Many runners accept—sometimes reluctantly—that strength training is an essential part of a complete training plan. According to running coach Britany Williams, this applies regardless of your pace, fitness level, or experience. Strength work plays a key role in reducing the risk of muscle imbalances and injuries.
As Williams explains, building and maintaining muscle helps improve running mechanics while supporting long-term mobility and health. However, adding weights to an already busy running schedule can feel daunting, especially when it’s unclear which exercises are most effective. While staples like squats and lunges are well known, the often-overlooked movements below deserve a place in your routine.
1. Bent-Knee Calf Raise with Forward Lean
This exercise targets the soleus muscle, a key calf muscle responsible for forward propulsion during running. Physiotherapist and running coach Anh Bui notes that most calf strains in distance runners affect the soleus rather than the larger gastrocnemius.
How to do it: Stand facing a wall with your hands at shoulder height and arms straight. Walk your feet back so your body leans forward from the ankles, keeping your spine neutral. Lift one leg and bend the standing knee to about 90 degrees. Staying in this bent-knee position, rise onto your toes, pause, then lower back down. Complete two to three sets of eight to 12 reps per side.
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When to do it: Best performed before a run or immediately after finishing.
2. Weighted Plank Pull-Through
This variation of the plank builds deep core strength through anti-rotational movement. By resisting torso rotation, the exercise activates the obliques and stabilising core muscles, making it more challenging than a standard plank.
How to do it: Begin in a plank with a dumbbell or kettlebell placed beside your torso. With your body in a straight line, use one hand to drag the weight across to the opposite side, then return your hand to the floor. Alternate sides. Perform two to three sets of six to 10 reps per side.
When to do it: Ideal within a full strength session or as a core finisher after an easy run.
3. Step-Down Exercise
The step-down is an effective single-leg movement that closely mirrors the running stride. Personal trainer Emily Abarquez explains that this exercise improves unilateral strength more efficiently than traditional lunges or split squats.
How to do it: Stand on a bench on one foot, with the opposite leg haanging off. Slowly bend the standing knee to lower yourself down, keeping the shin vertical. Lower until your hips align with your knee, then press through your heel to stand back up. Complete two to three sets of eight to 15 reps per leg.
When to do it: Best scheduled on non-running days, ideally before a full rest day.
4. Hip Thrust
A progression from the glute bridge, the hip thrust strengthens the glutes, the largest muscles in the lower body. Strong glutes help runners generate speed and power while placing less stress on the knees than squats or lunges.
How to do it: Sit with your upper back against a bench and feet flat on the floor. Place dumbbells on your hips if adding resistance. Drive through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to chest. Lower slowly. Perform three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps.
When to do it: Include once or twice weekly as part of a dedicated strength workout.
5. Lateral Step-Up with Overhead Press
This total-body movement improves strength, coordination, and balance. Running coach Andres Padilla recommends starting with a lower platform and gradually progressing to higher steps.
How to do it: Stand sideways next to a step, holding a dumbbell at shoulder height. Step onto the platform laterally and press the weight overhead while raising the opposite knee. Lower with control. Perform three sets of 15 to 20 reps on each side.
When to do it: Add to regular strength sessions two to three times per week.
6. Lateral Band Walk
Lateral band walks strengthen the glutes and hips, areas critical for injury prevention in runners. This exercise addresses lateral stability, which is often neglected in forward-focused training.
How to do it: Place a resistance band around your ankles and stand with feet hip-width apart. Take five to seven steps to one side, then return in the opposite direction. Repeat the sequence five times for two to three rounds.
When to do it: Suitable for light training days or casual sessions at home, but avoid the night before intense workouts or long runs.
7. Hamstring Curl with Sliders
This movement strengthens the hamstrings, glutes, and core using body weight as resistance, making it both accessible and effective.
How to do it: Lie on your back with your heels on sliders or a smooth surface. Lift your hips slightly and draw your heels toward your glutes, raising your hips higher as you curl. Extend your legs back out with control. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
When to do it: Can be trained frequently and works well on harder running days, alternating with single-leg variations.
8. Inchworm Plank
The inchworm plank strengthens the core and glutes while stretching the posterior chain. A stable upper body supports balance and efficient form, especially at faster running speeds.
How to do it: Stand with feet hip-width apart, hinge forward to place hands on the floor, and walk them out into a plank. Pause, then walk your hands back and stand up. Complete five to 10 reps or continue for 30 to 60 seconds.
When to do it: Ideal as part of an active warm-up before strength or high-intensity sessions.
9. Banded Side Plank Clamshell
This compound exercise targets the glutes, abs, obliques, and hip flexors, helping address strength imbalances and improve hip stability for runners.
How to do it: With a resistance band above your knees, lie on your side in a side plank position. Lift your hips, then open and close your top knee while keeping your hips elevated. Perform two sets of 10 reps per side.
When to do it: Effective as a pre-run warm-up, prehab exercise on easy days, or a focused core and glute workout on harder training days.
