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Hi all was curious as to whether people add in weight sessions to the running program if you were pushing for a sub40 10k or sub20 5k surly the weight sessions would help strengthen up the legs which i assume would make you faster right?.
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I try to get to the gym most weeks to use various pieces of resistance apparatus to strengthen my legs and core. I know for a fact that I'm now working with heavier weights than I was when I started. Whether I'm just stronger doing those particular exercises or if it's also reflected in better running I can never be sure about.
Common sense would seem to say stronger legs means the ability to run a bit more efficiently, all other things being equal, but maybe that's an over-simplification. I work on the principle that it probably helps and certainly doesn't do any harm unless you go over-the-top and use excessive weights.
I don't think strength in the weights room transfers very well into leg strength in running. I can't really think of any lower body exercise that mimics a running motion particularly well. There is probably some benefit, and I try to get a couple of gym sessions in per week, but the best way to get faster is usually to run more.
Cheers guys i see a lot of mixed responses when i ask people some say they do squats and lunges with core work. But a lot say they just run i suppose the more weights you do would eventually slow your times down in the long run. But im sure athletes from team GB did weights for running events if im right.
I added weights this year, and I seem to have been far more resistant to injury. Last year I had some muscle imbalances, particularly glutes/tfl. Dropping a bit of mileage to address this has paid off imho. I'm pretty sure weights feature for many elites - look up the strengthening routines of Mo for example
I had knee and ankle problems until I added squats and lunges to my program. Suffered a hamstring injury so had to stop doing them to recover and started having shin splint issues due to my glutes not being strong enough and of my knees slightly turning in when i ran to compensate.
I cant condone weights more, but dont go overboard.