Why Runners Should Strength Train? Strength Train for Robie!

What do barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, pull up bars, gymnastic rings, sleds, bikes, rowers, medicine balls, push ups, planks, squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and lunges all have to do with running?

Midline stability.

Your midline consists of everything in between and including your glutes and abdominals.

When we say "tighten your core," or "squeeze your butt," or "draw your bellybutton to your spine," or "stay tight," we're trying to get you to set your spine in its proper, stable, and neutral position. By "engaging" our muscles and tissues around our spine, we create a cushion or a protective layer around our spine to keep it stable.

This stability in our midline, or our spine, is necessary in the specific application of running.

When we run, we Pose, Fall, and Pull.

We need to have our spine and overall body position aligned in order for us to Fall properly, that is to use Gravitational Torque to lose balance, and subsequently move forward. In order to Pull our feet up directly underneath our general center of mass (underneath our hips) accurately and quickly, we need to have again, our spine and overall body position aligned.

We need to be completely aware of how and where our bodies are positioned in order to execute good technique, especially in running.

This stems from midline stability.

How do we get better midline stability?

We learn, practice, and train all kinds of movements and exercises to learn, practice, and train midline stability in all kinds of situations and even intensities.

The more able you are to perform a wide breadth and depth of functional movements that require your midline stability, the more likely you are able to run longer, faster, and pain free.

The better mechanics you can demonstrate in all kinds of movements and exercises, and the more consistent you are at doing those, earns you the ability to increase weight, go faster, or go longer (all of these increase intensity), to ultimately test your mechanics - to see how well you can perform under more stress.

The better you are at performing a wide breadth and depth of movements and exercises under intensity, the more fit you are. Fitness is your work capacity across broad time and modal domains.

You are demonstrating good midline stability if you are getting fit.

As a byproduct of gaining better midline stability and getting more fit, you run longer, faster, and pain free, since you most likely will position your body better in order to execute better running technique. You will become more efficient at running as a result. 

By getting more fit, one general physical skill, or component of fitness, is strength. 

By improving your overall strength, the more "wear" and "tear" you can withstand while running longer and faster, since your bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscle tissue become more robust.

If you're looking to run longer, faster, and pain free, and looking to truly train to get stronger in order to do so, then Boise RPM Run Club at Idahome Movement Academy is your Home.

The Race to Robie Creek is on April 21st this year, and we're putting together Strength Training and Running training in 1 training cycle for you to complete and PR Robie Creek.

The 3 month training program starts Monday, February 5th.

Sign up today here:
https://idahomemovement.pushpress.com/open/subscribe/rnyb

See you in training and at the Race!