Why Is Resistance Training Important for Runners?

Strength training isn't just for building bigger muscles. For runners, we explain how it can improve biomechanics, prevent injury and optimise performance.

When you think about improving your running, your first thought is probably to run more. More kilometres. More intervals. Longer long runs. Faster sessions - and there is reasonable evidence that backs up this assumption.

However, there is another piece of the puzzle that is often overlooked: resistance training.

Whether you're training for your first 5 km, preparing for a marathon or simply running to stay active, strength/weight training can complement your running by helping you develop the strength, power and physical capacity needed to handle the demands of running.

Running is more than just cardiovascular fitness

It goes without saying that your heart and lung health is fundamental to improving as a runner. But with every stride, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles control your landing, produce force to propel you forward, and repeat this process hundreds or thousands of times in a single run.

By supplementing this with resistance training, you provide your body the opportunity to make numerous positive changes that enhance your overall performance.

1. Resistance training can improve running economy

Running economy refers to how much energy you use to maintain a given running speed. In simple terms, a more economical runner can use less energy to maintain the same pace. This can be seen through various biomechanical changes such as reduced ground contact time through increased lower-limb stiffness and elasticity.

Recent studies have found that certain forms of resistance training, particularly high loads (≥ 80% of 1RM) and plyometric training, can have greater improvements on running economy in middle and long-distance runners. Another paper went a step further and highlighted the superior neuromuscular adaptations gained from heavy resistance and plyometric exercise training that ultimately enhance strength and running efficiency more than traditional resistance training.

Exercises such as barbell squats, squat jumps, Bulgarian split squats, pogo hops, and leg bounds can all be used to develop lower-limb strength so that you develop enough control to meet the demands you're placing on your body through running.

It’s important to note that this doesn't mean that every runner needs to lift extremely heavy weights. However, it does highlight that appropriately programmed and executed strength training can complement your running and overall performance.

2. Injury prevention and support during training

Running places repetitive loads on your body. As your weekly mileage increases, so does the amount of work your muscles, tendons and other tissues need to handle.

Strength training can be one way of gradually increasing your physical capacity alongside your running. For example, strengthening the glutes and core muscles can help your pelvis, hips and knees maintain alignment while running. This prevents ‘energy leaks’ and improper biomechanics that may cause over-reliance on certain muscles that can lead to injury.

However, it's important not to think of strength training as an injury-proofing tool.

A 2024 systematic review of exercise-based injury-prevention programs in endurance runners explored this idea. It was observed that injury risks and running-related injuries were significantly reduced only when the athletes in the intervention group were supervised, likely due to increased compliance.

Therefore, strength training may help reduce injury risk, particularly when it forms part of a well-designed and supervised training program. But it should be seen as one part of managing your training load rather than a guarantee that injuries will be avoided. To reduce the risk of injury most effectively, it is best to have a physio or another expert guide and educate you through a personalised training program.

3. You don't have to be an experienced gym-goer

One of the biggest misconceptions about strength training is that you need to know how to use every machine in the gym and spend hours lifting heavy weights to get started.

You don't.

A beginner might start with bodyweight exercises, resistance bands or relatively light weights before gradually progressing.

The right exercises will depend on your current strength, running volume, training goals and any previous injuries or symptoms. The consensus is that something is better than nothing!

So, how often should runners strength train?

There isn't one perfect program for every runner.

For someone new to resistance training, two sessions per week can be a practical starting point, with one session focused on heavy resistance training and the other focused on explosive, plyometric exercises. This also aligns with Australia's current general physical activity recommendations for muscle-strengthening activities.

The important thing is to find a balance between your running and strength training.

If you're preparing for a marathon and already running four or five times per week, adding a large amount of gym work overnight probably isn't the best approach.

Start with manageable amounts, allow your body to adapt and progressively increase the challenge over time. As always - CONSISTENCY IS KEY.

Strength training complements running; it doesn’t replace it

Ultimately, resistance training isn't about replacing your running.

Your running sessions are still the most specific way to improve your running.

Instead, think of strength training as building the physical foundations to support your running.

It can help you develop strength, improve running economy and build the capacity to handle the physical demands of your training. When combined with appropriate running progression, as well as essential recovery, nutrition and sleep, it can become a valuable part of a well-rounded training program.

Not sure where to start?

Whether you're completely new to strength training, returning after an injury or simply unsure how to balance gym work with your running, a physiotherapist can help assess your individual needs and develop an exercise program that fits around your goals.

At Progress Physio, we can help you build strength, manage existing injuries and develop the physical capacity to keep doing the activities you enjoy. 

Have questions about your running or strength training? Get in touch with us.

Until next time,

The Progress Physio Team

References

1. Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026, June 3). Recommendations for adults (18 to 64 years). Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity/24-hour-movement-guidelines-for-all-australians/recommendations-for-adults-18-to-64-years?language=en
2. Barnes, K. R., & Kilding, A. E. (2015). Strategies to improve running economy. Sports medicine, 45(1), 37-56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0246-y 
3. Boullosa, D., Esteve-Lanao, J., Casado, A., Peyré-Tartaruga, L. A., Gomes da Rosa, R., & Del Coso, J. (2020). Factors Affecting Training and Physical Performance in Recreational Endurance Runners. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 8(3), 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports8030035 
4. Hughes, D. C., Ellefsen, S., & Baar, K. (2018). Adaptations to Endurance and Strength Training. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, 8(6), a029769. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a029769 
5. Llanos-Lagos, C., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Moran, J., & Sáez de Villarreal, E. (2024). Effect of Strength Training Programs in Middle- and Long-Distance Runners' Economy at Different Running Speeds: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 54(4), 895–932. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01978-y 
6. Paavolainen, L., Häkkinen, K., Hämäläinen, I., Nummela, A., & Rusko, H. (1999). Explosive-strength training improves 5-km running time by improving running economy and muscle power. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 86(5), 1527–1533. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1999.86.5.1527 
7. Wu, H., Brooke-Wavell, K., Fong, D. T. P., Paquette, M. R., & Blagrove, R. C. (2024). Do Exercise-Based Prevention Programs Reduce Injury in Endurance Runners? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 54(5), 1249–1267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-01993-7 
8. Yu, S., Zhou, S., Peng, D., & Jie, D. (2025). Effect of complex training on lower limb strength and running economy in adolescent distance runners. Frontiers in Physiology, 16, 1718150. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1718150