By Marnie Kunz

Check out the 15 best strength training exercises for runners to minimize your risk of running injuries and improve your running form, speed, and performance. Many runners slack on strength training, but there are so many benefits that it’s worth the time and effort to add strength training to your fitness program.

Benefits of Strength Training Exercises for Runners

There are many benefits of strength training for runners. Strength training — which may include bodyweight exercises, exercises with resistance bands, and weightlifting — improves running form and efficiency and reduces your chance of getting running injuries. According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, strength training also improves runners’ VO2 max, which is how efficiently your body uses oxygen while exercising. This helps you run faster and perform better in races.

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Strength training also will help you run with better form and improve your leg strength so you can more easily tackle hills and fight off fatigue during challenging workouts and races. Incorporating resistance training exercises into your regular fitness program will strengthen your tendons, muscles, and joints, reducing your risk of muscle imbalances, injuries, and pain.

I recommend doing strength training at least twice a week to improve your running performance and overall fitness. I am breaking down the strength training exercises here by section of the body. If you are just getting started with strength training exercises for runners, incorporate at least three exercises from each body section into your workout program.

If you need a personalized workout plan that includes strength exercises and a running training plan designed just for you, check out my training services in the Runstreet Training Center.

Best Core Strength Training Exercises for Runners

Your core — which includes your abs, obliques, hips, back, and pelvic floor — is responsible for keeping your body stable as you move through life. Strengthening your core muscles will help prevent back pain and keep your running form stable, reducing your risk of injuries. These core strength training exercises for runners will help you maintain good running form and balance even during challenging long runs and workouts.

1. Planks

Planks are one of the most effective core exercises, and they target your whole body — including your core, arms, chest, back, and glutes. Planks strengthen your transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis, known as the “six-pack muscles,” because they are the large muscles along the front of your abs that give you the defined abs look that everyone wants.

Planks are a versatile exercise with many variation options.

To do a high plank:

Begin from a push-up position with your arms straight and your hands planted directly below your shoulders. Your hips will face the ground and be lifted in the air, with your back straight from your shoulders to your toes.
Tighten your abs and maintain a straight back, with no caving or arching of the spine. Maintain a neutral neck. Continue to breathe (you’d be surprised how easy it is to hold your breath without realizing it while planking!).
Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat to do three sets of planks.
Variations: You can modify the planks by doing them with your knees resting on the ground. Another option is forearm planks, where you place your forearms on the ground. This position places less pressure on the wrists and shoulders. Once you can easily do 20-second planks, add more time up to 1 minute.

Side planks target the obliques, muscles that run along the sides of the abs.

2. Side Planks

Side planks strengthen your obliques, which run along the side of your core. We use our obliques in rotational movements, including running.

To do side planks:

Begin from a side-lying position, stacking your feet with your hips and chest facing forward.
Lift your hips and balance on your forearm and your feet.
Keep your core tight, and your body will be in a straight diagonal line. Don’t let your hips sag or rise up above the rest of your body.
Breathe and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat to do three sets of side planks on each side.
Variations: If the regular side plank is too difficult, you can bend your lower legs at the knee for modified side planks. Maintain a tight core with a straight diagonal line from your head to your knees. Once you master the side plank, you can add more time to your planks.

3. Reverse Crunches

Reverse crunches are one of the top core strength training exercises for runners. Reverse crunches place less strain on the neck and spine than traditional crunches and sit-ups while working the same muscles. The reverse crunch primarily targets your rectus abdominis, the “six-pack muscles.”

To do reverse crunches:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Tighten your core, lifting your feet off the ground and bringing your thighs up into the air until they are vertical, with your knees directly above your hips.
Contract your abs and curl your knees and hips toward your chest, with only your hips coming off the mat.
Inhale and return to the starting position, lowering your body back to the mat.
Do 3 sets of 10.

4. Bicycle Crunches

Bicycle crunches target the often-overlooked obliques and deep abs.

Bicycle crunches target often overlooked core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, the obliques, and the transverse abdominis, the deep ab muscle.

To do bicycle crunches:

Begin by lying on your back with your lower back pressed to the floor and your knees bent. Place your hands gently on the sides of your head with your elbows bent.
Bend your knees to about 90 degrees and lift your feet off the floor. Pretend your feet are pedaling a bicycle, with one leg stretching out and the other bending in toward the opposite armpit. Rotate your torso so your elbow touches your opposite knee. Alternate your legs, using your core muscles to stabilize you as you move.
Do bicycle crunches for 30 seconds. Repeat to do three sets.

5. Flutter Kicks

Flutter kicks are a great core-strengthening exercise.

Flutter kicks strengthen your lower core muscles, including the rectus abdominis and hip flexors. Runners often have tight and weak hips, which causes a lot of running injuries. Flutter kicks can help correct this issue.

To do flutter kicks:

Lie on your back, with your arms by your sides. Place your hands under your glutes.
Tighten your core muscles, and alternate lifting one leg and then the other in a fluttering, controlled kicking motion. When you lift each leg, bring your foot about 6 inches above the floor.
Do flutter kicks for 30 seconds. Repeat to do three sets.
Variations: If you’re a beginner, let each foot tap the floor when it comes down. For advanced flutter kicks, do not let either foot touch the floor, allowing each lowered foot to go only an inch or two above the ground.

Lower Body Strength Training Exercises for Runners

Running is mostly powered through our lower bodies, so lower-body strength training exercises are important. These exercises will help improve your lower body strength and stability, making you less likely to have running form issues and injuries.

6. Glute Bridges

Glute bridges are key for building glute strength and stability in runners. Glute bridges are a bodyweight exercise that’s beginner-friendly. Your glutes are the largest muscle in your body, so strengthening them improves your running performance while boosting your overall fitness level and burning more calories than strength training smaller muscle groups.

To do the glute bridge:

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet on the ground, and your arms straight by your sides.
Squeeze your glutes and tighten your core, lifting your hips off the floor. Your body should be straight from your chest to your knees.
Squeeze your glutes and hold for two seconds. Then lower your body back to the ground.
Do 10 glute bridges. Repeat for three sets.
Variations: Once you’ve mastered glute bridges, you can make them more challenging by straightening one leg and lifting it in the air for a one-legged glute bridge. You can also elevate your feet on a step or bench to add more intensity.

7. Squats

Squats are a staple lower body exercise for good reason — they target large muscle groups in the lower body, including the glutes, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, and groin. Squats are also highly adaptable, with many variations to add intensity or emphasize certain muscles.

To do a squat:

Begin from a standing position with your feet hip-width apart, your abs tight, chest up, and head and neck neutral, looking forward.
Lower your body slowly and inhale, bending at the knees and hinging at the hips with your weight resting in your heels. You will feel like you’re sitting down in an imaginary chair, with your butt sticking out and your chest up. Keep your shoulders back and your glutes tight.
Lower your body until your thighs parallel the floor, with your knees above your ankles. Make sure your knees do not go past your ankles, and your ankles do now roll inward or outward.
Push off your heels and exhale, rising back into the starting position.
Do three sets of 10 squats.
Variations: Once you have good form with the bodyweight squat and it feels easy, you can add intensity by holding a dumbbell, kettlebell, or pair of dumbbells. For an advanced variation where you can add more weight, use a barbell for your squats.

8. Hip Thrusts

Hip thrusts are one of the most effective glute-building exercises, and they will help you run with better form and more power.

Use a workout bench or other stable, elevated surface to do hip thrusts.

Begin with your upper back resting on the bench and knees bent with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your butt will be in the air, hanging over the side of the bench. Hold a dumbbell or weighted barbell across your hips.
Squeeze your glutes and slowly lower your hips toward the floor.
Continue squeezing your glutes and pushing through your heels, raising your hips until your thighs parallel the floor, with your legs at 90-degree angles. Keep your chin tucked and core engaged.
Squeeze your glutes at the top.
Do three sets of 10.
Variations: Once you master the dumbbell hip thrust, you can add intensity by substituting a barbell for the dumbbell. As you progress to heavier weights for hip thrusts, you may need a barbell pad to cushion your hips from the bar.

9. Deadlifts

As with squats, deadlifts strengthen many lower body muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, back, hips, and core muscles.

I recommend using dumbbells for deadlifts if you are starting or working out from home. For more advanced weightlifters, you can use a barbell.

To do a deadlift:

Begin from a standing position with your feet hip-width apart. Tighten your core muscles and keep your chest up throughout the exercise. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight and the dumbbells in front of you.
Hinge at the hip and bend slightly at the knees as you lower your upper body. Continue holding the dumbbells with straight arms in front of you, keeping them close to your shins as you lower your body. Keep your chest up and push your butt back so your back is flat.
Squeeze your glutes as you lower the dumbbells, pausing when you have hinged as far as you can at the hips while keeping good form.
Tighten your glutes and raise back up to a standing position. Do not let your spine curve.
Do 3 sets of 10 dumbbell deadlifts.
Variations: If you are using a kettlebell, hold the handle with both hands, lifting the weight from the floor until you are standing. As with the dumbbells, you will want to keep the kettlebell close to your shins as you lower the weight.

10. Clamshell

The clamshell is one of the strength training exercises for runners that will help your body’s stability and alignment. The clamshell exercise targets the pelvis, hips, and gluteus medius on the outer sides of your butt. Doing this exercise helps ease lower back tension and improve your balance and form while running.

To do the clamshell:

Lie on your side with your knees bent at a 45-degree angle, your legs stacked, and your hips facing forward. Rest your head on your lower arm.
Tighten your abs and keep your pelvis facing forward. Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee. Squeeze your glutes and tighten your abs as you do this.
Return your knee to the resting position.
Do three sets of 10 on each side.
Variations: You can add a resistance band around your thighs to make the clamshells more challenging.

Upper Body Strength Training Exercises for Runners

Many runners think they don’t need upper body strength. Still, upper body strength will help your whole body mechanics work better, improving your running form and helping you expend less energy when you run. These upper body strength training exercises for runners will help you run strong and reduce your risk of injury.

11. Push-Ups

Push-ups are among the most versatile upper-body exercises as they target many upper-body muscles and have many options for modifications and variations. Push-ups strengthen your core, chest, shoulders, and triceps muscles.

To do push-ups:

Keep your body in a straight line for push-ups.

Begin from a plank position, with your core tight and arms straight, your hands directly below your shoulders on the floor. Your body should be in a straight line.
Slowly lower your body toward the floor, bending at the elbows until your body is just above the floor. Keep your core engaged and back straight. Don’t let your shoulders or back curve.
Push up to return to the starting position.
Do three sets of 10 push-ups.
Variations: If it is too difficult to do push-ups with good form, you can do modified push-ups by bending your knees and resting your lower body weight on your knees instead of your feet. To make push-ups more challenging, elevate your feet by placing them on a bench or step.

12. Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows

Bent-over rows strengthen the upper back muscles, including the trapezius, infraspinatus, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, teres major, and teres minor. This exercise also works your shoulder rotators, chest, and upper arm muscles.

How to do dumbbell bent-over rows:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Keeping your back straight and chest up, lean forward to about 45 degrees bent at the waist (no more). Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight and palms facing each other.
Exhale and pull the dumbbells up toward your sides. Keep your core engaged so your back is straight (not caving in or arching) throughout the exercise.
Inhale and slowly lower the weight to the start position with arms straight.
Do three sets of 10.
Variations: If this exercise is too difficult to do with the correct form, try using a bench and placing one hand on the bench for support. Do the row on one side at a time.

13. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

The dumbbell shoulder press will help your upper body stay strong and efficient as you run. This exercise strengthens the shoulders, triceps, and upper chest.

To do the dumbbell shoulder press:

Begin from a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, and elbows bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing forward.
Exhale and push up, straightening your arms. Keep your back straight and core tight.
Inhale and return to the starting position, lowering your arms.
Do three sets of 10.

14. Bicep Curls

Bicep curls strengthen your bicep muscles, which run along your upper arms, and the lower arm muscles called the brachialis and brachioradialis.

To do bicep curls:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and one dumbbell in each hand, with arms by your sides and palms facing up. Tighten your core muscles and keep your shoulders relaxed.
Exhale and lift the dumbbells toward your shoulders, bending your elbows and keeping your upper arms by your sides.
Inhale and bring the weights back down to the starting position.
Do three sets of 10 bicep curls.

15. Dumbbell Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is one of the best ways to target many upper body muscles, including your chest, shoulders, and arms. I recommend using a weight bench or other stable, elevated flat surface to do the dumbbell bench press. Alternatively, you can use the floor if you don’t have a bench.

To do the dumbbell bench press:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and hanging off the bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your elbows bent and an overhand grip, with your palms facing forward.
Exhale and push your arms up, straightening at the elbow. Keep your core tight and back pressed into the bench (do not arch your back).
Inhale and slowly lower your dumbbells to return to the start position.
Do three sets of 10.
Variations: If you are an experienced weightlifter, you can progress to using a barbell instead of dumbbells for the bench press.

If you’re starting with strength training, head to my Strength Training for Runners Guide for more help. If you need to figure out when to weightlift and when to strength train, check out How to Balance Running and Weightlifting. For a customized training plan to crush your personal fitness goals, head to the Runstreet Training Center.

Happy sweating to you!😊

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, a dog lover and Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet.

15 Best Strength Training Exercises for Runners