Having a strong and stable lower body is very important in a sport that requires both to perform well and avoid injury, but many runners forget about some strength work and are limited to running and doing some random and sporadic gym exercises … In this article, we’ll show you 10 of the best exercises for your feet, and plan for you to take full advantage of its benefits and improve your performance not only to overcome your marks, but also to feel good and avoid trauma.
Exercising leg muscles using external stress and weight itself is a task that many runners usually do not follow, despite the many benefits it provides.
If you really want to improve your results, you shouldn’t forget this fundamental part of the training. Many athletics experts and professionals believe that most amateur runners tend to add mile in excess, and that trend is not changing. Even in many cases, with the desire to prepare some kind of competition or a specific test, they end up overtraining in order to seek and achieve the state of “ideal” form. Thanks to scientific advances and the knowledge we have about learning and the methodologies that make up it, we know the wisest thing to do is to stop looking for maximum peaks. The most effective way is to stay fit throughout the year, and good planning is key.
Planning is the key to performance
As we pointed out, there can be no lack of strength in your routines, as well as in core work, prevention, dynamic balance, flexibility … that’s a lot, right? Well, that’s not a lot if you know how to train with your head. In fact, strength training can combine all these qualities in one session without having to spend 2 hours of your time in the gym.
The main reason many runners do not want to train their legs in the gym is because they have a misconception that the need for them is low, because when they run, they constantly use their legs and therefore do not consider the need to work with the rest of them. In fact, you even think that if you train with strength, you will not run well, and this will affect your performance.
Strength training is not negative for runners
First of all, I must say that this is a mistake. Good strength work will help you improve your performance, avoid injury, increase your strength and endurance, and of course, improve your well-being during the race. Obviously, if you train in the gym with a medium to high load and then want to run at an average pace, you probably can’t, and chances are that it doesn’t feel very good. We recommend scheduling your strength training days and your running days so that different stimuli don’t interfere with each other.
Strong legs are synonymous with good athletic performance, increased dexterity, dexterity and body balance. If you still have doubts about this workout, we’ll go over them with a brief explanation of the functions of each of the muscles in the lower body.
Strive to improve our overall strength level and prepare the body for future loads
1. Squats
An essential exercise in any self-respecting strength routine. The position of the legs should be slightly outward at an angle of about 45º to the central axis of the body. Remember to keep your back straight and your elbows pointing towards the ground. The degree of knee flexion will largely determine the amount of effort, ideally reaching 90 ° of knee flexion.
Top 10 Runner Leg Exercises
2. Deadweight
Another fundamental classic for building strong and resilient muscles. The lifts are located just below the plank and should move as close to the legs and hips as possible. It is very important that the back is straight. Remember to activate your abdominal girdle to protect your lower back muscles.
3. Ankle extension in stride position
Try to keep your torso straight and remember that you should try to direct your weight towards the big toe of each foot, not towards the outside.
4. Dumbbell Knee Curl and Opposite Leg Raise
If you choose a lighter load, the exercise will require more active participation in our dynamic balance, and with a higher load, the contribution of force increases. You should try to raise your leg against the flexion so that a straight line is drawn between your back and leg.
5. Walking
In addition to the quadriceps muscles, this exercise works the entire central area and dynamic balance. You can do them forward or backward, in both cases it is important that the return to the starting position occurs through an energetic and powerful movement that actively affects the gluteus muscle. Note that the stride is wide and deep, but avoiding undue stress on the kneecap, without exceeding the knee line flexion, which obviously should be done in the squat.
6. Side slip knee flexion
Notice that the flexors at the knee, ankle, and toe point in the same direction. When you spread the knee, you must apply pressure to the sole of the opposite foot so that you notice the action on the inner thighs. If the floor is flat and soft, you can use a rag or even a towel, otherwise you can use any slide or wheel accessory to do the exercise.
7. Knee Extension and Glide Flexion
The most important thing in this exercise is to avoid excessive curvature in the lumbar region. The hamstring musculature will be in demand throughout the path, which has a significant eccentric phase dominance and therefore greater efficiency in terms of results and performance.
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8. Get off the bench with a load
This is a complex and functional exercise for working with the muscles of the quadriceps muscle. It is important that the descent is done in a slow and controlled manner so that we improve the results and effectiveness of the exercise.
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9. Inverted Squat with Russian Belt
Another fun way to get the muscles in the back of your leg to work, as well as engage the lumbar and spinal muscles, is the great forgotten to workout yet one of the muscle areas most punished by injuries.
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10. Abduction of the leg with an elastic band on an unstable base
In addition to the work of the whole core, also the gluteal muscles. If you change the position of the chest, we will attract more kidnappers.
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Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions of at least 4 of the exercises we suggest in this routine, trying to engage all muscles in the lower body (twins, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps).
