What constitutes effective training for runners?

What constitutes effective training for runners? This question is usually answered with more running at different speeds. This answer is evident if you look at the training programs of most athletes who run. It consists mainly of different kinds of running.

There’s no questioning the fact that runners need different kinds of running such as fartlek, tempo, speed, distance, sprinting, and running hills. These forms of running have been used for many years and have produced many good   sprinters and long-distance runners.

But many runners, especially athletes involved in sports other than running, show little improvement from this type of training. To change this result most present day programs include weight training and general conditioning. This has helped improve training but it has not significantly improved speed.

For the greatest improvement in speed specialized strength exercises are needed. They duplicate specific joint actions seen in running. They use the same neuro-muscular pathway, develop strength in the same range of motion and with the same type of muscular contraction as exhibited in the running stride.

General strength exercises do not have a direct effect on running technique or speed and their main benefit lies in overall fitness. They strengthen the muscles but not the way they are used in running. Thus the most effective training for runners is execution of specialized strength exercises. .

When you do specialized strength exercises the total amount of running will be decreased but you experience greater speed with fewer if any injuries.  The reason for this is that the muscles will be strengthened in exactly the way they are used in the run.

For example, by doing the knee (thigh) drive exercise with Active Cords you can develop greater strength of the hip flexors which play a critical role in producing more force in the pushoff. This in turn equals greater speed. The increased strength from this exercise also allows you to maintain the same stride length for longer periods of time.

Special strength exercises which are usually single joint, develop the muscles in a specific movement of the leg without involving the entire body. As a result you get greater development of the oxidative enzymes that help prevent the onset of fatigue. In addition, they make it possible for the muscles to keep working in the same manner with no changes in technique over a longer period of time.

Specialized strength exercises constitute the most effective training for runners before the season and in preparation for competition. They help to instill and solidify correct neuro-muscular pathways that can then be displayed in the run.  In addition, they are very effective in developing speed-endurance specific to a particular event.

Simply doing more running does not guarantee development of running specific muscular endurance or speed as needed at specific distances. Running-specific specialized strength exercises develop your ability to maintain the same technique and speed or greater speed. This is what constitutes effective training for runners.

When you concentrate more on development of technique and the physical qualities as they are needed in sprinting or long-distance running, you will see the greatest improvement in your running. When you develop these abilities concurrently with your aerobic/anaerobic abilities, you will see even greater development of your potential.

For more information on running specific exercises, running technique and running training see the second edition of Explosive Running.