I know what you're thinking - What does lifting weights have to do with running?

Just stick with me here.

Yes, the end result of lifting weights and the end result of running are two very different things. The former is to get you stronger, increasing your the size and strength of the muscle on your body. The latter is to improve your endurance to improve your efficiency while running.

Both even use very different energy systems in the body - the anaerobic and aerobic respectively.

So, how could lifting weights possibly help to improve your running?

INJURY PREVENTION

For starters, having a stronger body overall leads to decreased risk of injury. Not only are your actual muscles stronger but the connective tissue that holds your body together is also stronger. This means less risk of overuse injuries, fractured bones or strained ligaments which are all very common when running consistently.

IMPROVED RUN TIMES

Having a stronger body, specifically stronger legs can help improve your run times and shave a few seconds - or a few minutes - off your personal best times.  More strength in your legs means increased force propelling you forward. Also, if you focus your lower body training on muscular endurance - meaning rep ranges of 15-25 - this will train your legs to go longer and further before fatiguing. 

FASTER RECOVERY

We've all seen runners who are completely trashed after their runs and feeling torn apart. Doing some structured strength training on a regular basis can do wonders to help prevent this from happening to you and speeding up your recovery time between runs or races.

This goes in line with the injury prevention above. More muscle means less strain on the body and more efficient recovery.

As you can see, there are a ton of benefits to be had from incorporating some proper strength training into your workouts.

Check out the STRENGTH section on our website for some great tools to get you started improving your runs and getting stronger.