Legs strength training

Hi I have been running for 7 months and do about 14/15 Miles a week and I am doing the London marathon Next year I have been reading about strength training For my legs to stop me getting injured so I wondered if Any one could give me some advice on how best to approach This as I don't have time to get to the gym . Any help would be great. Thanks

Comments

  • not somrething I've ever done to be honest, but I would advise stretching regularly.  Most of is don't

  • dont go overboard with strength! I did this doing lots of squats(no weight) and walking lunges(to help with my paras10 training) and started having a knee problem. Ive since found out after xrays, mri's and injections etc that it was infact a tight muscle in my glute that caused tension on a band that went to my knee.

    So the best advice to give you is to stretch off regular even on a non training day, have a little stretch, especially your glute/hip region if your going to strengthen your legs, just dont go overboard! image

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    My advice would be to start increasing your mileage as soon as possible, so that you can build it up gradually and you've got a decent chance of starting off with a good base mileage when it comes to training for the marathon.  By the end of the year you want to be doing about twice the mileage you are now, before starting a formal marathon plan.

    Re: strength, things like squats and lunges are good, also general core exercises since core strength (arguably) is just as important for good running form and injury prevention as strong legs. Cycling is good for quad strength, which running doesn't get to so much, but they will tire towards the end of a marathon.

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    I have been advised by my Physio to swim, legs only, mix of breaststroke and freestyle kicks. Use a float for your arms. It's hard work but you can feel it working.

  • Single and double leg squats, lunges, core work including planks with single leg lifts, crab walks using a band to strengthen glutes and hip flexors.

  • i do a lot of cycling so am glad that will help  thanks for the advice i will start increaseing my mileage slowly up to about october then i am gonna put some structor to my training till april next year is there any site that i can look at with some pictures of these exersicises so i can see if i am doing them right as dont want to get a injury as i have a bowed right leg which does worry me when running so could do with doing them spot on.image 

  • I have done alot of  my own research into this...

    Alot of people have advised you doing squats and lunges. Great but the problem with this is that lungs do not build the hamstrings as much as they build the quads so u will get an inbalance in muscle which will later give u knee pain. Its the same with squats- unless you are squatting down far enough so your hip joint and knee are inline you are again building up the quads more than the hamstrings.

     

    I have adopted the Stronglifts 5x5 program which alot of runners roll their eyes at- foolishly! I wont explain it all here as you can google it- but it the best for increasing strength. I squat, deadlift, and press. I found any imbalances in my body were sorted after a month and I have no injuries running.

    I also do the plank, side planks, side leg raises (as this builds the gluteus medius) and I do several medicine ball exercises. Doing this once a week will greatly improve your running and no you wont become a meathead! I run 15-25 miles a week and I can squat 62.5kg and deadlift 80kg.

    As for stretching I stretch religiously after every work out stretching the itb and hip flexors for healthy posture and knees.

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭
    john heald 2 wrote (see)

    I have done alot of  my own research into this...

    Alot of people have advised you doing squats and lunges. Great but the problem with this is that lungs do not build the hamstrings as much as they build the quads so u will get an inbalance in muscle which will later give u knee pain. Its the same with squats- unless you are squatting down far enough so your hip joint and knee are inline you are again building up the quads more than the hamstrings.

     

     

     

    This is a difficult area... when I had a knee injury (patellar tendinosis) I did some research myself and it was suggested the opposite to what you're suggesting; precisely because running itself builds up the hamstrings much more than the quads, this can cause the weaker quads to work harder when the legs get tired, and the imbalance can cause extra stress on the patella tendon, i.e. where the quad connects to the knee.  So exercises which strengthen the quads (jncluding cycling as well as pure strength exercises) can be a good compliment to running.

  • If u squat properly as suggested above you will find both muscles balance out. So it doesnt mattter if you had a stronger quad or hamstring, full squats will sort it out. Squating is also a natural movement- toddlers spend alot of time in squating positions.

  • Most important thing like PhilPub said is start increasing your mileage gradually NOW and increasing the length of your long runs. You want to be ahead of a marathon training programme when you start one, not trying to play catch-up. And whatever the length of the programme, start it two weeks early - that way if you -do- injure yourself or get a bad cold and can't run for a week or two, you're not immediately falling behind and unable to do enough long runs. 

    And yes, flexibility is important, not just strength. Tight muscles lead to injury. And core strength is good, not just leg strength.

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