Tempo Tips: Importance of the Weight Room This Winter

Why the Weight Room Might Be the Most Important Place for Runners (and Jumpers) This Winter

When the cross country season wraps up and track is still months away, most athletes take a well-deserved break from workouts, meets and mileage. But if you ask the best collegiate and professional runners what they're doing right now, their answers might surprise you. They're spending as much time in the weight room as they are on the track.

The offseason isn't just about doing more running; it's about getting your body ready to handle more when the next season arrives. That's where strength training comes in.

The Problem: Strong Engines, Weak Frames

High school runners, jumpers and sprinters are all trying to do the same thing which is produce and control force as efficiently as possible. Distance runners repeat that force thousands of times per race. Sprinters and jumpers deliver it in short, explosive bursts. While many high school athletes may be great at moving fast, they are commonly not great at absorbing force or maintaining control.

That's when the problems start:

• Knees caving in on landings or during fatigue.
• Hamstring or Achilles pain after harder workouts.
• Hip and low back issues from overuse or instability.

If your muscles can't support the forces your sport demands, your tendons, joints and bones take the hit instead. We don't want that.

The Solution: Build Strength that Transfers to Performance

Strength training isn't just for football players or bodybuilders. Every elite-level track athlete (from marathoners to hurdlers) lifts weights consistently throughout the year and here's why:

1. It builds durability. Lifting improves tissue tolerance, which means your muscles and tendons can handle higher training loads without breaking down. That's why you'll see fewer shin splints, hamstring tweaks and overuse injuries in athletes who lift consistently.
2. It improves running economy. A stronger athlete can produce the same power with less effort. For distance runners, that means smoother, more efficient strides. For sprinters and jumpers, it means faster ground contact times and more powerful takeoffs.
3. It improves coordination and mechanics. Strength work trains your nervous system, not just your muscles. Exercises like squats, deadlifts and single-leg work teach you to recruit the right muscles at the right time, leading to cleaner and more stable movement patterns.
4. It develops power. Lifting heavier (with good form) teaches athletes to generate force quickly, a direct link to sprinting speed and explosive jumps.
5. It keeps athletes balanced. Most runners spend all season moving in one direction. Strength work helps correct imbalances between the front and back of the body, left and right legs and stabilizers versus prime movers.

What the Pros Know

Ask any NCAA strength coach or pro runner about their training, and they'll tell you: the weight room is non-negotiable. If the best athletes in the world prioritize strength training, there's no reason high school athletes shouldn't too.

Sample Strength Workout for High School Runners, Sprinters, and Jumpers

Perform it 2-3 times per week during the offseason with 1-2 days of rest between sessions. Always warm up and cool down before & after your strength workouts.

Main Lift: Trap Bar Deadlift (or Kettlebell Deadlift) - 4 sets of 5-6 rep

Accessory Lift #1: Bulgarian Split Squat - 3 sets of 8 reps per leg

Accessory Lift #2: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL) - 3 sets of 10 reps

Accessory Lift #3: Standing Cable or Band Row - 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Core Finisher: 2 Rounds

• Pallof Press Hold - 20 seconds per side
• Side Plank with Reach-Through - 10 reps per side