We know, we know. Being told to incorporate strength training into your running is a bit like your dentist telling you to floss.
You already know it’s good for you. You already know you should be doing it. And yet… it’s usually the first thing to get skipped when life, mileage, or fatigue pile up.
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Over the years, Coach Sandi Nypaver has seen enough patterns, both in her own training and in the athletes she coaches, to be convinced that strength training isn’t just “nice to have” for runners. It’s foundational. The trick is doing the right kind, at the right time, and for the right reasons.
Where Do You Even Start?
Saying “all runners should strength train” is easy. Executing it well is harder.
Before you load anything, bodyweight, bands, or external weight, you need the ability to move correctly. That means activating the right muscles and having enough mobility to actually access them. If you can’t hinge, stabilize, or rotate properly, strength work tends to reinforce compensation rather than fix it.
When I first started working with a strength coach, nearly the entire first month was foam rolling, lacrosse ball work, and mobility drills. No heavy lifting. No flashy exercises. And I was sore because I was suddenly able to use muscles that had been underperforming for years. That foundation changed everything that came after it.
What’s the “Best” Type of Strength Training for Runners?
There are plenty of effective approaches, but for most runners, especially those balancing volume, intensity, and real life, core strength consistently delivers the biggest return.
Core doesn’t just mean abs. It’s your glutes, hamstrings, obliques, lower back, and deep stabilizers. These muscles are central to posture, force transfer, and efficiency.
The good news: core work is practical. It can be done at home, requires minimal equipment, and doesn’t need to be long to be effective. The key isn’t novelty or complexity. It’s correct execution and consistency.
Many of my athletes rotate between two or three short routines. A handful of exercises done well, repeatedly, will do far more for your running than a long session where you’re just checking boxes.
Why It Actually Matters
Well-designed strength training can improve running economy by increasing muscle fiber recruitment and improving rate of force development. In simple terms: you get more output for the same effort.
It also helps maintain muscle mass and bone density, which becomes increasingly important as you age. And yes, it can reduce injury risk, but only if it’s done correctly. Poor form or poor muscle activation can reinforce faulty mechanics and create new problems instead of solving old ones.
Making Strength Transfer to Your Running
One common frustration: you get stronger in the gym, but it doesn’t automatically show up in your running.
Strength gains don’t transfer on their own, because you have to teach your body how to use them. That’s where activation exercises, drills, and intentional focus during runs come in.
Activation work before a run helps you feel the muscles you want to utilize better. During the run, make a conscious effort to tap into those same sensations. You won’t feel them firing as intensely as during strength work, but they should be present.
That’s how strength stops being something you do around running and starts becoming something that actively makes you a stronger, faster, more durable runner.