{"id":529913,"date":"2026-04-14T07:25:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T07:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/529913\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T07:25:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T07:25:08","slug":"why-all-runners-need-it-in-their-strength-workouts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/529913\/","title":{"rendered":"Why All Runners Need It in Their Strength Workouts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once a week, I do a calf exercise<\/a> at the end of my strength routine that involves rising up onto the balls of both feet, then lifting one foot off the ground and slowly lowering down on the other. It\u2019s a good calf move, yes, but there\u2019s more going on here that makes it a powerful move for runners.<\/p>\n

This is a great example of an eccentric movement in that the focus is on the lengthening (or lowering) aspect, which is hugely important for runners, especially distance runners, says Anh Bui<\/a>, DPT, CSCS, level 1 USATF certified-coach of Run Resiliently Physical Therapy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEccentric training trains your muscles and tendons to be fatigue resistant<\/a>, more resilient, and stronger,\u201d Bui says. \u201cIf you can prevent that fatigue from happening earlier in a race, the better your endurance and running economy<\/a> will be because you\u2019re going to waste less energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

It can also help prevent injuries, many of which typically happen in the eccentric phase of running because muscles and tendons are loaded with at least three times your bodyweight in their maximally lengthened position, Bui says.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, a 2024 systematic review of research<\/a> published in Frontiers in Physiology found that eccentric training significantly enhances sprint speed and athletes\u2019 ability to change direction quickly.<\/p>\n

To gain these advantages, here\u2019s a primer on what Bui calls the \u201cmost demanding\u201d type of muscle contraction, and exactly how to incorporate it into your routine.<\/p>\n

Related StoryWhat It Means to Train Eccentrically<\/p>\n

Before we dive into eccentrics, Bui says it\u2019s important to explain another type of muscle contraction: concentric. If you were holding dumbbells at your sides and lift them up into a biceps curl, your biceps are shortening against a load, she says, which is a concentric action. \u201cThen there\u2019s isometric<\/a>, which means if I was just holding the weight and the muscle was not shortening or lengthening at all, it\u2019s still a type of load,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Finally, we have eccentric contractions: \u201cLet\u2019s say I\u2019m holding the dumbbells at the top of a bicep curl and now I\u2019m going to slowly lower that weight against the load, so the muscle is lengthening against load,\u201d Bui says\u2014that\u2019s the eccentric contraction, and it\u2019s typically the most demanding kind of muscle contraction because it generates the highest mechanical tension on muscles and tendons.<\/p>\n

Brad Schoenfeld<\/a>, PhD, CSCS, a professor in exercise science at Lehman College in the Bronx, NY, adds this example: \u201cLet\u2019s say you’re doing a squat, when you raise your body up, you are doing the concentric action, when you are descending, you\u2019re undergoing an eccentric action,\u201d he says, and points out that both components are inherent to virtually any dynamic exercise you do.<\/p>\n

Related StoryHow Does Eccentric Training Affect Running?<\/p>\n

Eccentric and concentric muscle contractions are both happening while you run, too. When you\u2019re in the mid-stance phase (when all your weight is on one leg), your quads<\/a> work eccentrically to control the knee as it bends, Bui says, and the calves<\/a> work eccentrically to control the ankle as it moves forward. As you move into the \u201ctoe-off\u201d phase, the calves and hamstrings work concentrically, then the hamstrings shift back to an eccentric role just before your foot hits the ground again.<\/p>\n

This eccentric action is exaggerated when you\u2019re running downhill, she says, and it explains why your quads\u2014which act as your eccentric brakes\u2014may be particularly sore after a hilly run<\/a> or race.<\/p>\n

The eccentric demands can become more taxing as the run goes on. \u201cEspecially for longer races, like a half marathon or marathon, there\u2019s more fatigue accumulating, and because of that, we see form breakdown in running gait,\u201d she says. \u201cIf your form breaks down and you\u2019re not stable, maybe your hips drop, maybe your knees collapse, maybe your ankle starts to pronate because your muscles are tired, it can make you a little bit more susceptible to injury,\u201d she says, potentially leading to muscle strains and tendon injuries.<\/p>\n

Indeed, a 2024 study<\/a> out of Germany, involving 38 participants, found that after a half marathon, both quads and hamstrings were worse at producing force in the eccentric phase, and that effect was linked to higher injury risk (especially around the knee). That\u2019s one reason it\u2019s wise to take some recovery time<\/a> before running again immediately after a distance race.<\/p>\n

In particular, Bui sees a lot of hamstring strains (especially in sprinters, but also distance runners), which usually happen when the hamstrings are fully eccentrically elongated during the late (terminal) swing phase of the stride, if the hamstrings are not strong enough to withstand the load. Overstriding<\/a> ups the risk even further.<\/p>\n

Related StoryHow to Incorporate Eccentrics Into Your Routine<\/p>\n

The good news is that, as Schoenfeld points out, if you\u2019re doing dynamic exercises like squats<\/a> and deadlifts<\/a>, you\u2019re already doing eccentric muscle contractions\u2014but there are a couple of ways you can emphasize that part of the movement to get more bang for your buck.<\/p>\n

One way to do that, Bui says, is by simply slowing down just the lowering phase of a movement. \u201cI want you to think about counting to five on the way down in the squat and then move faster on the way up,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s actually really hard for people, especially if they do it with weight,\u201d she says, although it\u2019s best to start with three sets of 10 reps of just bodyweight. Slowing down can have the bonus benefit of challenging balance and stability<\/a>, Bui says.<\/p>\n

Once you feel good with bilateral movements, move onto unilateral ones. \u201cFor a lot of runners, incorporating eccentric single-leg exercises<\/a> can be a very powerful tool,\u201d Bui says, because running itself is essentially a unilateral sport. That might be a single-leg squat (for the quads) or single-leg Romanian deadlifts (for the hamstrings) with the same five-second count on the way down, she says.<\/p>\n

Schoenfeld says another strategy is called \u201csupramaximal eccentrics,\u201d which involves using more weight on the eccentric phase than the concentric phase. For example, using the leg extension machine, press up with both legs, then release one leg and lower down with just one leg. You\u2019re essentially loading your legs with double the weight on the way down.<\/p>\n

You could also try a wall squat where you stand up with both legs, then lower with one. And of course, there\u2019s the aforementioned calf raise example\u2014go up onto the balls of both feet, then slowly lower with one leg only. Bui says eccentric calf raises are particularly good for runners with a history of Achilles tendinopathy<\/a> or calf strains (though it\u2019s best to avoid this if you have an active injury in these areas).<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also something called flywheel training, Schoenfeld says, which can be effective. You can find these machines<\/a>, which have handles attached to a flywheel, for home use or in some gyms. \u201cWhen you\u2019re pulling it up, it stores the energy in the flywheel, and when you come down, it allows you a greater eccentric action,\u201d Schoenfeld explains, adding that research<\/a> backs this up.<\/p>\n

Finally, outside of the gym, downhill strides<\/a> could also be helpful, Bui says. \u201cYou can practice running downhill, fast, but keep it controlled,\u201d she says. \u201cStay tall, take short quick steps to keep your feet close underneath you, and look 10 to 15 feet ahead of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The key: Don\u2019t overdo it. The way to work eccentrics into your program is to pick one or two out of the six or so moves you\u2019re doing on a strength day and make them eccentric-focused, both experts say. \u201cIf you try to do every single exercise of the circuit with eccentric intention, you\u2019re going to be very fatigued,\u201d Bui says. She also suggests avoiding eccentrics on the same day you have a quality run workout<\/a>, like intervals or a long run, because they\u2019ll just compound the fatigue.<\/p>\n

Ideally, sprinkling in a few eccentrics before your next race will do the opposite: help you feel fresher for longer.<\/p>\n