Why Gym Work Pays Off on the Road
Most runners already know strength training helps. The question most people actually have is: which exercises? Not "should I lift" but "what do I do when I get there."
The exercises below are the ones that show up consistently in runner-specific strength programmes. They target the muscles that matter most for running (glutes, hamstrings, hip abductors, calves, and a stable core) and they build the kind of strength that transfers to the road, not just the gym floor.
Lower Body: The Foundation
Running is a single-leg activity. You spend the entire run loading one leg at a time. That makes unilateral (single-leg) exercises especially valuable. They build strength in the pattern your body actually uses while running.
Bulgarian Split Squat
The single best exercise most runners aren't doing. You place your rear foot on a bench, drop into a lunge position, and drive through your front heel. It hammers the quad, glute, and hip flexor on the working leg while demanding hip stability throughout.
Start with bodyweight until your balance is solid, then add dumbbells. Three sets of eight to ten reps per side is a solid target.
Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift (RDL) builds the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back), which is the engine of your running stride. Weak hamstrings are one of the most common contributors to running injuries, including hamstring strains and knee pain.
Stand with a barbell or dumbbells, hinge at the hips with a soft bend in the knee, and lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Drive your hips forward to return. Keep your spine neutral throughout. Three sets of eight to ten.
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
The same movement, but on one leg. Significantly harder to balance, which means it also builds the ankle stability and hip control you need mid-run. Start with a light dumbbell in the opposite hand from your working leg. Go slow. The wobble is the point.
Hip Thrust
The hip thrust is the most direct way to load the glutes through full extension, the same range of motion you use during the push-off phase of your stride. With your upper back on a bench and a barbell across your hips, drive your hips up until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
Weak glutes are often behind knee pain, IT band issues, and poor running economy. This exercise addresses all three.
Step-Up with Knee Drive
Step onto a box (around knee height), drive the opposite knee up toward your chest, then lower slowly. It mirrors the mechanics of running more closely than almost any other gym exercise: single-leg loading, hip extension, knee drive, controlled descent.
Add weight as you build confidence. Focus on the slow lowering phase. That eccentric load is where a lot of the injury prevention benefit comes from.
Calf Raises and Single-Leg Calf Raises
The calf complex, specifically the soleus, absorbs an enormous amount of force with every foot strike. Underdeveloped calves are one of the leading causes of Achilles issues and plantar fasciitis in runners.
Do them off a step for full range of motion. Start with both legs, progress to single-leg. Aim for slow, controlled reps rather than bouncing. Three sets of 15 to 20.
Core: Stability Over Crunch
Runner core work isn't about six-pack aesthetics. It's about keeping your trunk stable under fatigue so your arms, legs, and breathing can all do their jobs without wasting energy through lateral sway or hip drop.
Dead Bug
Lie on your back with arms pointed at the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees. Slowly lower one arm and the opposite leg toward the floor while pressing your lower back flat against the ground. Return and switch sides. It looks easy. It isn't.
The dead bug teaches your core to resist extension, which is exactly what it needs to do when you're tired at kilometre 30.
Pallof Press
Attach a resistance band or cable at chest height, stand side-on, and press the handle straight out from your chest. Hold for a beat, then return. Your core has to resist rotation the entire time, which is what it does on every step of a run.
Copenhagen Plank
The Copenhagen plank trains the hip adductors, which often get overlooked in runner programmes. It also loads the entire lateral core. Lie on your side with your top foot on a bench, lift your hips off the ground, and hold. It's harder than a standard side plank and more specific to running demands.
How to Programme These Around Your Running
Two sessions per week is enough for most runners. More than that risks interference with your running quality, especially if you're in a structured training block.
Keep the sessions after easy runs, not before hard workouts or long runs. Your legs need to be fresh for quality running sessions. A rough structure that works well:
Monday: easy run, then strength session. Wednesday: tempo or intervals (no lifting). Friday: easy run, then strength session. Saturday or Sunday: long run (no lifting).
In terms of loading, use weights heavy enough that the last two reps of each set feel genuinely difficult. If you could do five more, the weight is too light to drive adaptation.
One Piece of Gear Worth Mentioning
If your strength programme includes outdoor sessions (hill sprints, box jumps in the park, plyometrics on the track), the light conditions change fast. Early morning or late afternoon sessions hit that window where the sun is low and glare is real.
The Adaptor lens handles it well. It adjusts from near-clear in low light to a darker tint as the sun comes up, so you're not swapping glasses mid-session. It's the lens we'd reach for in a training block that mixes gym work with outdoor running.
For a full overview of lens options, browse the Re. range here.
The Takeaway
The exercises above aren't a random selection. They target the specific weaknesses and imbalances that tend to hold runners back: posterior chain, hip stability, ankle resilience, lateral core. Add two sessions a week, keep them short and focused, and you'll notice the difference before long.
If you're just getting started with runner-specific strength work, the full beginner guide is here.
Tim Golubev
Founder, Re. (Re Your Run)
Tim built Re. after years of running in sunglasses that bounced, fogged, and ended up on his forehead. After discovering the UV damage that builds up without eye protection (even on cloudy days) and hearing the same frustrations from hundreds of other runners, he decided it was a problem worth fixing properly. With a background in Product across multiple industries, he approached it like any product problem: figure out what's broken, then build something that actually fixes it. He runs daily, co-founded Rose Bay Run Club, and Re. is his attempt to make one less thing that gets in the way of a good run.
