of running often creates muscle imbalances, particularly in the hips, glutes, and core muscles.

Strength workouts target these neglected areas, reducing compensation patterns that lead to pain or breakdowns in your running form.

3. It Keeps You Injury-Free

From shin splints to knee pain, most running injuries are preventable.

Kawamoto emphasizes the role of unilateral exercises (such as single-leg squats, single-leg glute bridges, and reverse lunges) in balancing strength between the right and left legs, correcting asymmetries, and supporting injury-free mileage.

“Strength training improves running economy by increasing muscle stiffness and neuromuscular coordination, which helps runners generate more force with less effort. The key is to use strength exercises that mimic the demands of running — such as single-leg movements and exercises that engage the posterior chain.” — Dr. Jason Karp, PhD, USA Track & Field-certified coach

Warm-Up Like You Mean It

Say goodbye to ineffective warm-ups like the Iron Cross. Kawamoto recommends dynamic, spine-friendly drills like:

• Knee-Hug to Crossover Lunge – Opens hips and improves balance.
• Curtsey Lunge – Activates hip stabilizers while mimicking running’s diagonal forces.
• Mini Band Hip Flexor Activation – Trains control from a starting position to full hip extension.
• Designing a Strength Training Program That Works

A well-balanced strength training program for runners should:

• Include both bodyweight and loaded resistance exercises ^[2]
• Use single-leg and unilateral moves to mimic real-world running
• Prioritize mobility exercises and glute activation
• Be done 2–3x a week on non-intense run days
• Focus on core workouts and upper body strength too

Whether you’re in your offseason or peaking for race day, fit your strength training sessions into your broader training plan.

1. Learn the difference between the squat and hip hinge pattern

The barbell back squat is traditionally seen as a “basic” lift; however, most runners perform this lift incorrectly.

Top 3 Problems Runners Have:

1. Insufficient depth
2. Rounded back
3. Valgus (inward) knee

Technique Fix Tip To Stay Injury Free: The Goblet Squat

1. Hold a dumbbell in front of your chest lengthwise with your elbows pointing downward.
2. Sit in between your feet while keeping your chest up/out
3. Squat ass-to-grass with your hip-crease below your knee-crease
4. Finish with your elbows on the inside of your thighs
5. Allow your torso to lean forward slightly to maintain balance over your mid-foot
6. Do not allow your back to round forward – stay tight and firm in your core throughout the exercise

Over several weeks, progress to the heaviest dumbbell you can find. Not only is this challenging for the legs, but the core and spinal erectors get a great workout too.

I recommend all runners be able to perform perfect heavy Goblet Squats before attempting barbell front or high-bar back squats.

You can trust the motor pattern, mobility, and stability with deep Goblet Squats will help you achieve your goals of increasing strength in your legs and hips while also increasing core stability.

On to the hip hinge

This movement pattern is essential for performing perfect Deadlifts, Olympic lifts, and Russian Kettlebell Swings. For optimal utilization of the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back extensors), the hip hinge with zero back flexion/extension is imperative to improve the athletic potential and run performance. Tapping into the posterior chain will also help reduce the injury risk associated with distance running.

Stay Injury-Free Technique: Standing Hip Hinge Drill

1. Stand with your feet 8-10” apart.
2. Place one hand on your low back and one on your stomach
3. Slightly bend your knees
4. Push your hips back, back, back while you bow forward – you should feel the tension in your hamstrings as you reach 90 degrees at your hips.
5. Use your hands to feel if your back starts to round
6. Stay long and tight in your core, and keep your chest out

Learn and own this movement. Apply it to your training – the Romanian Deadlift is a great exercise for runners.

Hold a loaded barbell with a double overhand grip in front of your thighs.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

Keep the bar close to your legs and perform the hip hinge described above.

Once the bar passes your knees, return to the standing position.

To build strength, complete sets of 5 or less with at least 2-minutes rest between sets.

Moving through the hips will develop strong-ass glutes and hamstrings while sparing the spine and knees.

2. Correct for Muscle Imbalances

Due to the nature of the running stride (especially at slow paces), the body and joints repeatedly move through a particular range of motion.

This highly repetitive nature results in common muscle imbalances forming in runners compared to non-runners.

If you are looking for a great resource on muscle imbalances, check out Muscle Imbalances Revealed.

Shirley Sharmann (2002), in Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, writes that runners typically have overdeveloped hamstrings and usually weak hips. Weak hips can lead to many injuries in the hip joint and the knees.

Runners with weak gluteus maximus muscles are prone to hamstring strains, whereas runners with weak hip abductors and hip stabilizers are prone to lateral knee pain.

Before going on runs, activate the glutes in your warm-up.

My favorite drill is the Super Dog, an exercise I got from fitness expert Nick Tumminello. Kneel on a mat and bring one knee to your chest.

Extend your other leg and rest your upper body on your elbows.

Bringing your knee to your chest flexes the hip and prevents lumbar extension during this exercise.

Lift the straight leg upward while trying to extend your hip. Perform 12 to 15-reps per side and perform two sets.

Another great warm-up drill for runners involves activating the deep hip flexors.

Lie on your back with a mini-band wrapped around your feet.

Bring your knees to your chest.

Keep one knee tight with your stomach while pressing the opposite leg away.

Hold the end position for 5-seconds. Perform 8- to 10-reps per side.

3. Be wise when choosing your exercises to stay injury free

Not all exercises are created equal. The Iron Cross is a standard warm-up exercise at track and field meets that attempts to warm up the hip flexors while dynamically stretching the hamstrings.

Here, the runner faces up with their arms out to the sides.

One foot is brought to the opposite hand with a straight leg.

This warm-up exercise forces lumbar rotation and flexion upon a fixed torso, a recipe for disc disaster.

Dynamic loads directed to the spine in this nature are unsafe and may result in injury.

Instead, perform the Knee-Hug Crossover Lunge.

This drill works on the hip range of motion while activating the legs and hips in the standing position.

This exercise will have more functional carryover to running and be more effective at warming you up than the Iron Cross.

Plus, the dynamic rotational load is removed, thus, sparing the spine.

Stand tall and hug one knee.

To learn how to stay injury-free, incorporate exercises like the “curtsey lunge” into your warm-up routine.

Start by feeling a stretch under your thigh and into your glute as you release a controlled hug and step your leg diagonally backward, keeping your shoulders and hips square.

Focus on engaging your hips and staying tall, driving your front foot into the ground to return to a standing position.

Repeat this movement 10 times per side, twice, before your run to enhance flexibility and strength.

Jon-Erik Kawamoto, MSc Kin(c), CSCS, CEP, is a Personal Trainer and Freelance Fitness Writer based in St. John’s, NL, Canada. Jon ran track and field for nine years with 15:13 and 32:15 personal bests in 5-km and 10-km races, respectively. He regularly contributes to many significant health and fitness magazines such as Canadian Running, Men’s Fitness, and Oxygen. You can reach Jon and read more of his work at  www.StrongerRunner.com.

Train Smart, Run Stronger

Runners, it’s time to shift your mindset: strength doesn’t slow you down — it powers you forward. With Jon-Erik Kawamoto’s science-backed tips and a routine tailored for endurance athletes, you can run stronger, safer, and then more efficiently.

Remember: training smart means lifting weights, addressing imbalances, and making the most of your time in the gym. Your future PR — and pain-free body — will thank you.

Unlock your strongest glutes yet! Discover the Best Gluteus Maximus Exercises to tone, lift, and power up your lower body. Start transforming your backside with targeted moves that deliver real results—no gym required.

FAQs

How often should runners do strength training?

Ideally, runners should incorporate 2 to 3 strength training sessions per week, especially during base-building or off-season periods. These sessions should focus on compound lifts, unilateral exercises, and core workouts to support overall running performance and reduce injury risk.

Will strength training make me bulky and slow?

Not at all. When done properly, strength training enhances muscle efficiency, not size. Runners benefit from lean muscle that improves force production, stride power, and running economy — without adding mass that slows them down.

What are the best strength exercises for runners?

• Top-tier exercises include:
• Single-leg squats
• Romanian deadlifts
• Reverse lunges
• Single leg glute bridges
• Plank variations

These moves mimic the unilateral movement patterns of running, correct muscle imbalances, and enhance core stability.