Injury Prevention: Functional Strength, Elite Core, and Dynamic Warm-ups

In the past eleven years, I have done more strength and core work than you can shake a stick at.  Some of it really works and I continue to do it today, but some of the ancillary work I’ve done is irrelevant to the sport of running.  My gym routines used to consist of bicep curls and crunches, among other isolation exercises.  Stop doing these useless exercises!  Train movements, not muscles, for more functional strength and better injury prevention.

Let’s look at some of the best core and strength work for distance runners.  They are functional, compound, multi-joint routines that do not isolate muscles.  They train your body to balance, increase strength in multiple planes of motion, and focus on weak areas (like your posterior chain) in typical distance runners.

Strength Routines

I focus on quality, not quantity, and believe heavy weights should be used even if you are training for a marathon.  The following exercises are all simple compound movements and focus on basic, functional strength.  I don’t do any of the more technical lifts (like snatch or cleans) because I don’t think it’s truly necessary.  Because they are more advanced and could cause an injury if done improperly, the risk is not worth it for the majority of people.

  • Bench Press
  • Chinups
  • Pullups
  • Deadlifts
  • Pushups
  • Squats
  • Lunges (try it with a plate held above your head for added difficulty)
  • Side lunges
  • Side step-ups

I normally work a combination of these exercises into a 20 minute routine 1-2 times per week.  Ideally, do 2-3 sets of 5-7 exercises with 10-15 reps each, depending upon weight (pullups may be hard to do 15 reps, of course).

Core Routines

This should be the bulk of a distance runner’s ancillary training.  Any body weight exercises that you can do in your living room I put into the “core” category.  I focus on a variety of exercises in several different routines.  I’m not going to reinvent the wheel so here are some of the best videos for demonstration and inspiration.

My Standard Core workout is one I’ve been doing for years and is very comprehensive – it targets almost everything.  Each exercise is done for 1 minute and then you transition immediately to the next.  Take 1.5-2 minutes between sets and do 2-3 sets.

  • Modified Bicycle – lie on your back and hold one leg so your thigh is perpendicular to your body and your shin is parallel to the ground.  The other leg is a few inches off the ground, straight.  Hold for a few seconds and then switch legs.
  • Plank
  • Leg Extension - Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground.  Lift your hips so there is a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.  Extend one leg straight out, hold for a few seconds, then put it back down on the ground and repeat.
  • Side Plank – I also do 10 lateral leg raises while doing this exercise.
  • Modified Fire Hydrant – In a table position, lift your leg arm so it’s parallel to the ground and your right leg so your thigh is parallel to the ground.  Keep your knee bent at 90 degrees and active your glute muscle.  Hold for a few seconds and switch.
  • Supine Leg Lift – With your weight on your elbows and heels, lift your hips and keep a straight line from your toes to your shoulders.  Lift one leg about 8 inches off the ground, hold for a few seconds, and repeat with the opposite leg.

The Standard Warm-up is something I created that I can easily do in 6-8 minutes before a run that incorporates dynamic stretching and some light strength work.  I go through the routine once.  A lot of these exercises are in Jay Johnson’s routines so I’m not going to detail them out.

  • Walking deadlifts - 10 reps.  Take a step forward, bend down and touch your toes with your other leg parallel to the ground and back straight.  Repeat on your other leg.
  • Groiners – 20 reps.
  • Donkey Kicks – 10 reps per leg.
  • Mountain Climbers – 10 reps.
  • Mountain Climbers, Legs out – 20 reps (bring knees outside of your arms)
  • Linear Leg Swing – 10 reps.
  • Lateral Leg Swing - 10 reps.
  • Iron Cross – 10 reps.
  • Lunge – 10 reps.

How often should you do core and strength work?  It depends upon its intensity but you could easily do something once every day.  I like to do either the Standard Warm-up or Cannonball before a run, and then either Standard Core, Myrtl, Back, or a gym routine following the run.  Doing a core workout after a run serves to help transition the body from running to being sedentary and is a great form of active stretching.  I feel 100% better doing core after a run.

Remember, start gradually and incorporate core and strength routines as you feel more comfortable with the exercises.

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