Increasing the distance of your run or hike every time you work out is rarely the smartest way to become a better runner or hiker.
Best case scenario, you’ll hit a plateau where your fitness stalls. Worst case, your body will break down from overuse.
A safer bet, according to personal trainer, ultramarathon runner and realbuzz ambassador Sam Tomlinson, is to strengthen the muscles and joints that help propel you from A to B.
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“Running alone can develop excellent endurance, but it rarely provides enough resistance to build the strength and control needed to tolerate higher mileage and tougher terrain,” he tells Fit&Well.
Instead, Tomlinson has come to rely on a set of common lower-body strength exercises that can be performed with a set of dumbbells and a mini band, at home or in the gym.
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“I recently completed my strongest ultra to date, and being consistent with this type of leg strength work played a major part in how well my body handled the demands of the event,” he says, referring to the 100km and 6,500m elevation of Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB he covered in 26 hours.
Even if you don’t have the same gargantuan challenge ahead of you, regularly performing this workout should make your lower body more resilient when you next run or hike.
The six-move workout he swears by includes bilateral exercises like squats and Romanian deadlifts that are powered by the larger muscles around the hips and thighs.
It also features unilateral moves like the reverse lunge and single-leg bridge that train the body to “repeatedly absorb and produce force through one leg at a time”.
Banded lateral walks make an appearance, strengthening muscles around the outside of your hips, which help control the position of your knee and pelvis when your foot lands, and which can become compromised with fatigue.
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And the final exercise is the calf raise, given that “the calves and Achilles tendon absorb and return a large amount of force during every stride”.
Here’s how to try Tomlinson’s session yourself.
How to do this lower-body strength workout for runners
Tomlinson’s six-move lower-body workout is split into three blocks of two moves each.
Perform each block three times, completing exercise A and B back to back and resting a minute or two between blocks.
Tomlinson says the full routine should take around 25 to 35 minutes and is best performed on a running rest day or after a short, easy run to keep your legs fresh.
Start off by performing it once a week, gradually increasing that to twice a week as your strength and recovery improve, while slowly increasing the weights to ensure progression.
1A. Heel elevated goblet squat
Heels Elevated Goblet Squat – YouTube
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10
Hold one dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest, cupped in both hands.Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your heels on the edge of a weight plate or sturdy hardback book.Turn your feet slightly outward and lower into a squat to a comfortable depth.Keep your torso upright, resisting the pull of the weight forward.Drive through your heels to stand without letting your knees cave in.
Make it easier: Perform a bodyweight squat to a bench or box behind you.
Make it harder: Increase the dumbbell load or pause at the bottom of each repetition.
How to do a Dumbbell RDL / Romanian Deadlift – YouTube
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs and a slight bend in your knees.Push your hips back to lower the dumbbells, keeping them close to your legs, and your back flat and shoulders engaged.Pause when you feel a stretch in the back of your thighs.Push your hips forward as you return to standing.
Make it easier: Use one lighter dumbbell held in both hands.
Make it harder: Increase the load or perform a staggered stance Romanian deadlift with one foot back and heel slightly lifted to target one leg more than the other.
Sets: 3 Reps: 8 each side
Stand with your feet close and your hands on your hips for balance.Take a big step back with one foot and lower your back knee toward the floor.Keep your torso upright rather than collapsing over your front foot.Maintain a 90° angle in your front knee aligned over your foot.Push through your front foot to return to standing.Alternate sides with each rep.
Make it easier: Hold onto a wall or stable surface for balance. Reduce the depth of how far you lower your back knee.
Make it harder: Hold dumbbells by your sides to increase the load.
Single-Leg Calf Raise (HSS) – YouTube
Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15 each side
Stand beside a wall or stable surface for balance if needed.Raise one foot, hovering it off the floor.Press through the ball of your standing foot to raise your heel.Lower slowly to lightly tap your heel on the floor and repeat.Complete all reps on one side, then switch sides.
Make it easier: Perform the movement with both feet then progress to single leg.
Make it harder: Hold a dumbbell or perform the movement from the edge of a step so you increase how far your heel drops with each rep.
How To Do A Single Leg Hip Thrust (Exercise Demo) – FREE Great Butt Guide – YouTube
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10 each side
Sit with a weight bench or couch behind you.Prop up onto your arms with your support roughly across your shoulder blades.Raise your left foot off the floor, moving from your hip.Press through your right foot to raise your hips until you form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.Pause and squeeze your right glute.Lower your hips back to the floor with control.Complete all reps on one side, rest for a few breaths, then switch sides.
Make it easier: Remove the raised platform, performing a glute bridge with your shoulders on the floor instead.
Make it harder: Hold a weight across your hips or slow down the lowering phase of each rep to increase the time your muscles are under tension.
Lateral Band Walks for Glute Medius Activation | GPS Human Performance – YouTube
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 20-25 each side
Stand with a mini resistance band round the balls of your feet.Take controlled steps to your side, avoiding your knees collapsing inward.Keep your feet facing forward, chest up and a slight bend in your knees.If space is limited, perform five reps one way, then five the other until you’ve completed all the reps.
Make it easier: Use a lighter resistance band or reduce the number of steps.
Make it harder: Use a heavier resistance band.
About our expert
About our expert
Sam Tomlinson
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Level 3 qualified personal trainer
Sam Tomlinson is a Level 3 qualified personal trainer and ambassador for realbuzz, an organization that has been connecting runners with the world’s best events since 2012. He completed his personal trainer qualification in 2014 with Health and Fitness Education (HFE) and two years later co-founded PRIME Personal Training in Rawtenstall, England, with his brother and fellow personal trainer Joe. A serial triathlon, marathon and ultramarathon runner, Tomlinson most recently completed the 100km and 6,500m elevation of Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB in 26 hours.