4 things your strength program is getting wrong

A good strength training routine can carry over to performance gains and fewer injuries in runners, but even the most well-intentioned programs can have pitfalls. If you’re not seeing the results you want, you might be making one of these four common mistakes.

Montana DePasquale, a running coach based in Rhode Island, says that many of the strength programs she sees aren’t congruent with a running training plan. Here’s what your strength training program might be getting wrong and how to fix it for maximum running performance gains.

Geared toward looks instead of performance

“Training for esthetics versus performance are two different beasts,” Depasquale explains. Runners who follow generic online strength programs often find themselves doing routines aimed at bodybuilders and fitness competitors.

Make sure your training methods are tailored specifically for runners. “Improved esthetics and muscle tone can be a happy side-effect of strength training as a runner—but if your goal is improved running performance and reduced risk of injury, your style of training should look different,” says Depasquale.

Not lifting heavy enough

Heavier lifting is an essential component of a runner’s strength program. Depasquale points out that if your rest sets are under a minute, you’re not lifting heavy enough. “If you’re challenging yourself with the kind of loads you need to improve performance, you’re going to need one to three minutes of rest between sets,” she says. So, push those weights and give yourself ample recovery time to truly enhance your running performance.

Not prioritizing lower leg strength

Your calf and lower leg muscles are the key to propulsion as you run, and should be emphasized in a strength program. “A good strength training program for runners should include lots of calf raises and isometric hold variations,” Depasquale says.

Focusing on fun rather than effectiveness

It’s tempting to focus on fun moves rather than effective ones, and many fitness trainers keep clients interested by constantly changing up routines, often at the expense of a clear purpose–to improve your running efficiency.

“There’s also a myth that you need to confuse muscles in order to see growth,” Depasquale says. Instead, she explains, overloading muscles is the essential ingredient for improvement. Depasquale suggests sticking to static blocks of programming (loads and reps stay the same within each several-week-long block) with progressively increasing loads for the best results.