You may think that doing well in track just involves running. But you would be wrong in thinking like this. You have to lift in order to be really successful in track and to reach your true potential. However it’s not just any type of lifting, it’s a specific routine and exercises that will help you become faster.
If you follow the wrong routine then you can actually get slower. For example, training like a bodybuilder will not make you any progress. Strength training is what will make you progress, and this applies to both sprinters and distance runners.
We will examine the specific exercises and routines below. Hopefully you can start with some of these exercises and see progress after only a few months. If you have no experience lifting at all, then you will see progress almost immediately because your muscles are not used to lifting heavy weight.
Lifting Heavy
The goal here is to get stronger, it’s not to get bigger. More muscle mass is not going to do you any good, and it’s really only going to slow you down. How fast your can run is largely related to your strength to bodyweight ratio. This is the largest factor for determining speed. So naturally, our ultimate goal is to increase our strength by not adding too much muscle mass. The best way to do this is to lift heavy weights for low reps.
The highest number of reps for any single set will be 5. The reps will range from 1-5. By following this routine most people will still add a couple pounds of muscle but it won’t be significant.
Recovery Periods
We aren’t trying to exhaust our muscles, we are just trying to put them to work under heavy duress. That’s why we rest about 5 minutes in between sets.
It’s also important to note that we aren’t trying to lift to failure. We want our last rep to be without struggle— we want to feel as if we could do 2 more reps if necessary. This allows us to lift multiple days in a row. You can follow the same routine and do it Monday through Friday without fatigue.
The Deadlift
This is the ultimate exercise, and if you’re going to pick just one exercise to do then this is definitely the one. The deadlift works more muscles in your body than any other exercise. It’s also a fantastic way to measure your leg strength. Your max deadlift is what you should use to find your strength to bodyweight ratio.
The biggest challenge of deadlifting is having the correct form. If you don’t have the correct form then you can really hurt your back. When deadlifting, it’s important to lift with your legs and glutes. You have to keep your back straight the entire time and keep your knees from bending over the bar. It’s somewhat of a complex lift, so for that reason it’s really important to start off with light weight and get the motion down first. After you are really comfortable then you can start by gradually increasing the weight.
Also, it’s a good idea to try deadlifing with a hex-bar. Most people find this a little easier and more comfortable.
Sample Routine
Monday through Friday
3 sets of 5 with 5 minutes of rest in between sets.
Squat
The squat and deadlift are generally interchangeable. And usually, you can squat about as much as you can deadlift. The squat is slightly inferior just because you don’t work as many muscles. You miss out on working your forearms, neck, and traps. So why is the squat on this list? The answer is simply because it’s good to change it up once in a while. Your body can get too accustomed to a certain exercise and this can halt progress. If you feel that you are stuck at a certain weight then it’s a good time to switch exercises.
Sample routine
Monday through Friday
3 sets of 5 with 5 minutes of rest in between sets.
This is the exact same routine as the deadlift. The goal is the same, so there’s no need to change it.
Bench Press
The reason that this exercises is included is because it’s good to stay balanced. It’s not good to have a really strong lower body and have a weak upper body. It’s not natural so we believe it’s best to be well-rounded and be strong in all muscle groups.
The bench press works out muscles that the deadlift doesn’t— chest, shoulders, triceps. If you don’t have access to a weight bench then you can substitute the bench press for pushups.
Sample Routine
Monday through Friday
3 sets of 5 with 2 minutes rest in between sets.
When to Expect Improvements
This is what every runner wants to know. When will this lifting actually pay off and make me faster? Of course the answer is that it depends. Not everyone will get the same results as their teammates. But generally as you get stronger you will be get faster. And usually most runners see significant improvements once they reach certain strength to bodyweight ratios. These ratios are:
2-1 ratio
2.5-1 ratio
3.-1 ratio
Most runners see the biggest improvements after reaching those milestones. You might not see much improvement when you are at a 1.9 ratio, but once you hit 2 then there could be a large jump.
Conclusion
Strength training works, and if you aren’t taking advantage of it then you’re leaving time on the clock.
If you are a competitive runner then there really is no reason not to incorporate lifting into your training regime. Stronger legs mean more force, which means faster times and better results. So go ahead, try some of these exercises. There’s little to lose and everything to gain.
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