If you’ve spent any time on the internet looking at running information, I’m sure you’ve seen some piece of content claiming that “every runner should do these 5 exercises.”
Or “every runner should take these 3 supplements.”
Or “every runner should include these 7 things in their warmup routine.”
While I’d like to think this type of post is well-intentioned, created largely in an effort to help some new, hapless runner find some direction…
In practice, they often cause a lot more problems than they solve.
I mean, I could easily come up with five exercises to write that first post.
For example, one of my go-to exercises for a lot of runners is a sumo deadlift.
It allows the person to move a good amount of weight, which is good for developing muscle, bone, and overall strength. It also forces hip abduction and external rotation, all while the person moves their center of mass backwards in space – things that runners often lack because they don’t typically happen while someone is running.
Yet I probably only program that exercise for half the people I train, and I never include it year-round in a strength program.
Some people just don’t really need it as much as they need other aspects of hip engagement.
If someone has played a “lateral movement” sport their entire life, then they’re already going to be pretty good at hip abduction and external rotation. They might even need to reinforce the opposite pattern to help move their hips in the right direction.
Heavy sumo deadlifts are also a big tax on the body as a whole. They’re a full-body, compound movement, and as such, they have the possibility of creating a lot of generalized fatigue.
Not what you want close to race day.
They also tend to tax muscles like the erector spinae and the multifidus – what most people think of as the “low back” – and they might just be a generally irresponsible choice for someone with a history of low back pain.
None of those things make sumo deadlifts a bad movement.
It just means they might not be a good fit for someone at this time.
Like I wouldn’t typically include them in the final block approaching the race or in a particularly large volume training period.
Not every exercise is a good fit for every person.
Even when an exercise is a good fit for someone, they might not be a good fit for someone at a particular time.
There aren’t five exercises that every runner should do.
There are almost certainly five exercises that you should do…
You just might not find them on a generalized list on the internet.
And if you’re confused and wondering what those things might be, I’d be happy to have a conversation with you.
Just send me a message and we’ll schedule a chat.