If you want to get stronger, it can be helpful to think in terms of what you’re missing rather than just following some generic exercise class.
Now when I say “exercise class,” I’m referring to all the bootcamps and bodypumps and P90Xs with which we’ve all become so familiar over the past few decades.
And yes, if you go to one of these classes, you might see progress.
Especially if you were a fairly sedentary human and these classes helped you get moving.
Which, for the record, is why I’ll never call them a “waste of time” like so many other fitness professionals.
A lot of people enjoy them and they’re an affordable way to get people moving in a really sedentary society.
But that wasn’t the question.
The question wasn’t whether they’re a waste of time, but whether they’ll help you get stronger.
And the answer there – especially for runners – is probably not.
Why?
Because they’re designed to burn calories, not build muscle.
In most of these classes, you hold a pair of small, highlighter-colored weights while doing as many reps as you can in a specified amount of time.
Then as soon as the timer dings, you immediately move onto the next exercise and repeat the process.
No rest periods.
No recovery.
No actual challenge to your muscles that would actually build strength.
More often than not, these classes are “cardio with weights.”
Which again, perfectly fine if your goal is to just get a good workout in.
It might build a little bit of strength and it’ll definitely get your heart rate up – which is more than most people do in modern society.
But as a runner looking to get stronger…
They’re not going to do a lot for you.
You already do a lot of cardio.
You don’t really need to do more of it while holding bright-green dumbbells or a rubberized-magenta kettlebell.
I talk to a lot of runners who feel like they’ve been incredibly consistent with their strength training – only to learn that it wasn’t really building a lot of strength.
They go to the same class, week in and week out.
Sometimes for years.
Yet when I hand them a 20 pound dumbbell, they struggle to do even ten goblet squats to full depth.
They’ve been putting in all this energy into a system that just wasn’t doing what they thought it was.
They would have arguably been better off skipping the “strength work” in favor of more hill repeats.
They would have gained more running specific strength and allowed for more recovery.
If we’re looking to get stronger as runners, we need to train in a way that actually builds strength.
Not just follow a disguised form of extra cardio.
So what might that look like?
Well first, you’d do a couple warm up movements to get your body feeling ready to do hard things.
Then you’d pick up a set of relatively heavy weights and do a set of controlled walking lunges, aiming for 8-10 per side.
You’d want the weight to be heavy enough so the last couple reps were noticeably slower than the rest of the set.
Then you’d put the weights down and rest for 60 seconds.
If you don’t need the rest, that probably means you weren’t working hard enough and you might consider grabbing heavier weights for the second set.
Then you’d do it one or two more times.
You’d repeat that process for a few more exercises, working hard during the set and allowing yourself to rest in between.
Then you’d go home – or maybe do 20-30min of easy recovery work (like yoga or cycling or really easy running).
In short, you’d move heavier weights than you’re used to moving and probably spend a disproportionate amount of time sitting on your ass, waiting to start the next set.
Now are there more things to consider?
Sure. But not a ton.
You want to make sure you’re doing the movements with safe form and hitting the muscles you’re looking to hit and following a balanced program so you’re not just doubling down on your strengths and avoiding your weaknesses.
But don’t get too bogged down in all of that.
Work hard.
Appreciate the rest period.
Stay safe.
If you focus on those three things, you’ll probably do better than most.
And if you aren’t sure how to do any of that, just send me a message.
I’d be happy to guide you through it.