Strength Training for Runners
Running may seem like just putting one foot in front of the other, but each stride places a high demand on the body. With each step, your muscles and joints have to absorb impact, keep you balanced on one leg, and then produce force to move forward. That’s why a strong running program should include targeted and structured strength training.
A well-designed strength plan helps runners improve their running efficiency, reduce side-to-side imbalances, build resilience, and lower their risk of injury. Not all strength exercises do the same thing. Some help improve stability and control, while others build strength, and power to help you run stronger and stay healthy for the long term.
In this post, we will break down the main categories of strength training that support better running performance, along with examples of exercises that can fit into a runner’s program.
Unilateral Training for Stability
In her 20s, she found her rhythm in the gym through lifting and even training for
Because running means spending most of your time on one foot at a time, unilateral (single leg) training is one of the best ways to prepare the body for the demands of the sport. These exercises challenge each leg independently, helping runners develop better balance, control, and strength on both sides.
Single-leg work is especially useful for correcting weaknesses or imbalances between your left and right side. It strengthens key muscles used in running, —such as the glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, and lower legs —and improves pelvic control, which helps keep your hips stable as you run. Over time, this can translate into cleaner strides, stronger push-off, and limit excessive stress on the body.
two half marathons in one year. She thrives on having goals to work toward and enjoys applying what she’s learned through her kinesiology background to her own training.
Now as the Assistant General Manager at Body + Soul Fitness, and a Certified Athletic Therapist, she brings that same energy into both her own training and clients she supports daily.
But preparing for a bodybuilding competition brought on a completely new set of challenges to work through and a new level of structure she’d never experienced before.
Front-Foot Elevated + Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat
Single-Leg Hip Thrust
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Bilateral Training for Power
running is a unilateral activity, bilateral (both legs) exercises still play an important role in a runner’s strength program.
Movements like squats and deadlifts allow runners to lift more weight than single-leg exercises. This helps build strength throughout your entire body and improves your ability to push into the ground with more force when you run.
Bilateral strength work helps build a strong foundation that can help you run stronger, stay more consistent, and reduce your risk of injury.
Trap Bar Deadlift
Barbell Front Squat
Upper Body Mobility and Control
Upper body training is often overlooked in running programs, but it matters more than many people realize. Your arms help drive your rhythm and balance your movement, which can make running feel smoother and more efficient.
Training the upper body can also help you maintain good posture and form as you get tired. When your shoulders, back, and core are strong, it’s easier to stay upright and move efficiently. The better your upper and lower body work together, themore controlled and coordinated your running will feel.
Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Row with Rotation
Single-Arm Cable Punch
Core Training in All Planes of Motion
Core training is one of the most neglected pieces of many running programs, yet it plays a central role in how efficiently you move. Your core helps control the spine, and that affects the movement and positioning of everything attached to it.
A strong core helps you stay balanced as your body naturally twists with each stride, keeps your hips steady when you’re on one leg, and helps you maintain good posture from start to finish. Together, these qualities make the core the glue that helps hold everything together while running.
Single-Arm Floor Press in a Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Hip Shifts
Swiss Ball Jackknife
Lower Leg and Foot Training
For runners, lower leg and foot training is non-negotiable. With every step, your feet and ankles absorb impact, create stiffness, and push you forward. Because running places repeated weight on one leg at a time, each foot and ankle complex may handle forces several times your body weight.
A stable foot creates the foundation for efficient movement up the chain. Weakness, instability, or limited range of motion in the feet, calves, or ankle extensors can create energy leaks, increase time spent on the ground, reduce stride efficiency, and raise injury risk.
Single-Leg Everted Calf Raise
Leaning Tibialis Anterior Raise
Split Squat Iso Pendulums
Plyometric and Change-of-Direction Training
Running is not just about strength—it’s also about how quickly your body can react and push off the ground. Your lower legs and feet need to act like springs, absorbing force quickly and returning that energy into forward motion.
Plyometric exercises, like jumps and hops, help train your body to be quicker and more explosive. This kind of training develops tendon capacity in a way that traditional strength work does not. It helps you spend less time on the ground and feel lighter and more responsive when you run.
Change-of-direction drills add movement variability and challenge control at the hips, knees, ankles, and feet in multiple planes. That variety helps build more resilient athletes and may reduce injury risk over time.
Single-Leg Lateral Hops
Single-Leg Depth Drop
Take the Next Step in Your Running
If you’re looking to improve your running, build strength, and reduce your risk of injury, the Running Training Program can help. Your trainer will create a plan tailored to your goals, experience level and individual needs, giving you the support and structure to run stronger, and stay consistent with your training.