Rather than for gaining muscle mass, strength training can greatly benefit marathon runners by increasing muscular endurance (Kraemer & Fleck, 2007), reducing ground contact time and decreasing injury risk (Kraemer & Hakkinen, 2002).
Exercise selection
Lunges have been shown to increase strength in female runners (Johnston, Quinn, Kertzer & Vroman, 1995) and develop muscular endurance (Murphy, 2009) in the dominant leg muscles and stretch the hip flexors (Fee, 2005). Split squats work the hip flexors, quadriceps and hamstrings (Adams, O’Shea, O’Shea & Climstein, 1992) and, in a similar running specific position, Bulgarian split squats strengthen these muscles also (Kindersley, 2009). The side lunge strengthens the inner quadriceps providing stability for the knees as well as working the outer quadriceps, calves, hamstrings and gluteal muscles (Price, 2012). Upper body strength exercises improve postural support which reduces the possibility of a lowered centre of mass which can limit stride length (Kraemer & Hakkinen, 2002). The bench press and shoulder press have both been shown to increase upper body strength subsequently improving running economy in female distance runners (Johnston, Quinn, Kertzer & Vroman, 1997).
Hamstring leg curls work the hamstrings whilst maintaining lumbar spine stability therefore aiding core stability improvement also (Fredericson & Moore, 2005). Leg raises strengthen the quadriceps (Sato & Mokha, 2009), bent leg heel raises strengthen the knee joint, a common injury location (Johnston et al., 1995), and step-ups work the hamstrings in a running specific movement (Coleman, 2000). Forward (Borsa, Lephart, Kocher & Lephart, 1994) and lateral (Griffin, 2006) arm raises strengthen the deltoids to aid the continuous movement of the arms when running.
The athlete has bilateral weakness of the gluteus medius, a primary hip abductor muscle which stabilises the pelvis during the stance phase of running (Hamill & Knutzen, 2003). This could lead to numerous overuse injuries (Jacobs, Uhl, Mattacola, Shapiro & Rayens, 2007) so prehabilitation incorporates side-lying hip abduction (Bolga & Uhl, 2005) and hip hike exercises (Snyder, Earl, O’Connor & Ebersole, 2009) to strengthen the gluteus medius. The kneeling hamstring stretch and upper (gastrocnemius) and lower (soleus) calf stretches address the athlete’s intermittent tightness in these muscles which could limit stride length and cause injury (Pfitzinger & Douglas, 2009). A hip rotation stretch decreases the risk of patellofemoral pain (Zaffagnini, Dejour & Arendt, 2010).
The hip flexors and hamstring muscles are commonly tight in distance runners which can affect stride mechanics (Greene & Pate, 2004). The hip flexor and hamstring stretches will assist in increasing stride length (Pfitzinger & Douglas, 2009). The shoulder and latissimus dorsi stretch will prevent tightness and pain in these areas when running, the gluteal stretch should increase external rotator and gluteal muscle flexibility and the quadriceps stretch will increase flexibility in these dominant running muscles (Pfitzinger & Douglas, 2009). The shoulders, hamstrings and calf stretch (downward dog) targets three primary muscles (Pfitzinger & Douglas, 2009).
Core strength is essential for maintaining good body position during running (Greene & Pate, 2004). Alternating arm and leg raises engage the multifidi, preparing runners for dynamic trunk movements (Fredericson & Moore, 2005). The plank and bridge are fundamental core exercise (Fredericson & Moore, 2005) which, along with crunches (Morris, 2007) and one leg raises using a swiss ball (Marshall & Murphy, 2005), strengthen the abdominal muscles. Heel taps specifically target the oblique abdominals (Norris, 1993).
Training frequency
Strength training using light weights or bodyweight can be performed 3-5 times weekly without risking injury (Hamilton, 2000) however recommendations for a beginner are 2-3 times weekly (Baechle & Earle, 2009) so a training frequency of 3 sessions per week was chosen, of which one session is solely prehabilitation. Resistance exercises are split into two sessions to prevent overload, with aerobic exercise scheduled for the mornings to mimic the marathon race time.
Exercise order
As the athlete is untrained, upper and lower body exercises are alternated to allow a longer recovery time between exercises which work the similar muscles (Baechle & Earle, 2009). For correct technique, core exercises are performed before assistance exercises as these require greater concentration (Brown, 2007). These will be followed by core stability and finally flexibility exercises as these are most beneficial when performed when muscles are warm (Pfitzinger & Douglas, 2009).
Training load and repetitions
Bodyweight or light dumbbells are the only resistance required by distance runners with muscular endurance developed via high repetitions (Hamilton, 2000). A 12-RM test was proposed for the core exercises as this was the desired rep number, and due to the athlete’s goal, 2-3 sets of each exercise are allocated with load increases of 1-2kg for upper body and 2-4kg for lower when ready to progress (Baechle & Earle, 2009). Flexibility exercises are performed twice and held for 20 seconds (Pfitzinger and Douglas, 2009) and the length of hold or repetitions of the core stability exercises follow the guidelines of Fredericson and Moore (2005).
Volume
Low loads (from body weight, to dumbbells, to 60% 1RM) and high reps (12 reps for core and 15 for assistance) are employed to achieve muscular endurance (Baechle & Earle, 2009). Also due to this primary goal, a multiple-RM test (12 RM) was chosen (Baechle & Earle, 2009) for the following exercises: split squat, Bulgarian split squat, lunge, side lunge and bench press.
Rest and unloading weeks
Short rest periods of 30 seconds for core and 20 seconds for assistance will promote muscular endurance (Baechle & Earle, 2009). The step loading employed in the annual plan allows for appropriate recovery.
Periodisation and peaking
A step loading method has been employed to gradually overload the athlete with lower load phases enabling physiological adaptation and regeneration (Bompa & Haff, 2009). An essential element of the preparatory phase of an annual training programme is the development of basic strength (Bompa & Haff, 2009). High volume, low intensity work is completed during this phase to develop lean body mass and alter connective tissue (Bompa & Haff, 2009). A peak is scheduled for a half marathon in October but most importantly in April for the marathon.
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