PERIODIZE YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING FOR TOP RUNNING PERFORMANCE

By Rick Morris

Top performance in any athletic event requires improvements in several areas of performance. Each area of performance has its own particular methods of training. It is difficult, if not impossible to train all the areas at one time. A runner must improve their VO2max, lactate threshold, strength, power, economy and event specific performance. Unfortunately, there is not one workout that will make improvements in all of these areas. That is where periodization comes in.

Periodization, in its simplest terms, is the breakdown of your training schedule into periods or "blocks" in which the emphasis is placed on one or two performance areas. Strength is one of the performance areas that must be trained, but your strength training should also be periodized.

There are many different strength training periodization schemes. The most commonly used is a gradual change from a high number of repetitions and low weight to a low number of repetitions and a high weight. This seems a sensible method because it allows your muscles to strengthen gradually with the lower weights before hitting them with the heavier weights, which give you the most strength gains. This method is an appropriate scheme for general fitness gains. However, runner's needs are different from someone interested in general fitness. A runner must prepare their body for the specific strength and power needed for top running performance. So, I have developed my own periodization scheme specifically for runners. This scheme follows a similar, gradual increase in intensity, but also progresses from general strength training to running specific strength.

There are six areas of emphasis in this scheme:

• Rest and Recovery
• General Strength Training (Base)
• Running Specific Muscle Emphasis (Strength, Power)
• Running Specific Movement Emphasis (Power, Sharpening)
• Fine Tuning (Sharpening)
• Maintenance

Each of these areas of emphasis are worked on for a specific length of time or "cycle". The length of each cycle will depend upon the overall length of your training cycle. A cross-country runner who is preparing for an upcoming season will have a training cycle of one year. In this instance, each cycle will be fairly long. Most road racers enter many races each year. This type of runner may have one goal race per year, such as a marathon, or they may have up to four goal races. It is very difficult to train properly for more than four races in one year. Two or three would be even better. If you have two goal races, you would have two training cycles per year. In this case, your training cycles will be half as long as the cross country runner, training for one season or peak per year.

Rest and Recovery

The first cycle is always rest and recovery. Your body must have time to recuperate from the stress of high intensity training and racing. Without this rest period, your body will break down and your performance will suffer. How long should your rest period be? Studies have shown that at least 4 weeks of recovery time is needed for any endurance athlete engaged in high intensity training and racing. You should have one week of complete rest with no running or strength training at all. That should be followed by 3 or more weeks of light weight work and limited easy running. (no more than 20 miles per week.)

General Strength Training

The next cycle of periodized strength training is general strength training. This will improve your basic, overall strength and will provide a good base for the more intense and specific strength training to follow. Perform each of the following exercises two times per week:

• Bench Press or Chest Fly
• Bicep curl
• Triceps Kickback
• Bent Over Row
• Leg Extension
• Leg Curl
• Calf Raise
• Crunches
• Overhead Press

You may substitute other general strength exercises for these, but be sure to work each major muscle group. Allow a full 48 hours of rest for each muscle group. This cycle should last between 3 and 5 weeks depending upon the length of your overall training cycle. Progress from lighter weights and higher repetitions (15 to 18 reps to exhaustion) to heavier weights and lower repetitions (8 to 10 reps to exhaustion)

Running Specific Muscle Emphasis

In this cycle, you will switch to muscles that are more specific to running. This cycle will improve your running specific strength and will begin to make improvements in your power level. It will also prepare your muscles for the next cycle.  Some possible exercises include Bench Step Ups, Bench Step Downs, Lunges and One Leg Squats.

Follow the same progression that you did during the general strength period. Start with lower weights and higher repetitions and gradually move towards heavier weights and lower repetitions. Continue to include some general strength work one day per week. Do these running specific exercises two times per week. This cycle will also last from 3 to 5 weeks depending upon the length of your overall training cycle.

Running Specific Movements Emphasis

In this cycle you will begin to incorporate plyometric exercises. These are high intensity exercises that closely mimic the motions involved in running. The previous two cycles, general strength and running specific strength have prepared your muscles and connective tissues for this high intensity activity. Do not attempt these exercises if you have not properly prepared your body for the stress involved in these exercises.

There are a large number of possible exercises, including: box jumps, stride jumps and bounding. Mix up your workouts. Do not follow the same routine for each session. There are many possible exercises. Try them all. If you do the same routine everyday, your body will "learn" the workout and a decreased level of improvement will result. Continue with some general strength and running specific exercises one day per week and perform these plyometric exercises only one day per week. This cycle will last from 3 to 5 weeks.

Fine Tuning

In this stage you must analyze your strengths and weaknesses. If you feel that your speed is not up to par, then use this period to concentrate on plyometric exercises. If your hill performance or power is lacking, then concentrate on running specific strength exercises. If you feel stale or have heavy legs, you may need to add in some rest and recovery. Use this cycle to do what you need to do in order to correct any weaknesses you feel that you have. This is a short cycle of 2 to 3 weeks. Use it wisely, because at the end of this cycle, you should be performing your best. Time your cycles so that your goal race or season begins at the end of this cycle.

Maintenance

In the maintenance stage you simply want to try to maintain the peak that you have built up for the duration of your race season. The races that you run will be your heaviest workouts. Your training workouts should consist of short sessions that concentrate on quality and not quantity. Perform some general, running specific, and plyometric exercises only one time per week. Do no strength training two days before or two days after a race. For a cross-country athlete this stage will last the length of their season, followed by the begining of the next training cycle, which starts with rest and recovery. For a road racer, the maintenance stage will probably last around 3 or 4 races. It is difficult to maintain a peak for longer than that. After a 3 to 4 race period, the road racer should start a new cycle, beginning with rest and recovery.