Strength training is an essential component of becoming a better athlete. If you’re a runner who’s a newbie in the gym or an experienced weightlifter looking to run more regularly, you can balance your training to make it beneficial, fun and sustainable!
Whether you’re new to the podcast or a frequent listener, it will probably come as no surprise that I continually stress the importance of weight training for runners. Strength work shouldn’t be considered cross-training for runners, but rather an essential component of training. While there are ways to strength train that can optimize your running, the bottom line is that you will always benefit even if you don’t execute it perfectly.
While bodybuilding and weight lifting have always seemed to be at opposite ends of the athletic spectrum, in recent years we have started to see some athletes who blend them both. The popularity of obstacle course racing has also helped encourage athletes who have focused on weightlifting discover a fun entryway to running and endurance training.
Weightlifting Q&A with Coach Matt Chittim
This week’s podcast is from a conversation I had with Matt Chittim on the Rambling Runner Podcast. Matt is a runner and a coach, and his enthusiasm and knowledge about the sport has made his podcast enormously popular. We have covered an array of topics in our previous conversations, but this one focuses on one of my favorite topics: weightliftig Q&A for runners.
Matt and I talk about some different aspects of strength training in this episode, including roadblocks that keep runners from getting into the gym, and why it’s ok not to optimize every aspect of your training. Our discussion also includes:
- The ubiquitous need for strength work (here’s how), whether you’re a new runner or an elite
- Why something is always better than nothing when it comes to weight training
- How obstacle course racing (OCR) has become a “gateway drug” into running
- Using a blend of the activities you love to keep running fun and sustainable
- The cautious approach to lifting heavy in the gym
My conversations with Matt are always fun, energetic and informative. Enjoy!
Subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or Google Play.
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Listen to The Rambling Runner Podcast
- Follow The Rambling Runner on Instagram
- Listen to my recent conversation with Matt on engineering a comeback
- Get strong at home with Bodyweight Power
- Learn how to lift like the elites
- Listen to another weightlifting Q&A podcast
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