Home strength training for runners

Why runners need strength work

• Fewer injuries. Stronger muscles and tendons cope better with the repeated load of running, particularly as your weekly distance grows.
• Better running economy. Strength work helps you use less energy at the same pace.
• Holding form when tired. The hips that drop and the shoulders that slump at 30 km are usually a strength problem.
• Downhills and hills. Races like the Comrades Down Run and Two Oceans punish weak quads and calves.

What to train

How much and when

• Twice a week, 20 to 30 minutes, is enough for most runners.
• Never the day before a key session. Many runners do strength later on a hard-run day, which keeps easy days easy and the long run and intervals fresh.
• Progress slowly. More reps, slower lowering, a single-leg version, then more load.
• Cut back in race week, but don't stop for months in your build.

Kit: less than you think

Bodyweight covers a lot. A mini band, a pair of dumbbells or a kettlebell, and a sturdy chair or step open up nearly everything a runner needs. If you have a sore knee or lower back, choose exercises that work around it, and see a physio if it is more than a niggle.

Guided home strength workouts in SportMentor

SportMentor runs strength workouts full-screen on your phone, so you can follow them on the floor without thinking about what comes next.

• A picture for every exercise, with a timer, rests, side switches and optional voice cues over your own music.
• Matched to your kit. Tell it what you have, from nothing to a mini band, long band, dumbbells, kettlebell, bench or chair, pull-up bar or mat, and you are only given exercises you can do.
• Works around limitations such as a sore knee or lower back.
• Ready-made workouts, including gentle ones for knee strength and C-section recovery, or build your own, or describe what you want and let AI draft it for you to check.
• Progresses with you. What you actually did is fed into your next plan, and strength sessions sit inside your running plan rather than competing with it.
• Running a workout costs nothing. Following the ready-made workouts or building your own by hand uses no credits.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, or are recovering from surgery or childbirth, check with your doctor or physio before starting, and stop if anything hurts.