The final third of the training calendar is referred to as the post-season. For most runners the post-season is from mid-October to mid-January. For competitive runners, post-season starts when your racing season is over.
For those who do not compete, these are the months immediately following your peak mild weather months. In either case the first four weeks of the post-season are a time to recover. During this time, weight training can be performed two times a week consisting of only one set of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise with adequate rest periods between sets.
After four weeks of recovery, increase your weight training volume to two to three sets of each exercise with 60 to 90 second rest intervals.
Setting Up the Program
So, how do you go about designing the most effective progressive-resistance exercise program to improve running performance? What type of equipment should be used-body weight, free weights or machines? The answer to this question is probably a combination of all three.
There is no single method that can be shown to be unequivocally superior. The runner's competition or peak running schedule dictates how those time periods are used. There are, however, at least six key factors that should be included in an appropriate training program:
Train regularly, failure to do this is close to a waste of time. Give each body part attention about three times a week.
Train the muscle groups most in need of conditioning that will be of greatest benefit to running. For example, if you followed a body builder's weight training routine you will probably find minimal, if any improvement, in running performance. Quite possibly, running performance would diminish.
Ensure muscle balance by training antagonists as well as agonist muscle groups. Agonist muscles are defined as the muscle or muscles most directly involved with bringing about a movement (also known as prime movers).
Antagonist muscles are the muscle or muscles that can slow down or stop a movement. Antagonist muscles assist in joint stabilization.
Provide a progressive overload stimulus. In other words, you must progressively place greater than normal demands on the exercising musculature for desired increases in strength to occur.
Work the muscles throughout their full range of movement so that strength gains occur in the full range of motion. Failure to do so could result in injury.
Allow adequate time between training sessions for recovery and physiological adaptation to occur.
A simple set of dumbbells can be used at home for an effective strength training program. See the suggestions below for a typical program for a runner to work a variety of muscle groups.
It is important that exercises be performed properly with attention to posture, breathing, and adequate time given to each repetition. A runner should use all the components of an effective weight-training program during all phases of the three-season year.
It has been my experience that carefully manipulating the volume, duration, frequency, and intensity of the weight training exercises to compliment your running calendar is of utmost importance.
Although we prefer to utilize multi-joint exercises (more than one joint moves to help perform the action) whenever possible, this "periodized" approach to weight training will probably yield positive results with any form of resistance training-and will pay off with improved running performance.
Typical Strength Training Program for a Runner
Muscle Group: Exercise
Quadriceps, hamstrings, hips: Squats, Dead Lifts, and Lunges
Calves: Heel Raises
Shoulders: Shoulder Shrugs
Upper Back: Dumbbell Rows
Chest: Elevated Feet Push-ups
Biceps: Curls
Triceps: Triceps Kickbacks
Lower Back: Superman Exercise--lie stomach down, lift feet and arms like superman flies
Gluteals and hamstrings: Good Morning Lift--basically a dead lift with bent legs