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In this article you will know the 3 basic strength exercises for legs that are very recommended for runners; it is about the squats, scissors and bridges.
The trainer and physical trainer Marcos Greus (INEF graduate specializing in high performance) explains how to correctly perform these three basic leg strength exercises. “These are three very convenient exercises for all people who run because they help improve sports performance and prevent certain injuries”says Greus.
Squats, scissors and bridges, all 3 basic strength exercises for legs
Many runners who are new to running (or have been running for a relatively short time) have questions about what are the “must have” basic leg strength exercises.
There are many, infinite, exercises to gain strength in the lower body, but if I had to recommend three, I would especially for people who are starting out running or who have been running for some time and have not yet incorporated strength work into their training, without a doubt these would be:
- Squats (squats in English)
- Scissors or strides (lunges in English).
- Bridges (bridges in English).
These 3 basic leg strength exercises are the ones that, at least, every runner should include in their weekly training routine because they will help them run more efficiently, delay muscle fatigue, and also reduce the risk of injury. .
I highlight and recommend these three basic leg strength exercises for their effectiveness (they encompass all the muscles that intervene directly or indirectly in the running) and because can be done at home with your own body weight (after some time working with your own body weight you can start using additional weight such as weights, barbell, etc.).
El leg strength training, same as the core training, is important for the entire population (understood as efforts adapted to the age and personal circumstances of each person), regardless of whether or not they do sports, but it is Fundamental and indispensable for runners because, as has already been said, it helps to improve performance and to run more efficiently and safely because it reduces the possibility of overloads, discomfort and even injuries after a day of series or a long run.
Strengthening your legs is essential to enjoy the running on any surface, but it is especially important for running safely in the mountains. Trail runners running They must pay close attention to leg strength work because running on uneven terrain requires prepared muscles in the lower body to prevent problems in the ankles, knees, calves, hamstrings...
Basic strength exercises for legs: 1. Squat
The squat (or squat) is an exercise that works all the muscles involved in the race: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, twins and soleus.
Important things to keep in mind to perform the squat movement well: in the case of beginners, it is recommended that the first few times they perform the exercise with a chair or a bench behind them to lower themselves until they touch their butt (without leaning on it). or sit).
Another aspect to take into account is that you have to do the descent with the back straight and with the abdomen in tension so that the back does not suffer. A common mistake is to round or round the back, which puts undue stress on it.
Feet should be slightly wider than hips apart, with the balls of your feet straight or pointing slightly outward. It is important to keep your feet glued to the ground at all times; Avoid leaning your back forward so your body weight doesn't shift to the balls of your feet (this can be a bit hard to avoid at first, especially when working with body weight alone).
It is also important to perform the downward movement (inspiring the aire before starting) and rising (gently exhaling the aire) slowly, with an approximate tempo of 3 seconds to go down and 3 seconds to go up.
Benefits of squats:
- Increased strength and power.
- Increased coordination, balance and stability.
- Improved back posture. Squats work very effectively the abdominal muscles and back muscles (also known as the 'core'), which helps to have a better back posture and reduce the risk of discomfort or pain that the running May cause.
Basic strength exercises for legs: 2. Scissors
The second of the basic leg strength exercises is the scissors, also called strides or lunges. As with the squat, it is an exercise that can be performed in various variations, although in this case we are going to talk about the classic static scissors or stride.
Like the squat it is a multi-joint exercise with which we are going to work various muscles, but with special intensity the musculature of the thigh and hip.
This is a one-sided exercise (The squat is a bilateral exercise) with which each leg is worked independently. For this reason, scissors require a bit more coordination and level of strength. At first it is normal for this exercise to be a bit difficult to perform without imbalances, but in a short time and with a little perseverance it can be done effectively.
How to do it? From a natural position, take a step forward with one of the legs and both knees are flexed until reaching an angle of 90 degrees; the back knee should not touch the ground.
The body is allowed to fall forward in a controlled manner, supporting the weight on one of the legs and returning to the starting position. The return to the starting position must also be in a controlled manner with the push of the leg that we have in advance.
Important things to keep in mind in this exercise: the fall must be smooth and with a controlled braking action of the lead leg. This braking action will involve work for the quadriceps, gluteus and hamstring. And a concentric phase back to the starting position.
It is very important for the correct realization of the scissors maintain the verticality of the body avoiding trunk oscillations; the back must be straight during the execution of the exercise, without arching. To avoid these 'instabilities' it is very important to have a strong 'core', which is why it is convenient that leg strength work is always complemented with core strength work.
Benefits of scissors:
- Increased strength and power of legs and buttocks.
- Increased balance and stability.
- Increased hip flexibility.
- Improved back posture. Scissors, as is also the case with squats, involve work for the abdominal muscles and the back muscles ('core'), which helps to have a better back posture and reduce the risk of discomfort or pain that the running May cause.
Basic strength exercises for legs: 3. Bridges
The bridges (or bridges in English) are a compensation exercise to work the posterior muscle chain, which is the one that suffers the most when long runs are made.
In general, when performing strength exercises for the legs, one can make the mistake of giving more importance to the work of the anterior face of the leg muscles but not so much of the posterior face.
The bridges are especially useful for working and strengthening the glutes, a very large muscle group that may not be given the importance it really has by people who run. In addition, this exercise works the lower back (core), hamstrings and hip muscles.
From a lying position, it is about resting the shoulder blades and the soles of the feet on the ground (with a separation of the width of the hips) and extending the hip, raising the hip upwards and returning to the starting position.
Important things to keep in mind when making bridges: keep the abdomen tense so that the back does not suffer and tighten the buttocks. It may seem like the easiest of the three exercises, but it requires good execution to be truly efficient. We must ensure that the scapulae (shoulders) are glued to the ground and that the spine is straight in a natural posture, without arching.
Benefits of bridges:
- Increased strength and power of the buttocks and lower back muscles.
- Increased balance and stability.
- Increased hip flexibility.
- Improvement of the upright posture of the back.
How to perform these basic strength exercises for legs?
Now you know how to perform the 3 basic leg strength exercises, but how often?
For people starting with strength work, my recommendation would be once a week doing 1 sets of 3 repetitions. In the case of runners who already have an advanced level, I find it very interesting to do these exercises before shooting, doing 15 sets of 2 repetitions.
Text to 42K of :
Marcos Greus
Trainer and physical trainer.
Bachelor of Science in Physical Activity and Sports specializing in endurance sports. National triathlon, cycling and swimming coach, as well as long distance specialist coach.
Link to the Marcos Greus website
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