Avoid injuries and maximise running performance with strength training

Whenever you practice a sport which comprises of repetitive movements, like running for example, there is a strong chance you will develop muscles imbalances. Simply put, a muscle imbalance appears when one muscle group (agonist) becomes stronger than its opposing muscle group (antagonist), creating permanent pressure on the joints, ligaments, and muscles themselves. Running relies mostly on the core and lower body and more specifically, on the quadriceps, hip flexors, as well as the gastrocnemius and soleus complex in the calves.

An overuse of the quadriceps will create an imbalance with the hamstrings and glutes, these opposite muscle groups becoming long and weak. Both muscle groups having origins and insertions around the hip and knee joints, you can maybe already imagine the implications this will have for these joints. In addition to the quadriceps, the hip flexors and more precisely the iliopsoas muscle is likely to become stronger and shorter when running long distances. This muscle has its origin in the lumbar spine and has its insertion on the femur, the thighbone. Considering its position, it is thus easier to understand the negative impact this muscle has on the position of your hips and pelvis contributing to a postural imbalance.

We have muscles that have become so powerful that their strength outgrows weaker muscles around them. So we need to restore balance. What do we do when we have weak muscles? We strengthen them! Most people stretch their hamstrings whenever they have hamstrings injuries. But they end up loosening something that’s already loose, making hips and knees even more unstable! So your strength training program should focus on exercises targeting your weaker muscles: glutes, hamstrings, back muscles and lower abdominals. Deadlifts, bridges (both legs or single leg), box step ups with a kick, lat pulldowns or rows are great exercises to target these muscles. 

For your core, forget the crunch and the plank that will mostly activate your rectus abdominis or six pack. Supine marching, deadbugs or Pilates movements are a great start to regain coordination in your lower abdominals.

That being said, since distance running is an endurance sport you want to focus on building muscular endurance, which is the ability for a muscle to sustain repeated contractions for an extended period of time. So instead of trying to deadlift the heaviest weight possible for one repetition, you should focus on higher rep ranges at lighter intensities, slower tempos, with shorter rest periods. The same is valid for exercises to correct posture in the upper body. 

Now, when running, you not only need to be able to start the movement, but you also need to be able to slow down or stop the movement every time your foot lands on the ground. Just like in any car, you need a good engine, but also good brakes. That’s why eccentric training is a vital component of a balanced running program.

Eccentric contraction of a muscle is the lengthening of a muscle while under load. An example would be the biceps muscle during a biceps curl. When extending your arm, your biceps contracts as it is lengthened. Eccentric training, that focuses only on these types of contractions, helps to improve the ability to decelerate limbs, control landings, and is extremely important to prevent injuries. For instance, a lot of hamstrings injuries could be avoided with eccentric training.

First off, prevention is better than cure. Avoiding injuries is key to be able to keep training in the long-haul and overall increase performance. I don’t think I need to elaborate on this one. So train smarter, not harder.

Now, remember that hunched back posture that we get when we have an imbalance between our trunk flexors (upper abs) and our extensors (back muscles)? Well this is basically a position of expiration. So you are now stuck in this position because of your muscle imbalances. Do you think we can properly breathe and inhale when we are stuck in a position of exhalation? Of course, not.

This position disrupts the ability of the diaphragm to travel up and down in order to create the vacuum effect that pulls the air in and out of the lungs. You will end up with an abnormal breathing pattern, breathing mostly with your chest and neck, instead of what we call proper belly breathing. It is critical to note that a runner that cannot breathe properly is not going to run far or fast!