{"id":188496,"date":"2025-10-09T16:59:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T16:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/188496\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T16:59:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T16:59:17","slug":"3-simple-workouts-to-build-a-strength-base-in-just-four-weeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/188496\/","title":{"rendered":"3 simple workouts to build a strength base in just four weeks"},"content":{"rendered":"

When life gets hectic, especially when you\u2019re preparing for a race, it\u2019s easy to skimp on strength workouts or put them off entirely. However, if you want to train and race at your best, slotting some consistent strength training<\/a> into your plan is a must. \u2018Many people don\u2019t have a lot of experience with resistance training and I think that\u2019s quite common with runners,\u2019 says personal trainer and running coach Matt Jones<\/a>, founder of Run Strong Academy. \u2018But having a strength foundation is so important for making it through daily life comfortably \u2013 and it helps to make you a more adaptable, efficient runner, too.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Here, Jones shares the ultimate routine to build your foundational strength in just four weeks, along with tips on how to execute each workout to perfection. <\/p>\n

Four-week strength base plan for runners<\/p>\n

Exactly how much time you need to establish a solid strength base depends on factors like your training history and how regularly you strength train once you start, says Jones. \u2018But if you\u2019re consistent and work out three times a week, four weeks gives you a really good time frame to establish a strength base,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

What everyone’s reading<\/p>\n

The following routine, compiled by Jones, will see you do three workouts per week. Each workout includes a compound movement (perform this as its own set), a superset of two moves and a core exercise (also performed on its own). Follow the reps, sets and rest time listed below.<\/p>\n

What you\u2019ll need<\/p>\n

Although you can use a barbell for some of the exercises if you want, all the moves here are doable with just a pair of dumbbells. In fact, Jones actually prefers using dumbbells \u2013 he says that they\u2019re more accessible and \u2018give you a bit of instability, which means that you\u2019re working your balance and activating your core a bit more with each move\u2019. To progress from one week to the next, add a little weight while keeping your sets and reps the same.
<\/p>\n

Workout 1 Goblet squat\"ImageStand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands at chest height in front of you. Send your hips down and back. Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.Drive through your feet to stand back up. Repeat. Do 10 reps.Rest for two minutes. Repeat for three sets. <\/p>\n

Superset \u2013 perform the next two moves back to back, then rest for two minutes and repeat for three sets.<\/p>\n

Step-up\"ImageStand with a box (approximately at knee height) in front of you, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Step up onto box with your left foot, then step up your right foot to meet it. Lower your right foot, then your left foot, back to the floor. Repeat. Do five or six reps.Repeat on the opposite side. Bench press \"ImageLie face up on a bench with your feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell or barbell in each hand at your chest with your elbows bent. Straighten your arms, pushing the dumbbells or barbell upward.Slowly lower the dumbbells or barbell back down to your chest.Repeat. Do 10 reps.Dead bug\"ImageLie face up with your arms reaching straight overhead, your legs lifted and your knees bent to 90 degrees, directly over your hips. This is the starting position.Keeping your right arm and left knee in place, reach your left arm back and straighten your right leg, slowly lowering both toward floor. Return to the starting position.Repeat on the opposite side.Continue alternating. Do six reps per side.Rest for 90 seconds. Repeat for three sets.Workout 2 Deadlift \"ImageStand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent while holding a dumbbell in each hand at your thighs. Hinge at the hips by sending your glutes straight back and lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor, lowering the weights and keeping them close to your shins. Drive through your feet to stand back up, squeezing your glutes.Repeat. Do 10 reps. Rest for two minutes. Repeat for three sets.<\/p>\n

Superset \u2013 perform the next two moves back to back, then rest for two minutes and repeat for three sets.<\/p>\n

Glute bridge\"ImageLie face up with your knees bent, your feet on floor and your arms extended at your sides or holding dumbbells on your hips. Drive through your feet and lift up your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.Slowly lower your hips back down to the floor. Repeat. Do 10 reps.Three-point dumbbell row\"ImageStand with your feet hip-width apart in front of a bench with a dumbbell in your left hand at your side.Hinge at the hips and rest your right hand on the bench, keeping your back flat. Extend your left arm with the weight to the floor.Bend your left elbow, lifting the weight toward your hip and keeping your elbow close to your side. Extend your arm and lower the weight. Repeat. Do 10 reps.Repeat on the opposite side.Pallof press\"ImageStand to the right of a resistance band, secured at chest height. Grasp the end of the band with both hands and brace your core while pulling the band to chest height in front of you.Drive your arms forward, resisting rotation. Pull your arms back to your chest. Repeat for 30 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side.Rest for 90 seconds. Repeat for three sets.Workout 3 Bent-over row\"ImageStand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent while holding a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms down in front of you. Keeping your back flat, hinge at the hips. This is the starting position.Pull the weights up toward your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Extend your arms to the lower weights back down to the starting position.Repeat. Do 10 reps.Rest for two minutes. Repeat for three sets.<\/p>\n

Superset \u2013 perform these two moves back to back, then rest for two minutes and repeat for three sets.<\/p>\n

Reverse lunge\"ImageStand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand at your sides. Take a big step back with your right foot. Lower until your left thigh is parallel to floor, your right knee is hovering just above the floor and both knees are bent to 90 degrees. Step back up to stand. Repeat on the opposite side. Continue alternating. Do 10 reps per side. Single-leg calf raise\"calf<\/p>\n

Trevor Raab<\/p>\n

Stand with with feet hip-width apart on the edge of a stair or box. Shift your weight to your left foot, lifting your right foot slightly. Slowly press up on ball of your left foot to flex your calf.Lower slowly. Repeat. Do 10 reps.Repeat on the opposite side.Farmer\u2019s carry\"ImageHolding a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand at your sides, walk slowly across the floor for 30 seconds. Maintain a strong posture the entire time, keeping your chest tall and your shoulders down and back. Rest for two minutes. Repeat for three sets. Tips for establishing a solid strength base<\/p>\n

Follow these pointers to reap the biggest rewards from your resistance training.<\/p>\n

Aim to start in the off-season<\/p>\n

\u2018Establishing a good strength base in the off-season is optimal, because when you\u2019re not actively training for races, there\u2019s not as much strain on your muscles from running more mileage and competing,\u2019 says Jones.<\/p>\n

From a practical perspective, when you\u2019re not spending as much time running, you also theoretically should have more time to commit to strength training. \u2018That being said, if you\u2019re getting into a training block and haven\u2019t been strength training, don\u2019t worry too much about when you\u2019re doing it and just do it,\u2019 says Jones, noting that it\u2019s better to start late than to not start at all.<\/p>\n

Work your entire body<\/p>\n

Running might seem lower-body-specific, but it incorporates your upper half, too \u2013 and so should your strength training. \u2018Running is a full-body cardio workout,\u2019 says Erin Beck, director of training and experience for STRIDE Fitness<\/a>. \u2018Some of the muscles undergo repeated use and stress, like the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes and hip flexors \u2013 but the core is also important for rotational power and your arms help to counterbalance your lower body while running.\u2019<\/p>\n

In fact, a 2019 study published in the Sports<\/a> found that fatigue in the trunk and upper body was enough to diminish people\u2019s running economy. Researchers suggested that strengthening the core muscles<\/a> and upper body<\/a> with strength endurance training could help to offset those negative effects.<\/p>\n

Jones recommends making each strength session a full-body one, too. \u2018If you have a leg-only day, you\u2019re going to create more fatigue and your legs will be hurting more on your next run,\u2019 he explains. Plus, when all three weekly strength workouts are full-body, if you miss one, you\u2019ve still hit all your muscles for the week.<\/p>\n

Schedule your workouts correctly<\/p>\n

Two to three strength sessions a week is ideal and you can do them on run days or not, depending on what works for your routine and your goals, says Beck. \u2018Alternating run and strength workouts throughout the week might be more conducive to your goals if you\u2019re training for a longer distance,\u2019 she says. \u2018Those who are running with a goal of a few miles or a 5K, on the other hand, would be fine to incorporate both modalities in the same day. It really depends on your goals and how you\u2019re feeling.\u2019<\/p>\n

When tackling a run and strength session on the same day, Jones recommends spacing out the workouts by several hours so that you don\u2019t feel fatigued going into either.<\/p>\n

Go beyond bodyweight<\/p>\n

Doing loads and loads of bodyweight exercises is the biggest mistake that Jones sees runners make with their strength training. \u2018Establishing a base can start with bodyweight exercises, but you need to build from that,\u2019 he says. \u2018If we\u2019re looking at getting a base going in only four, five or six weeks, you want to get the most bang for your buck. The bodyweight stuff won\u2019t get you as much as you need in that amount of time.\u2019<\/p>\n

Find the ideal weight<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re figuring out how much weight you can lift for each move, aim for enough that the last couple of reps are tough but not impossible, says Jones. In other words, aim for an RPE<\/a> of around seven on a scale of one to 10 for those final reps. \u2018You want the load to be good enough that it\u2019s a bit of a struggle but you\u2019re not sacrificing form \u2013 quality over quantity is always a good rule to go by,\u2019 says Jones.<\/p>\n

Consider hiring a professional<\/p>\n

Working with a running coach who specialises in strength can help you to zero in on a plan that aligns with your goals \u2013 and Beck recommends working with a certified personal trainer to check your schedule and form. \u2018People without a plan may try lifting too heavy or too frequently and wind up injured \u2013 and strength training is meant to enhance running performance, not hinder it,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

Why runners need to build a strength base<\/p>\n

\u2018Like an aerobic base, you want a solid strength base as you embark on a new running goal,\u2019 says Beck. \u2018Building a good strength base can help you to improve form and technique while also enhancing the endurance and performance of muscles that undergo repeated use while running \u2013 especially your quads, hip flexors and glutes.\u2019<\/p>\n

With that improved form, adds Jones, you\u2019ll become a more economical runner as well \u2013 and this means that you can run faster for longer and more comfortably.<\/p>\n

Getting some strength training under your belt may also help you to sidestep some aches and pains. \u2018You\u2019re never going to be able to prevent injury entirely, as running is such an impact sport, but you\u2019re improving the tendons and connective tissues as you build strength, so you won\u2019t be under as much strain while running,\u2019 says Jones.<\/p>\n

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