Most runners I meet want the same two things: to run a bit better, and to stop getting hurt. And most of them are chasing it entirely through running — more kays, more sessions, another training plan. Meanwhile the single most reliable thing they could do is sitting on the shelf, ignored: a bit of strength work.
I know, I know — you took up running so you didn't have to go to a gym. Stay with me, because this doesn't take much, and the payoff is big.
Why strength work is the runner's secret weapon
Every stride sends a force of around two to three times your body weight through your legs, and over a run that's thousands of impacts your bones, tendons and muscles have to absorb. The more resilient those tissues are, the more load they can soak up before they complain. That's exactly what strength work builds — and the research on injury prevention backs it: adding strength training meaningfully cuts overuse running injuries, and it can improve your running economy too (how efficiently you use energy).
The best part? You don't need much. Two short sessions a week is the threshold most of the research points to.
The exercises with the biggest payoff
You run on one leg at a time, so the exercises that carry over best are the ones done on one leg. These are the ones I come back to again and again:
- Calf raises — your calves and Achilles take enormous load when you run. Build them on two legs, then progress to single-leg, and eventually add a bit of weight.
- Single-leg squats or split squats — these build the thighs and glutes and challenge your balance, which keeps your knee and hip tracking well under load.
- Single-leg deadlifts — brilliant for the back of the legs and for the stability that stops your hip dropping every stride.
- A hip and glute exercise — a strong hip keeps everything below it in line, and weak hips are behind a lot of runner's knee and shin gripes.
Start manageable, keep good form, and add a little each week. Slow, heavy-ish and controlled beats fast and sloppy.
Keep breaking down when you build up your kays? We help runners across South East Queensland train harder without the injuries — Caboolture, Beenleigh, Browns Plains and Victoria Point.
Book an appointmentStrength alone isn't the whole picture
Strength work is powerful, but it sits alongside two other things: sensible load management (building your running up gradually, not in big leaps) and understanding how your body moves. If you keep tweaking the same spot — the Achilles, the shin, the knee — there's usually a reason in your running pattern or your feet. A running and biomechanical assessment shows what's actually happening under load, and we can tailor both your strength work and your sports podiatry plan around it. Niggly calves and heels in particular — like Achilles tendinopathy — respond really well to the right loading program rather than rest alone.
Runner questions I hear a lot
Does strength training really help runners?
Yes — it meaningfully reduces overuse injuries and can make you more efficient. Two short sessions a week is enough to matter.
Will it make me slow or bulky?
No. The strength work runners need builds resilient tendons and stable hips, not bulk — it tends to make you more efficient.
How often should I do it?
About twice a week. Consistency beats long, occasional sessions.
What are the best exercises?
Single-leg work — calf raises, single-leg squats or split squats, single-leg deadlifts — because they load exactly what running loads.
Want a plan built around your running? We'll assess how you move and put together strength and loading that actually fits your goals. Clinics at Caboolture, Beenleigh, Browns Plains and Victoria Point.
Book an appointmentReferences & further reading
- Desai P, et al. Do Exercise-Based Prevention Programs Reduce Injury in Endurance Runners? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PubMed Central.
- Resistance Exercise for Improving Running Economy and Biomechanics and Decreasing Running-Related Injury Risk: A Narrative Review. PubMed Central.
- Better Health Channel (Victorian Government) — Achilles tendinopathy.
This is general information, not individual advice. Build up gradually, and if you keep getting injured, see a podiatrist or other health professional for a plan that suits you.